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Using the most basic statistics, completely explained, the author selects the sixteen most likely candidates for the title: "greatest horse of the twentieth century."Fifty colts and fillies, listed mainly in a 1999 publication by The Blood-Horse, Inc., were compared using a three-part process. This process narrowed the top contenders to sixteen.The past performance data for these Thoroughbreds were obtained from the Daily Racing Form's 2000 publication Champions. Using results identical to those explained in the book, the author calculates that the best likely average time for Big Brown to run the upcoming Belmont is 147.54 seconds, or 2:27.54. One hundred simulations at 12 furlongs, based on Big Brown's current 2008 performance data and the past 36 years of Belmont winning times, indicate he has a 72-percent chance of winning the triple crown.The identical formulas used in the book on the past performance data for Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed, came within fractional seconds of predicting their Belmont/Triple Crown wins.Of course, as most Wall Street pundits will warn, past performance is not a guarantee of future performance!And now, in retrospect, Big Brown sadly did not win. Had he run as he was capable, the predicted time stated above would have beaten the winner, Da'Tara, by 2.09 seconds!Charles JusticeJune 5 and 9, 2008 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Greatest Horse Of All?????
What the author really means is the Greatest American Horse Of ALL!
Champion non-American horses have been largely overlooked.Think of Sir Ivor,Hyperion,Nearco,Ribot,MakybeDiva,Tulloch,Sunline,Manikato,Vain,Carbine,Nijinsky-just to name a few....
To try to compare horses from different eras statistically is ridiculous any way.
The only way to know for sure is to race them against one another(a bit difficult!)Otherwise a subjective meaningless task although one keen long standing racegoers like to do.

A Strong Attempt
A very good read and review of data analytic methods. The methods did produce some odd results such as Seattle Slew's high score for the two year old cutoff. Slew only ran three races as a two. They were very appreciative of Ruffian's performances as a two and three, rightly so I believe. The surprise showing was Easy Goer as a three. I, too, have a copy of the Daily Racing Form's "Champions"and reviewed his performance line.I was surprised he ran such an incredible performance in the Gotham, and then in the Belmont. Beyond that he didn't do a whole lot. It seemed he had enormous talent, it just didn't show very often. Again, Justice's methods were very appreciative of Swaps as a four, marking him as one the best at that age. I had always thought Swaps was underappreciated by critics, but his numbers are there, and this book brings them out. I think Juctice is correct in identifying the best in age groups. Too many horses ran only at certain ages, and for one reason or another were retired before they completed a full resume- (Secretariat, ManOWar, and Count Fleet to name a few (although I think ManOWar really didn't have to race another year; he proved himself the most capable of his era under a variety of circumstances in just two seasons.)) Surprising findings were the Limits Analysis of Sir Barton suggesting he might have bettered ManOWar under equal weight.Barton was better than that match race suggested.

I, too, did research in this area about 5 years ago and posted a paper on the internet entitled "Secretariat and ManOWar Revisited". That paper dealt only with these two colts and questioned the Blood-Horse ranking . I actually came up with conclusions similar to those of Mr. Justice. I, too, used Linear Trend Analysis (ordinary least squares) using "foal counts" as an independent variable. Our R squares were quite different. Still, using derived equations, I had Secretariat leading ManOWar by about 4 fifths of a second at 10 furlongs as did Mr. Justice's methods; and from 5 to 8 fifths of a second at 12 furlongs. Incredibly at 13 furlongs, I had Secretariat leading by only 1 fifth. Mr. Justice's methods had ManOWar winning at 13 furlongs. The big surprise in my work was that of Count Fleet. At 12 furlongs I had him just a few lengths behind Secretariat, so I regarded that colt as one of the top three. Count Fleet did not make Mr. Justice's cutoff. So be it.

An item in question that might have affected Mr. Justice's outcomes was the use of the Daily Racing Form track variant. The DRF 'Champions' resource offers this figure throughout the races of the last century but it has long been considered unreliable, and for many reasons. Its current calculation may be quite different than what it used to be. Up through the 90's or so, it used track records as reference points. At this time, it may have been revised to use best times in the last 3 years. Andy Beyer's (and friends) calculations of variants was a breakthrough. He essentially used an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)to estimate variants. Far better than the DRF figures. His contribution cannot be discounted. Handicapping is an art form as much as a science. When horses are closely matched, a fifth of a second or less is the margin of victory. No handicapping method is overwhelmingly reliable, otherwise why wager. The DRF variant was better left unused.

Mr. Justice suggested differing eras can be accounted for by using data analytic methods. I agree, paranthetically. Races at Belmont track in the 19 teens and in 1920 (and a little beyond) were often run in different directions and on courses not encountered since. ManOWar's Belmont was not only shorter but ranon an odd shaped course, part of which was on the training track. The course itself will influence time. He ran a number of races right footed. I had some issues with this when comparing his races to those of Secretariat. Eras can offer some variables that are difficult to account for, even when using analytic methods. One of the key operations of such procedures is holding variables constant. The key variable, I believe, was foal counts. Once the natural ability of horses, by way of foal counts, is taken into account, all else is era contingent. Once era and ability are separated, the ability of specific horses can then be estimated and compared. Mr.Justice did this.

For racing fans and historians, this book is well worth reading. Mr. Justice presents the difficult concepts of his methods in ways understandable to laymen. I give it 5 stars for its provocative subject matter and good reading style.

rac

superb and engaging analysis
Using data and statistics, horses from different eras are pitted against one another, much like today's fantasy football leagues do.I can't imagine a better way to explore "what if..." than Justice has devised, explained and presented.Horse lovers/fans, race aficionados and anyone associated with those industries should read this book!

The Greatest Horse of All: A Controversy Examined
Although my undergraduate and graduate studies did not include a lot of statistics, Mr. Justice has made an honest effort to treat data available from the horses he chose.It is easy to tell that his knowledge of data analysis and presentation is extensive.
Everyone interested in horse racing will have their favorite horses, as does Mr. Justice, but he lets the data speak for itself.There is no skewing of results to favor one horse over another.
Coming through in this book is Mr. Justice's love for horses and horse racing.It is easy to tell his publication is a labor of love.

