The Longest Shot: Lil E. Tee and the Kentucky Derby - Hardcover

Eisenberg, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0813119561 ISBN 13: 9780813119564

Publisher: Univ Pr of Kentucky, 1996

Synopsis

Memoir. Eisenberg takes us to the owner's seat and brings the Lil E. Tee story to life. He does a wonderful job of going behind the scenes to capture the flavor and substance of the Kentucky Derby." --Jim Bolus, author of Kentucky Derby Stories.

About this title

Reviews

When Lil E. Tee won the Kentucky Derby at odds of 17^-1, it was reported as an upset. In fact, it was more akin to a miracle. At the time, however, nobody could fully comprehend just how unlikely it was that this ill-bred colt--shuffled from owner to owner, his early history lost--had won America's greatest horse race. Those who posed with him in the winner's circle at Churchill Downs had no idea that he had nearly died before undergoing stomach surgery as a weanling, that he had been sold for a mere $2,000 as a yearling, or that he had been turned down as unsalable by an auction company as a two-year-old. Retracing the colt's steps on his circuitous path to glory, Eisenberg pieces together one of the most remarkable stories in the history of a sport rife with the stuff of fairy tales. Told with a firm understanding of the subject and a deft narrative touch, it makes fascinating reading. Dennis Dodge

This is an inspiring account of the victory of Lil E. Tee in the 1992 Kentucky Derby. Born with an undistinguished pedigree in a minor breeding state (Pennsylvania), surviving prolonged colic and enduring shin problems, this virtually unwanted horse triumphed over much more heralded and significantly more expensive competition. Eisenberg, a Baltimore Sun sportswriter and seasoned racing commentator, interviewed scores of people to piece together a smooth composite of this unlikely odyssey. In so doing, he creates good character profiles of many who were a part of Lil E. Tee's drama, especially the owner, trainer, and jockey at the time of the Derby. The book provides a fair glimpse into the process of a thoroughbred's development and a solid appreciation of the chancy and narrow avenue to the Kentucky Derby. Well written, enjoyable to read, and guaranteed to move many readers, this is heartily recommended.?David Van de Streek, Pennsylvania State Univ. Libs., York
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Univ Pr of Kentucky
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0813119561
• ISBN 13: 9780813119564
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 206