The three races that comprise the historic Triple Crown series are awash in stories of both people and horses, the names that inspire generations of racing fans to dive into the recounting of the tales of these essential moments. As we count down to the first Saturday in May, why not pass the days leading up to Triple Crown by revisiting the names and faces that make up the history of these iconic races? These 13 titles can bring readers a new perspective on some of the sport’s icons, both equine and human.

The Triple Crown:

The Foxes of Belair: Gallant Fox, Omaha, and the Quest for the Triple Crown, by Jennifer S. Kelly

The Foxes of Belair: Gallant Fox, Omaha, and the Quest for the Triple Crown examines the racing legacies of Gallant Fox and Omaha and how William Woodward’s service to racing during the 20th century forever changed the landscape of the American Thoroughbred industry. (Released May 9, 2023)

The Lucky Thirteen: The Winners of America’s Triple Crown of Horse Racing, by Edward L. Bowen

Released in 2019, The Lucky Thirteen is the most recent addition to the pantheon on books profiling the Triple Crown and its winners and the only one that includes Justify (2018). Bowen is racing’s premier historian and his deep knowledge of the sport and the horses that have won the sport’s most elite prize shows here. This is a must-read for anyone who loves the Triple Crown and the immortals that have their names etched on this short list.

Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown, by Jennifer S. Kelly

In 1919, a winless chestnut colt made the Kentucky Derby his maiden victory and then went on to add the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, achieving what came to be known to modern racing fans as the Triple Crown. Sir Barton explores this pioneer’s career in depth from his surprising turn at Churchill Downs to his place alongside Man o’ War at the starting line for the Race of the Century.

Citation: In a Class by Himself, by Phil Georgeff

As racing’s first millionaire, Citation won more than just the Triple Crown: he had a 16-race winning streak equaled by the legendary Cigar nearly five decades later. Georgeff’s book details the Calumet Farm champion’s long career, a horse who finished out of the money just once in 45 races.

The Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World’s Greatest Racehorse, by Lawrence Scanlan

Nearly 50 years after Secretariat’s record-breaking Triple Crown win, Scanlan’s portrait of Big Red comes from the perspective of the person who know him best: his groom, Eddie Sweat. For those who loved the movie Secretariat and enjoyed Bill Nack’s book on the ninth Triple Crown winner, this book will give readers a new ground-level perspective on those two storied seasons.

Duel for the Crown: Affirmed, Alydar, and Racing’s Greatest Rivalry, by Linda Carroll and Dave Rosner

The 1978 Triple Crown season is famous for more than just crowning the 11^th winner in Affirmed. No, that year’s classics went down as something more: a series of duels that made immortals of both winner and loser, the image of Affirmed and Alydar coming down to the wire as one burned into the sport’s memory. Carroll and Rosner tell the story behind the rivalry, recounting the people, places, and races that made Affirmed and Alydar inseparable in the story of the sport of kings.

American Pharoah: The Untold Story of the Triple Crown Winner’s Legendary Rise, by Joe Drape

In 2015, American Pharoah ended the 37-year drought between Triple Crowns, capturing the hearts of racing fans all over the world. Drape’s book looks at the journey from the horse’s earliest days, exploring what it took for American Pharoah to go from one of thousands of foals born to “finally the one.”

Justify: 111 Days to Triple Crown Glory, by Lenny Shulman

From his first start at Santa Anita Park to his crowning moment at Belmont Park, Justify defied the odds and condensed a lifetime’s worth of memories into just 111 days. Lenny Shulman’s inside access to the career of Justify brings readers into the heart of the extraordinary career of America’s 13^th Triple Crown winner.

More Classic Winners:

Spectacular Bid: The Last Superhorse of the Twentieth Century, by Peter Lee

On the heels of back-to-back Triple Crowns from Seattle Slew and Affirmed came Spectacular Bid, a superhorse in every sense of the word. A champion each season he raced, the Bid fell short of a Triple Crown with his shocking loss to Coastal in the 1979 Belmont Stakes, the cause still a matter of debate some 40 years later.

Here Comes Exterminator: The Longshot Horse, the Great War, and the Making of an American Hero, by Eliza McGraw

Willis Sharpe Kilmer shunned Exterminator – until he did what no one expected him to do, win America’s biggest race. McGraw’s book details how Exterminator evolved from second fiddle to first place in the hearts of racing fans everywhere.

Man o’ War: A Legend Like Lightning, by Dorothy Ours

A century after his dominant career, Man o’ War sits atop the list of history’s greatest Thoroughbreds, but this legend was once flesh and bone, subject to the whims of an owner and trainer overwhelmed with the juggernaut in their barn. Author Dorothy Ours explores the career of this immortal, giving readers new insights into the twenty-one races that made Man o’ War a superstar.

Dancer’s Image: The Forgotten Story of the 1968 Kentucky Derby, by Milt Toby

A look at any list of Kentucky Derby winners will show Forward Pass as the winner of the 1968 edition, but his victory came after the controversial disqualification of Dancer’s Image. Milt Toby explores the medication overage at the heart of the controversy, detailing the testing procedures that led to the discovery and the legal proceedings that followed.

Racing for America: The Horse Race of the Century and the Redemption of a Sport, by James C. Nicholson

In 1923, on the heels of a world war and the near-death of the sport, Zev won the 1923 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, his classic wins putting him head and shoulders above his competition. Owned by the infamously wealthy Harry Sinclair, trained by the Hall of Famer Sam Hildreth, and ridden by “Handy Guy” Earl Sande, this classic winner stands at the center of a story of another race of the century, one that marked racing’s comeback after a decade on the brink of extinction.

These 12 books are just a snapshot of the titles available to any racing fan who wants to learn more about the sport and its stories. What better way to count down to these three American classics than reading about the greats that keep us coming back for more?