Will be controversial
This book is an honest attempt to rank the top horses from the past using objective data rather than "expert" opinion.

Anyone can get the gist of the ranking system, although I suspect non-math types may find the statistical basis a little hard to follow, even with Mr. Justice's explanations of the important concepts.

The rankings produced by the method differ in significant ways from every other ranking I've seen and will be completely unacceptable to fans of certain horses.I have a mathematics (but not statistics) background, and also consider myself to be fairly knowledgeable about the careers of many of the top horses, and in my opinion, some of these rankings are definitely way off; even though that's the way the data fell out.Some of the method's other rankings fit well with subjective rankings.

Horse racing is a sport where a few fifths of a second is significant and one second is huge.After spot-checking the differences between actual and predicted values for a few horses, I'm not yet convinced that the linear trend analysis has enough precision to justify the rankings, despite the very high R-squared values.
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Customer Reviews (4)

Never received the book
Hello there,
I paid for this item, got the email confirming the shipment... but never got the book itself!!! Can anyone explain me what happened?
Thanks a lot in advance.

A Great Read!
Greatest Rivalries is a joy to read - from the beautifully recounted stories of historic battles on the track to the abundance of classic photographs with each turn of the page. Relive the excitement and tension of each rivalry in chronological order from 19th century Domino-Clifford-Henry of Navarre all the way to today's Curlin-Street Sense-Hard Spun. A real pleasure!

A Nice Exacta Box
Though the volume can be viewed as a supplement to the outstanding Thoroughbred Legends series, the 20 match-ups cover familiar turf - Dr. Fager v. Damascus, Affirmed v. Alydar - but provides a recent, though bit of a stretch, rivalry of Street Sense, Hard Spun and Curlin.

A succinct text and wealth of photographs is a nice exacta box, though the payout may be to those who peripherally follow racing than those who meticulously watch the "Sport of Kings." If nothing else, the stories are a great reminder that champions are remembered for the battles fought from gate-to-wire, not for the trips to the winner's circle after besting inferior competition.

Especially recommended reading for all thoroughbred horse racing enthusiasts
Acclaimed to be the sport of kings, thoroughbred horse racing is epitomized by racing's 'Triple Crown' and the legendary rivalries associated with these contests. In "Horse Racing's Greatest Rivalries" the staff of Blood-Horse Publications has compiled and explores twenty of the greatest match-ups as selected by a panel of turf writers and racing historians. Profusely illustrated with period photographs, readers will be treated to informed and informative descriptions of such well known examples as Seabiscuit and War Admiral, Sunday Silence and Easy Goer, as well as such lesser known but equally important pairings such as the filly Galloreet and the nineteen races she ran against her older male rival named Stymie. A riveting history that is especially recommended reading for all thoroughbred horse racing enthusiasts, "Horse Racing's Greatest Rivalries" is a unique and welcome addition to personal reading lists and community library collections.

... Read more

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There are intelligent gamblers who beat the bookies and walk away with the money, claims Duncan. He reve als his 12 golden rules of betting, and explains the 7 steps to better selections. ' ... Read more

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The American Quarter Horse is the world's most versatile breed, excelling in the show arena and at the racetrack. With racing dating back to colonial Virginia, the sport is rich in history and lore. From "Code Blue" to "A Case for Columbo," this unique collection of short essays describes the history of the breed, the excitement of the races, and the people and athletes involved in Quarter Horse racing. ... Read more

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Make sure to check out Mr. Tuttle's blog site (www.tuttlerules.com), for winning picks and much more. Plus, it's a wonderful way to read some very lengthy excerpts of all seven of his horse handicapping books currently selling on Amazon.com.I'm publishing my findings; applied theories, and disciplined practices, for very selfish reasons. Go to www.thetuttleway.com to see more! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Dont even Consider Harness Racing Bets until you Read this Book!
This book truly does give you some very useful information about what you need to know in harness racing! It is very well written by the son of a former driver learn all the hidden secrets that most are clueless about now! Stay one step ahead of everyone else with these secret methods from someone who's whole life has been from the inside of the sport! I read his book cover to cover the night I got it! burned out my hightlighter with all the important items I discovered! I have it by me now as i am handicapping and im constanly going back for more useful information...his methods are proven sound and they work! Without this book you might as well be throwing darts at a board blindfolded to pick a winner! Read Harness the Winning and open your eyes to a whole new world of actually understanding and profiting from the world of Harness Racing! See you at the winners circle now!Harness The Winning: The Definitive Book On How To Make A Living Wagering On Nothing But Harness Racing (Volume 1) WEL

Poorly written and edited garbage
Anybody it seems can publish a book these days. This one is badly written and confused. The author does not support any of his assertions with statistical data and offer a series of banal tips, not a winning method.

No decent publisher would even consider printing this half-baked mess of a book, which does not even come remotely close to delivering the promise of the title. A waste of money. ... Read more

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The best payoffs I've had at the track were generated by extreme pace aberrations. Those nice payoffs didn't come from pedestrians. I'm talking about thieves and carpetbaggers, opportunists who were ordinary but found themselves in extraordinary situations - the right place, the right time. When I started playing the extreme pace way, it made such a difference that I dedicated my handicapping life to it. Extreme Pace Handicapping will show you what made the difference and why. It's simple, really. I like to call it pace picture doodling. If you doodle it, they will come: The Thief, The Clever Thief, The Loner, and the Carpetbagger. Includes one FREE month of the PACEAPPRAISER PPs. Here's how: Buy the book. Go to the author's website (see About the Author at the end of the book for website address). Send a copy of your Amazon receipt along with your first and last name. You will receive your login information by return email. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Wanted a bit more
First, I am a fan of Randy Giles. I believe he is an excellent handicapper with a sterling reputation, but I guess I expected a bit more from this book. His reasoning is sound but I had trouble following some of it. He just seems to lay the information "out there" without going deeper. The beginning of the book is clouded with examples which are not labeled. You don't know which races he's referencing in assigning speed points. Quirin speed points is not a new concept but I'm sure there are people, not familiar with them, who would have difficulty with the examples presented in the book. Overall there is substance here, I just feel it could have been presented in a clearer fashion.

