A half century after his amazing Triple Crown sweep, Secretariat remains the burnished icon that captured the public's imagination like no other horse. His chestnut coat glistening and his powerful muscles rippling, stormed home by an astounding 31 lengths to win the 1973 Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown as thousands of fans watched in awe. The most charismatic horse of the modern era, Secretariat graced the covers of Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated and galvanized a public weary of Watergate and the Vietnam war. Timothy T. Capps tells the riveting story of Secretariat from the champion's birth at Meadow Stable in Virginia and his tutelage under renowned trainer Lucien Laurin, to his great victories with jockey Ron Turcotte and his life after the racetrack.

The greatest rivalry in modern Thoroughbred racing history began with little fanfare on June 15, 1977. The more experienced Affirmed defeated Alydar, who was making his racing debut in the Youthful Stakes at Belmont Park. In nine subsequent meetings, Affirmed got the better of Alydar six times, often by just inches. Their meetings, especially during the Triple Crown season of 1978, became the stuff of racing lore. Affirmed claimed the Triple Crown, but Alydar tested him to the limits each time in stirring stretch drives that left onlookers limp. Indeed, many racing historians consider their Belmont Stakes to be the greatest race of the twentieth century. Author Timothy Capps, who witnessed many of the Affirmed-Alydar races, chronicles their early years, first encounters, and epic clashes. He also tells the stories of the people who raised, trained, and rode these titans.