Forced from American horse racing in 1903 by racism, two-time Kentucky Derby winner Jimmy Winkfield won major European races and earned two fortunes, only to lose one in the Bolshevik Revolution and another in the Nazi invasion of France. This biography traces Wink's odyssey from shoeshine boy through the epochal events of the 20th century.

Forced from American horse racing in 1903 by racism and hard times, two-time Kentucky Derby winner Jimmy Winkfield won every major European race and earned two dazzling fortunes - only to lose one in the Bolshevik Revolution and another in the Nazi invasion of France. In this captivating biography, historian Ed Hotaling traces Wink's extraordinary odyssey from shoeshine boy through the epochal events of the 20th century. 'One of the most extraordinary stories in sports history' - Laura Hillenbrand, author of "Seabiscuit". 'This may be the most fascinating untold sports story in American history' - Charles Osgood, anchor, "CBS News Sunday Morning".

PrefacePrologueOne: Bluegrass BoyTwo: "A Race War Is On" Three: Winnie's DiamondFour: "Winkfield's Dead!"Five: Win the Futurity, and ... Six: "Winkfield, I Don't Like to Be Double-crossed!"Seven: Invading RussiaEight: Edna or a LifeNine: James and Alexandra Ten: Wink's World War IEleven: The OdysseyTwelve: An American in ParisThirteen: Kings, Queens, and WinkFourteen: Marriage and DivorceFifteen: Josephine and FriendsSixteen: Winkfield Shot
Winkfield StabbedSeventeen: Chickens, Rabbits, and Nazis Eighteen: The Nazis versus WinkNineteen: The BackstretchTwenty: You Can't Come InNotesSelected BibliographyAcknowledgmentsIndex