Quite a surprise.
Randy Giles, Extreme Pace Handicapping: If You Doodle, They Will Come (CreateSpace, 2008)

I'm always kind of wary of handicapping books. Some really, really bad ones have been published by major (well, major for handicapping, anyway) presses. So when you combine vanity publishing and handicapping, things can sometimes reach depths to which no sane man should ever stoop. (Case in point: Richard Cromie's Mr. Trifecta.) But I actually found a copy of this at my local Half-Price Books for something akin to a reasonable price a couple of days after I added it to the TBR list. Seemed like providence to me, so I picked it up. I've had a recent run of bad handicapping books, and I realize that may be clouding my judgment, but I'll tell you what--despite the seeming silliness of the subtitle (which really doesn't have much to do with anything) and the fact that you can get most of this from reading between the lines in back issues of the Cramer-Olmsted Report published in the nineties (which you can't get anymore unless you subscribed back then anyway), this ain't a bad little book. In fact, I was pretty impressed with it, given what it is.

The basic idea here will be familiar to readers of authors like Mitchell, Olmsted, and of course Sartin and his crowd: that pace makes the race. Giles separates out four different kinds of pace profiles into which winning horses often fit. If you're a student of pace handicapping, you've probably seen this a number of times, but Giles tweaks the parameters somewhat and focuses on specific horses once you've done some initial analysis, tossing the rest of the field into the hopper. I haven't gotten out to the track much this year, so I haven't had a chance to test any of this out, but the premise is sound, the book is well-put-together (if a little slim; a good chunk of it has to do with track profiles that were out of date long before you started reading this review, which always irks me) and, for a vanity pub, astonishingly well proofread. A pleasant surprise all around. ***

Extreme Pace Handicapping
This is one of the most confusing books I ever read, stike that, I ever tried to read. You be reading along and BANG, there a footnote, and the footnote is only 3 words long, oh it gets better. Some footnotes are only 3 letters long.

Good luck trying to figure out whatever system this guy is trying to tell you about, I gave up.

Pace Decoded
The Author takes sevaral concepts that are have been around for quite a while and gives them a new twist.Quirin speed points and running style analysis have been around forever, but the pace graphs and pace pressure guage put a new spin on them that I found really helpful in my handicapping. Definitely worth the price.

Viewing the Race Holistically
"Extreme Pace Handicapping" is an intermediary textbook on thoroughbred handicapping, specifically on the area of race pace shapes.Subtitled "If You Doodle It, They Will Come" this one is more booklet than book, weighing in at only 122 pages (of which at least twenty are just charts) but still very worthwhile, as what is there is all meat, with very little filler.The material would be a little beyond a beginner's grasp.In my opinion a reader should first be grounded in the basics of thoroughbred handicapping (class, form, speed figures, etc.) before tackling this one; call it a "next-level-up" text.

The book demonstrates how to use Quirin speed points, coupled with each horse's preferred running style (as determined by their previous in-the-money finishes) to predict how the race being handicapped will unfold with regards to pace; that is, who will be the front runner(s), who will stalk the leader(s), who will try to come from behind, etc.This pace system of handicapping is based upon the premises that:

1) A horse race is a system made up of parts

2) The system parts are interconnected

3) Complimentary patterns of relationships appear within the system.

The author gives an excellent example of this symbiotic approach.Quoting from page 4:

"Let's say you're driving your car along the freeway.You're listening to your favorite radio station.There's no traffic and you're free to move to any lane you choose.You adjust your speed as you like.You are driving your car.All of a sudden traffic increases, the car in front of you slows down, an eighteen wheeler is on your bumper, you're traveling at 55 miles per hour now, and before you know it you're back up to 70.Now the traffic is doing the driving - or you could say, sometimes a horse will run the race and sometimes the race will run the horse."

What it boils down to, then, is using General Systems Theory to handicap by viewing the race holistically.Rather than viewing each horse's qualities in isolation, one is made to appreciate that the race as a whole is more than just the sum of its parts.Or, to quote the old-time phrase that sums it up quite nicely, "Pace makes the race."

The text demonstrates how to identify into which of the five primary running styles each horse belongs (labeled by the author as E - Early; E/P - Early/Presser; P - Presser; P/C - Presser/Closer; C - Closer).An entire chapter is dedicated to providing the reader with ten examples of each of the five running styles, ranging from the easily identifiable to the most difficult to classify.Once identified, the author demonstrates how each horses' running style, combined with the frontrunners' Quirin speed points, can be used to determine which horse(s) will be most advantaged and disadvantaged by the expected shape of the race under review; that is, how the race can be expected to play out, and which horse(s) stands most to benefit.For example, a horse that is the lone front runner in the race has a huge advantage; however, if there are multiple such front runners competing, and they are of relatively equal ability, then the advantage would lie with a closer, a horse who can come from behind and run past the tiring front runners in the stretch after they have run each other into the ground.The author has cleverly named four such examples of extreme advantage as "The Thief"; "The Clever Thief"; "The Loner" and "The Carpetbagger."

