Never Say Die
eBook - PDF

Never Say Die

A Kentucky Colt, the Epsom Derby, and the Rise of the Modern Thoroughbred Industry

  1. 232 pages
  2. English
  3. PDF
  4. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF

Never Say Die

A Kentucky Colt, the Epsom Derby, and the Rise of the Modern Thoroughbred Industry

About this book

A quarter of a million people braved miserable conditions at Epsom Downs on June 2, 1954, to see the 175th running of the prestigious Derby Stakes. Queen Elizabeth II and Sir Winston Churchill were in attendance, along with thousands of Britons who were all convinced of the unfailing superiority of English bloodstock and eager to see a British colt take the victory. They were shocked when a Kentucky-born chestnut named Never Say Die galloped to a two-length triumph at odds of 33–1, winning Britain's greatest race and beginning an important shift in the world of Thoroughbred racing.

Never Say Die traces the history of this extraordinary colt, beginning with his foaling in Lexington, Kentucky, as well as the stories of the influential individuals brought together by the horse and his victory—from the heir to the Singer sewing machine fortune to the Aga Khan. Most fascinating is the tale of Mona Best of Liverpool, England, whose well-placed bet on the long-shot Derby contender allowed her to open the Casbah Coffee Club. There, her son met musicians John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, later joining their band.

Featuring a foreword by the original drummer for the Beatles, Pete Best, this remarkable book reveals how an underdog's surprise victory played a part in the formation of the most successful and influential rock band in history and made the Bluegrass region of Kentucky the center of the international Thoroughbred industry.

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Yes, you can access Never Say Die by James C. Nicholson in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Geschichte & Geschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright page
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. List of Illustrations
  7. Foreword
  8. Preface
  9. Chapter 1: A Historic Derby Triumph and a Wager That Changed History
  10. Chapter 2: The Unusual Origins of a Sewing Machine Fortune
  11. Chapter 3: Robert Sterling Clark
  12. Chapter 4: The Aga Khan
  13. Chapter 5: Robber Barons Robbing Barons
  14. Chapter 6: An Unlikely Horseman
  15. Chapter 7: A Derby-less Trainer
  16. Chapter 8: The First Kentucky-Bred Champion of the Epsom Derby
  17. Chapter 9: An American Invasion at Epsom
  18. Chapter 10: A Global Sport and Industry
  19. Acknowledgments
  20. Notes
  21. Bibliography
  22. Index