One fateful winter night, a famous racehorse mysteriously broke his leg while alone in his stall. An investigation ensued, but the real story has never been told…until now. It was a cool, quiet evening at Calumet Farm, where the most valuable racehorses—including the prolific stallion Alydar—had settled into their stalls for the evening. Alton Stone, filling in for the regular night watchman, completed his rounds at the barn. Although nothing seemed out of the ordinary, an inexplicable hunch led Stone to check on Alydar. What he found—a grievously injured horse with no discernable cause—jump-started one of the biggest mysteries to ever hit the horse racing world. One part true-crime investigation, one part evocative history of the adrenaline-filled days of horse racing’s golden age, Broken follows Alydar’s rise to fame and then dives into the sordid details of the crime and trial that came to define his legacy. Told with the taut pacing of a legal thriller, Broken investigates Alydar’s death, the $41.5 million insurance payout, and the stain it left on the sport of horse racing. Throughout, animal law attorney and author Fred M. Kray weaves together shocking testimony and key evidence from the trials, featuring dramatic photos taken the night of the incident. Drawing on interviews conducted with more than twenty-five key witnesses, Kray reveals insider-only details and, in order to discover the truth about the death of this magnificent horse, embarks on a major investigation—one that leads to an unexpected and startling conclusion. Named One the Top 100 Books of 2023 by Kirkus Reviews Winner National Indie Excellence Award 2024-Nonfiction Winner Independent Publisher Association 2024 Gold Award-True Crime Winner IBPA's Benjamin Franklin Gold Award 2024-Sports & Recreation Winner IBPA's Bill Fisher Award 2024-Best First Book-Nonfiction Winner Feathered Quill Book Awards 2024-Animal Adult Finalist Feathered Quill Award 2024-Historical Category Taborton Book Award Best Equine Book 2023 "A well-told book for the love of one of the most renowned racehorses and sires America has ever known. It's really a love story between the author and Alydar. We see this horse and feel his spirit, courage, love, frustrations and fears. Kray is a gifted writer." — Kim Wickens, author of Lexington "It is both a true-crime drama and a testimony to one man's love of a horse. The story told is compelling and worthy of a place on the bookshelf of both students of horse racing history and fans of the true crime genre. It will certainly have an honored place on mine." — Avalyn Hunter, author of Dream Derby "Reading about Alydar brought back beautiful memories of his racing career, and Kray got everything right. I thought I knew everything about about Alydar's death until I read the exhaustive investigation contained in this book. It was thorough, comprehensive, and like nothing I have ever read before. Kray uncovered facts nobody else did."— John Veitch, Alydar's trainer, inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 2007 "The last time I spoke with trainer John Veitch before his death, he told me he had received a copy of Mr. Kray's work and that 'it is one of the best manuscripts I have ever read.' Mr. Kray's work does provide a compelling collation of events and possible interpretations thereof. The tapestry thus created reflect Herculean research along with a graceful appreciation for the sport of horse racing. John Veitch's deep affection and pride in Alydar show through and provide a poignance to the story of a great Thoroghbred.— Edwin L. Bowen, author of The Lucky Thriteen: Winners of America's Triple Crown of Horse Racing "Kray writes with this kind of matter-of-fact, spine tingling suspense. The book has a break-neck pace. The cast of characters is something worthy of a Martin Scorsese adaption." — Garth Thomas, The Hollywood Digest Kray's "passion for this topic is evident, and he posesses the requisite skills to follow a labyrinth of clues and misstatements that go back forty-plus years. Broken flows rather like a true cime memoir...If Fred Kray had defended Alydar, at the very least, he might have had his day in court." — J.N. Campbell, Thoroughbred Daily News "An effective amalgam of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit . Kray writes with this frenetic, emotional candor, and cold unsparing fastidiousness. Reminiscent of works like Stephen L. Carter's The Emperor of Ocean Park , and even Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code ." — Alexander, Goodreads "A true crime story that reads with the passion and immediacy of a dramatic novel, featuring the ability to draw readers from outside the true cime genre. A rollicking good read that puts Dick Francis to shame."— Midwest Book Review "It is part race horse history, detailed investigation, and advocate for animals all wrapped up into a who-done-it mystery." — Hank Jackson, The Florida Bar Magazine