Overall a very good book.One can quibble about the cost re: price vs pages, but to do so would be to argue in favor of just adding filler material to a book where none is needed.Again, not for the beginner, but highly recommended for someone already familiar with thoroughbred handicapping basics. ... Read more

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In the Sport of Kings, races aren't made just by the animals that run them, but by the voices that call them. This book covers 11 of the top racetrack announcers in the United States: Tom Durkin, Kurt Becker, Dave Rodman, Michael Wrona, Terry Wallace, Larry Collmus, John Dooley, Luke Kruytbosch, Dave Johnson, Robert Geller and Trevor Denman. Based on extensive interviews, each chapter is devoted to a single announcer, addressing details of his life in the profession. Included are additional insights and anecdotes provided by family members, trainers, jockeys, owners and other well-known individuals in the horse racing industry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

It's As Good As The Calls
You are enjoying a day at the races: the excitement, the beauty of the horses, the colors of the silks and, of course, the chance to make some money. The gates open and the race starts. As the horses and jockeys circle the track you hear the announcer call the race.
Did you ever wonder about the person behind that disembodied voice? Edie Dickenson did and decided to write a book about it. And I am happy she did. Choosing eleven of the top race callers in the country, she has given us an insight into each of them: how they got the "calling" (yes, the pun is intended), how they followed their dream, and how chance often played as much a factor as talent in their rise to the top. Each announcer has his own chapter. I've always admired them but now have an even greater appreciation for what they do. Well researched and full of interviews and anecdotes, it is not only an interesting and informative read, but a fun one. There are lots of books on the various aspects of horse racing, but precious few on this subject. Whether it's a warm summer day or a cold winter night, this is a book you'll want to reread.

Good Job
Ditto on the two previous reviews.I am the more typical fan who only listens to the Triple Crown Races.This book gave me an appreciation for all that goes into racing.The author really did her homework to make the reader fully informed about racing and the very special "callers".A nice resource for anyone who wants to make a career out of something they love and are passionate about.

A Thoroughly Enjoyable Read
I have read many books about horse racing, but this was the first I had ever seen on an often ignored facet of the sport, the track announcer.I found each and every chapter to be full of interesting facts about each announcer, and discovered food for thought the next time I happened to listen to the calls made by these wonderful gentlemen.Eleven very distinct personalities emerged from the book, but all men had one thing in common, a passion for The Sport of Kings.It was clear that they do not announce for the money, but for the love of the game.The book moves along at a quick pace, and remains interesting to the very end.It certainly inspired me and gave me an even greater respect for the work these men do.The book was obviously well thought out, and it's clear that Ms. Dickenson is a true fan of racing and of the men who verbally illustrate the races so lovingly.

Even a Non Horse Racing Enthusiast Can Be Enticed
Reading this book about the men who call the races was a journey into the field of horse racing as seen through the eyes and voice of the men who are linked by a common passion....horse racing.The author's research of the men is evident and their brief biographical sketches of what makes each announcer unique are interesting. Even a non horse-racing person such as myself, can appreciate the excitement and enthusiasm each has towards the sport. Terms unique to the sport are also explained for us novices.The author has made each man's childhood to adulthood story focus mainly on how they come to the position of announcer, but sprinkled with words of wisdom, techniques of their craft, and family anecdotes to make each story a lively and often humorous account. I found myself wanting to youtube the various races to hear the calls for myselfto appreciate the choice of words, the cadence, or accent unique to each caller.I found it interesting how many of them would practice calling a race into a recorder when very young, much like a youngster might hold a pretend microphone or dance in front of a mirror to satisfy a desire to perform.I came away appreciating the preparation, and work ethic of these unique "performers" that bring each race alive for the rest of us. Ms Dickenson has a nice appendix at the end with some questions for the 11 announcers to answer....such as "Will there ever be another triple crown winner?"I found the comparison of answers a great way to end the book with each man's perspective side by side. I would like to ask the author if the ceiling has been broken by a woman caller....and that would be an interesting story to write next! I am sure that horse racing enthusiasts, and especially ones that visit the tracks that feature the announcers written about would be both informed and entertained.The writing itself flows easily and makes use of great metaphors and similies.There are many photos as well, of announcers, jockeys, and of course horses, including this amazing Zenyatta who now is 17 wins for 17 starts. This is a quick read, and though some of the stories overlap a bit, one would not need to be sequential in reading it. ... Read more

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When Nan Mooney was seven years old, she sat in her grandmother May-May's living room to watch her first horse race ... And so began a turbulent romance between a woman and a sport.

Part memoir, part journey into the compelling world of Thoroughbred horse racing, My Racing Heart gallops headlong into the wild culture and fabulous creatures that rise up around a racetrack. Nan Mooney looks at the horses, jockeys, and trainers; the gambling and corruption; and racing's age-old history and forever offbeat society. From the dusty backstretch at a small-town track to the stands at magnificent Churchill Downs, Nan Mooney captures the risks and the glory, the excitement and the passion, for horse lovers, sports fans, and anyone who has ever craved a place to run wild.

Customer Reviews (16)

Neither feast nor famine...
This book is driving me crazy.What's wrong with it?I keep thinking I ought to love it.It's well written.Mooney loves horses and the track.She hates what's happening to both, but with a good sense of history she understands nothing's new under the sun.So why is it such a slog to read?Because it's all over the place?Because I can't get a grip on who her grandmother was and Mooney wants me to?Because there's nothing compelling, nothing happening that drives the book or the reader forward?I can't get a handle on what this book is about.Her racing heart.Okay.Her interest in Captain Steve's Derby which the reader forgets is the spine on which she hangs her musings?And she certainly knows a thing or two about her subject.In the end two vital things are missing.The two things a book MUST have to succeed as a book and is why Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit: An American Legend crossed all boundaries.Narrative drive and passion.It's a lukewarm forgettable but horse loving book.An odd experience that I can't quite capture in this review.Just like Mooney can't quite capture the beauty and excitement of the horse or the track...but not for lack of trying.

Not bad.
Nan Mooney, My Racing Heart (Harper, 2002)

Nan Mooney loves horses. Specifically, Thoroughbreds, the ones who hit the track, dust it up with six to twelve of their closest friends, and make humans gape in awe at the process. This odd amalgam of personal-memoir-cum-treatise-on-track-life is not an unfamiliar breed to the horse fan; the measuring stick against which all such books are brought is Bill Barich's stunning Laughing in the Hills. I'm sure one day, another book that good in that genre will arrive. While My Racing Heart has its good points, to be simple about it, this ain't it.

