Nicknamed "Old Bones" because of his angular appearance, Exterminator overcame the odds and became a Thoroughbred Legend.
Even in the time of great horses like Man o' War, Colonel Matt J. Winn, the father of the Kentucky Derby, called Exterminator "the greatest all-around Thoroughbred in American racing history."
"Old Bones" as he was called, ran from 1917-1924 and even won the 1918 Kentucky Derby. Gelded as a two-year-old, Exterminator was purchased as a work mate for Willis Sharpe Kilmer's Kentucky Derby hopeful, Sun Briar. However, Sun Briar never made it to the Derby, and Exterminator went in his place.
The rest, as they say, is history. Exterminator went on to race 100 times, finishing in the money 84 times. He died in his stall in 1945 and was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1957.
WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING
“Boyd, the author of Native Dancer, has another winner on her hands with Exterminator. Whether you are a racing fan or not, you’ll enjoy this story of an underdog who outran everyone’s expectations.”
--Hallie McEvoy, Horsemen’s Yankee Pedlar
“Of all the new titles in this series, however, I have to rank Exterminator as my favorite.”
--Debra Ginsburg, California Thoroughbred
"Eva Jolene Boyd, in her second offering in the Thoroughbred Legends series, has done a masterful job of delving back through history to help relate the time and times of this incredible race horse...This is solid research."...
"Exterminator was the epitome of tough, not his demeanor which was amiable and inspired genuine affection, but in racing soundness."
--Susan van Dyke, Washington Thoroughbred