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

On the first Saturday in May every year in Louisville, Kentucky, shortly after 5:30 PM, a new horse attains racing immortality. The Kentucky Derby is like no other race, and its winners are the finest horses in the world. Covered in rich red roses, surrounded by flashing cameras and admiring crowds, these instant celebrities bear stellar names like Citation, Spectacular Bid, and Seattle Slew. They're worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. From the time of their pampered births and training on fabulous Thoroughbred farms in Kentucky, Florida, and California, they are destined for the Derby. But in 1992, a funny thing happened on the way to the roses. The rattling roar of 130,000 voices tailed off into a high, hollow shriek as the horses crossed the finish line. Lil E. Tee? ABC broadcasters knew nothing about him, but they weren't alone. Who knew about Lil E. Tee? A blacksmith in Ocala, Florida, a veterinary surgeon in Ringoes, New Jersey, a trainer at Calder Race Course, and a few other people used to dealing with average horses knew this horse - and realized what a long shot Lil E. Tee really was. On an obscure Pennsylvania farm that raised mostly trotting horses, a colt with a dime-store pedigree was born in 1989. His odd gait and tendency to bellow for his mother earned him the nickname "E.T". Suffering from an immune deficiency and a bad case of colic, he survived surgery that usually ends a horse's racing career. Bloodstock agents dismissed him because of his mediocre breeding, and once he was sold for only $3,000. He'd live in five barns in seven states by the time he turned two. Somehow, this horse became one of the biggest underdogs ever to appear on the American sportinglandscape. Lil E. Tee overcame his bleak beginnings to reach the respected hands of trainer Lynn Whiting, jockey Pat Day, and owner Cal Partee. After winning the Jim Beam stakes and finishing second in the Arkansas Derby, Lil E. Tee arrived at Churchill Downs to face a field of seventeen horses, including the highly acclaimed favorite, Arazi, a horse many people forecast to become the next Secretariat. A 17-to-1 longshot, Lil E. Tee won the Derby with a classic rally down the home stretch, and finally Pat Day had jockeyed a horse to Derby victory. more

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5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Dec-12-2003; A Pleasant Surprise; It took me until 2003 to read this book. As the book says Lil E. Tee had a dime store pedigree and I figured that being the case this book could not be that good. Boy was I wrong. Eisenberg researched this Lil E. Tee's story...; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Jun-24-2003; This May Be One of the Best Horse Racing Books Ever!; In May 1992, I sat down to watch the Kentucky Derby expecting to watch the coronation of a horse named Arazi as the best horse since Secretariat. However, a horse I had never heard of before, Lil E. Tee, pulled a shocking upset of Arazi...; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Oct-31-2002; Bringing an obscure horse into the light...; I purchased this book on a whim, let it sit around for a while, and randomly picked it up on my way to bed, thinking that I would read a little bit and then quickly fall asleep. Little did I know that I would be up all night, my usually...; read full review | report as inappropriate

5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Jun-12-1999; This will re-kindle your interest in horse racing; I thoroughly enjoyed The Longest Shot. I found it at my local library but have since purchased a copy for my growing horse library. I've been a horse nut my whole life but had not been following racing too closely. However, reading...; read full review | report as inappropriate

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5/5: From: Amazon; Posted: Dec-12-2003; A Pleasant Surprise; It took me until 2003 to read this book. As the book says Lil E. Tee had a dime store pedigree and I figured that being the case this book could not be that good. Boy was I wrong. Eisenberg researched this Lil E. Tee's story...; read full review | report as inappropriate