Where Barich succeeds as so many others (Michael Klein, Mooney, Liz Mitchell, and many others) fail is in his ability to take two different things that have inherently different paces and make them merge together into one book whose readability is consistent across chapters on differing subjects (in Barich's case, handicapping the races at Golden Gate while dealing with his mother's cancer). He meshes the two in such a way that, despite being parallel narratives happening a country apart from one another, the whole thing flows. Seamless, like an egg, as Stephen King once said. In Mooney's case the two main threads are a basic nuts-and-bolts look at the Thoroughbred industry from someone with enough clout to get inside the lines but not enough cynicism to keep pumping out the same old platitudes and a memoir about her grandmother, who introduced her to horse racing at an age tender enough that I suspect her parents weren't very happy. Either of these two things on their own would have stood as a book in itself; the slow, meandering passages about her grandmother and how the two of them interacted and the snappy, sometimes sarcastic looks at track life. It is when the two are entwined with one another that things break down to the extent they do, with the reader finding himself transported with no warning from the high of making friends with a Kentucky Derby contender to a lazy meditation on what life must have been like in the early twenties in Alaska.

Not to say it isn't worth reading; that's not it at all. There is some fine stuff here. It just could have used a little tuning. ** ½

Avoid this book
I bought this book hoping for some real insight into the world of Thoroughbred racing from the history and allure of the breed to the off limits world of the backstretch.Given the authors credentials, one might think that that's what you'd get.This book, however, is the most self indulgent, cloying piece of pap ever put to paper.This book reads more like a teenage drama queen's diary than a satisfying chronicle of The Sport of Kings.The only reason to buy this book would be the picture on the cover; it's phenomenal.Unfortunately, the photographer wasn't involved with writing the book.

I had to put it down...
This book is so full of useless, flowery writing that I just couldn't take it anymore. Her method of description is simply annoying. Not only that... every chapter begins with lame stories of May May, Nan's grandmother, that just about drove me crazy.

i cannot read this book...
simply because the author's name is 'nan'. so sorry, but when i see the name 'nan mooney' it makes me want to vomit, or at least pass on reading this. anyone who walks around and authors books and attaches the name 'nan' screams overweight housewife to me. please pass on this because it really is wrong to read a book by an author with sch a name. if i wrote a book, and signed 'little danny o'malley' would you read it? hell no. or heck, which i'm sure amazon will put in the previous sentence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

I enjoyed it and would love to read more by this author.
The plot kept me involved and the characters became real.The milieu of harness racing is fresh and interesting.The hero is competent and low key in a (I hate to overuse a comparison, but it's impossible to avoid) veryDick Francis kind of way.I would be very interested in any new titles bythis author.

One of only a handfull of harness racing books.
I was glad to see a harness racing novel published.Unfortunatly, it didn't take long for me to start to find faults in the book.It seemed to me that the author did know harness racing but not from a stable point ofview.Real trainers don't have that much time on their hands to run aroundand solve mysteries.The most obvious problem was how Tony, a trainer foronly five years, could manage to have five hundred wins with the number ofhorses he had.Not likely.All in all, I did like the book it just seemedtoo tidy to be realistic.

Dead Horses kept me going until the final page!
As a horse racing nut I found Dead Horses to be great reading. It's the first mystery novel set at a harness race track that I have ever read. I could not figure out who the murderer was until the final pages of thebook. It was that well written and thought out.

For a novice or newcomerto horse racing there is a great glossary at the back that will keep youabreast of the racing lingo as you learn the in's and out's of the racingworld.

With this being Pat Hewitt's first novel I hope and look forwardto reading the second one. She has the style to be the Dick Francis ofharness racing.

dead horses was lively reading
a top notch mystery as well as a close look into the world of harnessracing. easy to get into and difficult to put down. dick francis fans willfind this a great follow-up!

A fine mystery in an interesting harness racing environment.
I just finished reading Dead Horses.What a lot of insider information on harness racing!I especially liked the racing scenes.When I was about 60 pages from the end, I put the book down because I didn't want it to end.I couldn't leave it alone, though.I kept trying to figure out WHY the horses were being killed.Nothing made sense--until the end.The book has a good plot and I'd recommend it to anyone.Horse people will especially enjoy it, of course. ... Read more

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21st printing. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Off to the Races
I am a huge fan of Secretariat and bought this little book as much to add to my shelf as anything.It is a quick read whose strength is in clearly describing the races in clear, casual prose. The author admits his prejudice in favor of Big Red and anyone who touches him, and as I too love the horse, I am sympathetic.The Making of a Champion (William Nack) is the 'definitive' Secretariat biography.The You Tube videos of Secretariat's races plus the picture book "Secretariat" by Raymond Wollfe together with the books demonstrate the power, athleticism, astonishing beauty and the race intelligence of this horse that this little book is not up to conveying. I sometimes think that Secretariat would have won his races without a jockey, which is unfair and unkind to Ron Turcotte, but the animal wanted to win and had the package to do it--by 31 lengths at the legendary Belmont. If you are a fan, pick up the book. If you are colelcting the Triple Crown winnders, pick up the book.If you want to get to know Secretariat try the other sources first.Secretariat: The Making of a Champion; Secretariat, Updated Edition

solid prose that could use a little poetry
In the wake of the Big Brown Bomb fiasco, one would hope for a little more in the way of mementos of the life of the equine Prometheus, yet the pickings are still slim - you don't even see Secretariat's SportsCentury show on ESPN Classic anymore.

Besides this one, the only other mass-market book about Secretariat with any availability is the William Nack biography which I review on its Amazon page. I prefer this to the Nack book because of its pithier style - a good example is the discussion of Secretariat's lineage where Capps does a much better job of referencing it to overall horse racing history.
There are still too few photographs, but the ones included are much more pertinent than those in Nack's.

Until we get a DVD from ESPN, this is my first choice for an introduction to the greatest four-legged athlete.

