The Fast Ride

Spectacular Bid and the Undoing of a Sure Thing

De: Jack Gilden

Narrado por: Jack Gilden

In an era of spectacular thoroughbreds, Spectacular Bid was perhaps the most exalted racehorse of them all. In 1979, he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes—and transcended his sport on a run of 12 consecutive stakes victories—but his quest for the Triple Crown was lost with a third-place finish in the Belmont Stakes due to a series of bizarre events that have never been accurately reported.

In The Fast Ride, Jack Gilden tells the story of what really happened that day the Bid lost the biggest race of his life. Along the way, he introduces the listener to a cast of characters from the gilded age of late-20th-century horse racing, from Bid’s owners, the renowned Meyerhoff family, to Grover “Buddy” Delp, the fast-talking trainer, to teenage jockey Ronnie Franklin, whose meteoric rise to fame aboard Spectacular Bid came at the cost of his innocence and well-being. Also present are four of the era’s magnificent Latino riders, Ángel Cordero Jr., Jacinto Vasquez, Georgie Velasquez, and Ruben Hernandez, who all felt the sting of rejection and bigotry during their long careers even as they found their way and raised the level of competition to a feverish pitch.

Underlying Spectacular Bid’s saga was a thin line between hard work and excess, including substance abuse, animal manipulation and doping, and race fixing. Hardly anyone in the horse’s circle made it out unscathed or undamaged.

The Fast Ride is the story of a great racehorse, unfulfilled dreams, the exhilaration and steep price of striving at all costs, and an American era in which getting everything you ever wanted could be the most empty and unfulfilling sensation of all.

©2022 Jack Gilden (P)2022 Jack Gilden

Enthralling, Beautiful, and Tragic

This book is absolutely riveting, it has an excitement and tragedy of Shakespearean proportions, yet it's all true. I highly recommend this, the exciting journey author Jack Guilden takes you on is one for the ages!

A Compelling story superbly presented!

Fantastic read for those who follow horse racing or Maryland history. Gilden’s talent in taking disparate subject matter and revealing the connections is breathtaking. From the heart-pounding track races, to the seedy drug culture and the majesty of Maryland horse country to the corruption of money, every scene in the story is expertly woven together and vividly revealed to the reader.
Reads like a novel, yet every word is true. Every character is fully developed, blemishes and all. Gilden pulls no punches in describing historic events that shaped Spectacular Bid’s journey.
“The Fast Ride” is an engaging work that provides insight into a story that has never been told. Must read!

Spectacular Story!

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this story about a young jockey, Ronnie Franklin, and an amazing horse, Spectacular Bid. I have never been a real horse racing fan, but was captivated right out of the gate! Jack Gilden does an incredible job of drawing you in right away to the world of Baltimore and it's storied horse racing history. Also, you become fascinated with how the young jockey came to his occupation, his struggles and victories, and what an amazing horse Spectacular Bid truly was. Jack Gilden's excitement and enthusiasm for the material is contagious!! It not only entertained me, but taught me so much about my home town of Baltimore and the racing industry in general. I highly recommend this book!

I didn't want it to end!

Fantastic story. I didn't want it to end. But, I love horse racing and the stories about the horses, trainers, jockeys, and owners. Highly recommended!

Very enjoyable

This is a great summer read. As a lifelong Marylander I highly recommend this book!

Fast Ride

This was a very enjoyable book. The author did a wonderful job of capturing the characters and the backside environment.
Being a racetrack veterinarian I could relate to what was going on. I knew the veterinarians mentioned from Manny Gilman to Alex Harthill and Jimmy Stewart. He captured their exploits perfectly.
I recommend this book to anyone who who has ever stepped on the backside of a racetrack.
Respectfully submitted,
Gary Norwood, DVM

Great book. The Incredible research made for a great read!!

So much detail and research went into this book. A great read. I didn’t want it to end! Would make a great movie!!

More than a Horse Racing Story

I was a horse crazy little girl (40+ years ago) and watched every Triple Crown (until the pandemic) to enjoy the regal beauty and excitement of these incredible animals. I heard of the darker side of racing, but Gilden's book opened my eyes even wider to the troubles that plague the sport. And he wrote it with balanced words meant to educate while still entertain the reader. It's clear he researched all aspects to get the insights and facts, similar to how a reporter must dig for the truth. Then he crafted it into an engaging piece woven with history of racing, Baltimore, and the individuals involved. I lived in Baltimore for years and watched racing for many more years, and many times was surprised to learn something new during this book. There's horse racing, coming of age, triumph, bullying, wealth, poverty, anti-semitism, life choices and so much more all told in the author's easy to listen to Baltimore accent. Interestingly, I could tell the author truly cared about telling this story and providing the audience with the bad and the good, because the truth has both. Nothing was sensationalized, all was researched and shared. His respectful telling of this era of horse racing, this horse and those within its orbit was a joy to hear. It took me a while to finish the book because I kept saving it for road trips. I'm sad to be finished, and can only hope someone takes the many levels contained in this story and turns it into a movie. Seriously, it's that good!

Worth the listen

I enjoyed the book. It was as much of a historical reflection on American life in the late 70s & early 80s, as it is a deep dive into Spectacular Bid’s amazing career in-spite of it all. The play-by-play description of the races brought delight to my mind. I felt as if I was on horseback right there. I think I want every horse race commentated to me that way now!

And then, I reflected on this story of basic child abuse and how the times and all that was at stake made it easy to ignore. As a Nation, we fail to realize that the majority of children abused are male - most problems in school, homeless, suicides, inmates are male. While we blame men for all sorts of societal ills, we fail at supporting young male adults. The book was full of moments to ponder. I found myself rewatching the old races & interviews online, engaged in the mysteries the author revealed to us.

I recommend this book if you’re looking for a page turner full of colorful characters that take your mind behind the scenes of what was not a more innocent time. I appreciate the deep dive the author has presented in this slice of life tale. I appreciate the celebration of these fabulous historic equine & human athletes who are worth remembering - Spectacular Bid, Ronnie & others.

As feedback for the audible readers & production - the transitions between chapters felt rushed with little or no pause between, so sometimes difficult to keep clarity on characters.

A beautiful and cruel world

Incredible writing. Real people.
Love the stories of everyone involved and careful explanations. I hope that the Franklins and Ronny have been redeemed in some way. I love the powerful life truths concerning fathers and son, the cruel nightmare of drug use, the sadness of wounds being passed down! …and so much more provoking truth lessons. Kindness, love.
And most of all the horses and riders. I know I have to keep riding and keep at it and see what happens.