A Fine Effort That Fits Well With the Legends Format
Tim Capps has written several of the Thoroughbred Legends books and my thoughts on his previous efforts (Spectacular Bid and Affirmed/Alydar) were that he really didn't make any effort in writing them.It just seemed like he went through magazine and newspaper articles and came up with a 175 page summary (which was well-written, but seemed empty).When I saw that he was to write the Legends bio of my equine hero, Secretariat, I was apprehensive at the prospect, especially since two outstanding books (by Raymond Woolf and Bill Nack) had already been written about Big Red.

But I have to say that Capps did a great job with the limitations of the Legends format.He states right up front that he was apprehensive of doing the project because of the aforementioned books which had been published about Secretariat.But he states that Secretariat was his favorite and he wanted to do him justice.He has.Obviously there is not the detail that is contained in Nack's book or the beautiful photography of Woolf's book, but Capps gives a clear story of each of Secreatiat's races, plus some of the behind the scenes dealings related to his syndication.

I didn't learn anything new with Capps' book since I have read everything I could about Secretariat, but this would be a great book for a young horse racing fan who wants to learn about this great horse with the big heart. ... Read more

Product Description

Virginia's horse tradition goes back 400 years, to when horses accompanied some of the first settlers in Jamestown. Since then, the state's special relationship with the horse has never waned. Virginia has been home to some of the most notable breeds in the world--nurturing the Thoroughbred and actually birthing the Quarter Horse--as well as to some of the most famous individual horses, including the great Triple Crown champion Secretariat and Misty of Chincoteague, one of the most beloved horses to grace children's literature.

The most significant figures in the Commonwealth's history have almost invariably enjoyed a special bond with horses, from George Washington--whom Thomas Jefferson called "the best horseman of his age"--to Robert E. Lee, who rode into battle on his well-known gray, Traveller. This tradition has continued into the present day, when horse farms are still a proud feature of the Virginia countryside and famed equestrians such as David and Karen O'Connor have represented their state and their country in the Olympics.

This is the first book to cover the complete history of the horse in the Old Dominion. The book is beautifully illustrated throughout, including numerous historical depictions of the horse by painters, photographers, and even commercial artists. The equine tradition in Virginia is unique and enduring; this book is the celebration it deserves.

Customer Reviews (1)

We need more horse books like this one!
You probably know that when General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in 1865, it meant the end of the US Civil War. But did you know that General Grant did an amazing thing as part of the surrender acceptance?

He tactfully altered the surrender terms and commanded that Lee's men of the Army of Northern Virginia should be allowed to keep their horses, and take them back home with them. Both Lee and Grant knew that the men would return home to find little or nothing left, and to have a horse would give them the beginning of a new life.

Perhaps that little gem of history is some clue to how and why Virginia loves its horses as is so evident today.

When I received this book, I was expecting a stodgy, dense history full of lists and details of long-gone masters of foxhounds and endless pedigrees of horses from 200 years ago but what a surprise!

Yes, all the history is there, including lots on George Washington, and of course the book would mention Secretariat, who was foaled and raised there. But I wasn't expecting Misty of Chincoteague, or Black Jack, the caparison horse at Arlington National Cemetery. I also wasn't expecting such a candid account of the care of the horses of the Confederacy, and the tragic loss of so many wonderful horses. The book also profiles great horsemen of Virginia, past and present, including Jacqueline Onassis and right up to David and Karen O'Connor and Valerie Kanavy, but also including the "real people" of Virginia and their horses (and ponies and mules) too.

This book presents Virginia in what I think is its rightful place, as one of the birthplaces (Rhode Island was truly the original birthplace) of horse sports in the USA and as a state where horses are loved and seen as a valued part of the landscape.

Virginia is certainly rich in equestrian history and deep in its diversity of sports and breeds, but I believe that every state could have a book like this written about its past and present equine traditions and kudos. I think it would be valuable to let people know that horses have deep roots in every state...and a rightful place in the scenery of the entire USA.

This is a big book (296 pages)...with lots of great color and black-and-white photos...beautifully designed and produced...fully indexed (so important to me)...with footnotes that are very helpful and fully fleshed out for further reference...and it's reasonably priced.

Yes, I would have liked to have seen more on my special interest, the veterinarians and farriers of Virginia, many of whom are at the pinnacles of their professions. Virginia, after all, is home to what I believe is the longest operating farrier school in the USA, Danny Ward's Horseshoeing School (formerly Eastern School of Farriery) in Martinsville, and the Virginia Horseshoers Association is top-notch.

Whether you live there or not, the horse history and current-day industry of Virginia probably touches your equestrian pursuits or interests. Virginia celebrates its equestrian heritage in these pages and you'll enjoy the panorama this book creates. I am sure that you will hope (along with me) that this book will have many updated editions in the future.

If Virginia ever lets go of its horse industry, we're all in trouble. This book makes that point very clearly...and very beautifully. Virginia's heart is in the right place when it comes to horses.

... Read more

Product Description
Built in 1864 as the nation's first horse racing facility, Saratoga (New York) racecourse is one of the sport's hallowed sites. This text details the development and social history of Saratoga the resort, historically a magnet for the wealthy and famous. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Runaway Winner
Saratoga Race Course is the definition in sports on how time can stand still. It is a throwback in an era of throwaway.

For about a month in the summer, the focus of the Thoroughbred racing world is directed at a facility older than Wrigley Field, with tradition well-versed in blue-bloods, rogues and immortal runners who may have charged to the winner's circle or suffered legendary defeats in the "Graveyard of Champions." And that may apply to the blue-bloods and rogues as much as the runners!

Edward Hotaling pens the definitive book on racing at Saratoga. The oversize paperback also tells the history through ample photographs of the personalities and racers that makes the track a living hall of fame.

They're Off is a gate-to-wire champion.

Wonderful tapestry of the history of Saratoga
A beautiful history of the oldest sports venue in the United States.Reading it made me long to have experienced the spa in years gone by.If you are into the history of horse racing, this book is a must read. ... Read more

Product Description
Explores some of the sport's most exciting showdowns and singular moments. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

American horse racing's greatest moments
If you can still remember where you were and what you were doing when Personal Ensign stuck a desperate nostril in front of Derby-winner, Winning Colors during the 1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff, then you should enjoy "At the Wire" which is packed with similar racing stories.

Not all of the finishes are close ones, as Secretariat's 31-length Belmont blow-out is included, just because it was the most awesome mile-and-a-half most of us have ever seen (or ever will see).Announcer Chick Anderson's pronouncement that Secretariat was "moving like a tremendous machine" will surely find its way into Bartlett's.

Many of the races that Ed Bowen recounts feature pairs of Thoroughbreds whose names are forever linked by their ferocious competitive spirit:John Henry and The Bart; Affirmed and Alydar; Kelso and Gun Bow; Swaps and Nashua; Alsab and Whirlaway; Noor and Citation.

And speaking of ferocious, the 1933 "Fighting Finish" Kentucky Derby certainly featured one of the most unruly battles by jockeys.What with all of the stirrup-grabbing, saddle-cloth-pulling, bumping, and slashing that was going on down the stretch, it's surprising that either Brokers Tip or Head Play finished, much less ran first and second.Riders Fisher and Meade finished their fight in the jockeys' room, then didn't speak to each other again for some fifteen years after their 'Rodeo' Derby.

Bowen doesn't say who won the fight in the jockeys' room.

The author is a noted Turf historian who spent nearly three decades with "The Blood Horse" magazine, which he references quite extensively in these pages. "At the Wire" is not a book that will keep you awake all night, in spite of its exciting subject matter.It is more of a gentle, knowledgeable ramble through 20th century American racing, as exemplified by some of its most courageous and brilliant Thoroughbreds.

Terrific Book
This book is a must have for any real horse racing fan. It chronciles all of HR's best moments and the writing is above average.

Great stories of a great sport.
If the mark of a good book is that it leaves you wanting more, then that's what we have here.Bowen's tales about the great races are very well-done.I especially liked the older races (before my time), and the best of these was John P. Grier pushing Man O'War as no one ever had.
But I wanted more - where is Forego, for example, and all those horses he caught at the wire, like Honest Pleasure and Wajima?I guess I'll have to wait for Vol. 2!

Nice Try
I wish I could say that I loved this book.I wanted to love this book, since thoroughbreds and racing history are two of my favorite subjects. The quality of the paper and the photographs are outstanding. The subject matter is of course inspirational, but the truth of the matter is the writing did not live up to its promise. Bowden is obviously familiar with his subject, and undoubtedly has many stories to tell, but it all seems to have become jumbled up in his mind. He frequnetly starts talking about one topic (say a famous horse race), then goes off on a tangent (say the horse's owner), leaving the reader to try to figure out what has happened. He also fails to focus on one main theme or point in each of his essays, trying to cram ractrack gossip, the human drama and information about the horses (breeding, training history, previous races, etc.) all into the short space available. The result is that the really interesting, in-depth stuff, the details about the horse and what made him or her truly unique, never get written. I found this book very irritating to read and wish that Bowden had had a good editor around to help him pare down and focus his work. If you are wanting disjointed tidbits and facts, buy the book. If you are wanting to really experience the personalities of the horses and the excitement of the races they participated in try another source.

Splendid overview of racing's greatest hits
Racing fans should own this book by the outstanding turf writer Edward Bowen.He provides a comprehensive look at some of the most famous racing moments in the twentieth century, not only the great but the infamous (the 1933 "fighting finish" Kentucky Derby) as well.Great racing moments such as Man O'War's duel with John P. Grier in the 1920 Dwyer Stakes, Phar Lap's famous win at the 1932 Agua Caliente Handicap (his last before dying somewhat mysteriously), Secretariat's 1973 Belmont, Affirmed and Alydar's 1978 Belmont, the triple dead heat 1944 Carter Handicap, and the celebrated Jaipur/Ridan Travers of 1962 are among the profiled.

Bowen has a real feel for the subject matter, and he gives the reader the background of each race and even provides the charts for each race.There are also numerous photographs in this book, which is printed on high quality paper.

Bowen leaves out very few of racing's greatest moments.Two that are omitted are the 1976 Marlboro Cup (Forego barely winning over Honest Pleasure) which Bowen does mention briefly, and the great 1978 Jockey Gold Cup, where Seattle Slew gallantly and unsuccessfully tried to defeat Exceller.There's also a tiny bit of bias in this book, as is expected. Bowen seems a bit defensive in a couple of places with regard to Man O' War and Secretariat.According to him, "polls" supposedly crown Man O'War the greatest horse of this century, even above Secretariat.He doesn't really tells us which polls, of which there is only one that this reviewer is aware of, which the publisher Blood Horse conducted among 7 alleged experts and was published in a book about the top 100 North American racehorses of the 20th century.These "history savvy" experts, it seems to Bowen, know the truth that Big Red I was the best, and never mind the record or recollections of racetrackers and writers who saw both Man O' War and Secretariat and said the latter was greater.Frankly, I put my trust in the recollection of the dean of turf writers, Charles Hatton, who unhesitatingly called Secretariat not only the greatest he had seen but "the greatest horse anybody has ever seen."He saw both horses run, and the panelists didn't.(Furthermore, one of the panelists didn't even rank Secretariat in the top 10, and this was the real reason Man O' War finished ahead.As a result, no racing fan takes the Blood Horse poll seriously.)

But this is a minor quibble in a book full of information and great photographs.This is an ideal coffee table book. ... Read more

Product Description

The conflicts of the Civil War continued long after the conclusion of the war: jockeys and Thoroughbreds took up the fight on the racetrack. A border state with a shifting identity, Kentucky was scorned for its violence and lawlessness and struggled to keep up with competition from horse breeders and businessmen from New York and New Jersey. As part of this struggle, from 1865 to 1910, the social and physical landscape of Kentucky underwent a remarkable metamorphosis, resulting in the gentile, beautiful, and quintessentially southern Bluegrass region of today.

In her debut book, Guns, Horses, and Big Money: How the Bluegrass Became Southern, former turf writer Maryjean Wall explores the post--Civil War world of Thoroughbred racing, before the Bluegrass region reigned supreme as the unofficial Horse Capital of the World. Wall uses her insider knowledge of horse racing as a foundation for an unprecedented examination of the efforts to establish a Thoroughbred industry in late-nineteenth-century Kentucky. Key events include a challenge between Asteroid, the best horse in Kentucky, and Kentucky, the best horse in New York; a mysterious and deadly horse disease that threatened to wipe out the foal crops for several years; and the disappearance of African American jockeys such as Isaac Murphy. Wall demonstrates how the Bluegrass could have slipped into irrelevance and how these events define the history of the state.

Customer Reviews (1)

Layman Follower
Very well written history of the horse farming and racing environment that led to Kentucky's becoming the "Horse Capitol of the World."The details appear to be very well docuemented, and the author does an excellent job of presenting these details in a capturing fashion that make the reader want to read on, and on and....

And, it's not just about horses; rather, it's mostly about people and the growth of the racing sport.Most of the names are well known, but before reading this book most readers will not have realized just how involved many big-named people were in this sport and its development.In turn, many of these same people came to Kentucky to establish today's Bluegrass horsing industry.Many of the names are still there, as are the amazing homes and farms.

This is all exceptionally well done.The only reservation I have involves the title, and the expectations I had when I bought the book."How Kentucky Became Southern" is really more about the Bluegrass region and the growth of the horsing industry and racing.It doesn't cover how the larger balance of the state's geography is also considered "southern."While Kentuckians never totally bought into the "Lost Cause", many historians feel there was a justifiable reason for Kentucky "having joined the Confederacy after the war", and horses didn't seem to be near the head of that list.

I expected more history following the title of the book, rather than of the Bluegrass region and that area's horsing development.
But again, it is a well written and very interesting page turner.
I recommend it to all who may be so interested. ... Read more

Product Description
And they re off! Twelve magnificent full-color photographs capture all the speed, excitement and equine power of horse racing. This large format wall calendar features large daily grids with ample room for jotting appointments, birthdays, reminders and race dates. Also includes four bonus months of September through December 2010; moon phases; U.S. and international holidays. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (5)

Absolutely Fantastic book
I loved this book,Steve H.done a marvelous job of portraying John Henry the racehorse. I love to read stories on John Henry.He was ornery but he was well respected.

An extraordinary book about an extraordinary horse
John Henry, although familiar to many who follow Thoroughbred racing, was not familiar to the general public.But in his 32 years on earth, he made his presence felt both on the track and in the lives of the people who knew and loved him.The book is fanastic in that the characters jump off the page.John Henry had a singularly outrageous personality, and the specific instances cited in the book bring him to life again.The details of his races are exciting, and show the author's familiarity with the subject.Steve Haskin has that special ability to weave a great story while still sticking to the facts.Although his tales of John Henry's escapades show the intelligence and almost self awareness of book's subject, he never treat's John Henry like a human.That is all too often a mistake made by authors writing about animals.I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horse racing and who realizes that horses have very different personalities.This book made me both laugh and cry.

Steel-drivin' star
Haskin provides a serviceable equine biography of American horse racing's last true superstar.As one Chicago journalist recently pointed out, John Henry's life story is a close approximation of Seabiscuit's: ex-claimer with bad conformation makes very, very good.Not the fastest race horse to ever set foot on a track, John Henry often won on sheer endurance and wits--part of his allure. Most fans will find little new in the way of facts, but will nevertheless want the book for its often amusing anecdotes.Who can resist a horse who drinks coffee? (Oddly enough, one of the most famous stories told by Chris McCarron--John Henry's habit of checking the leader board after winning a race--doesn't make an appearance.)Haskin's prose does not exactly fly, and some of his more rhetorical flights are unintentionally funny.The photographs, despite a somewhat annoying layout, are well-chosen; I was particularly glad to see the award-winning photograph of John Henry regally contemplating an adulatory crowd.Overall, entertaining enough as a quick read.

Stand Up and Cheer!
After reading this heartwarming story of the ugly
horse who blooms and wins our hearts and
breaks racing records I wanted to stand up and cheer.
I was inspired to visit this living legend
and found him as mystical and charismatic in
person as related in this wonderful book.
A good book for the horse lover and for anyone
who loves the unconquerable spirit.

The bargain-basement gelding
"John Henry" is book number ten in the Thoroughbred Legends series published by the Eclipse Press out of Lexington, Kentucky.

Steve Haskin, an award-winning writer for "The Blood-Horse" tells a lively tale of the dumpy little bay horse that was back at the knees and, "like a bargain-basement sale item, ...always seemed to be available at a dirt-cheap price."

John Henry was a demon in his stall---he hated to be confined.He passed through the hands of a number of owners and trainers who thought he showed some promise as a runner, even though he was in the habit of ripping his feed tub off of the wall and hurling it down the shed row.Once, when he was stabled at a track he didn't like, John Henry did the same thing to his trainer:

"After one of the races, [John Henry] returned to the barn and was given a bath.Marino [his trainer] started walking him, and before he knew it, his jacket sleeve was in John's mouth.John picked Marino up off the ground and took off down the shed row, dragging him along.Marino was being lifted in the air and was completely helpless...'Thank God I had a goose down jacket or he would have taken a big chunk out of me,' Marino said.`That's how mad the horse was.'"

Then the trainer, Ron McAnally took in the gelding that vented his anger on his water buckets, feed tubs, and sometimes his groom, and turned him into a demon on the race track.How did the trainer do this?McAnally says it was by treating him kindly and earning John Henry's trust.

The ugly little demon-turned-race-horse repaid his trainer's kindness by earning an amazing $6.6 million in eighty-three starts and thirty-nine wins.His durability and courage became a legend, and he attracted record numbers of fans to the tracks where he ran.He won his second `Horse of the Year' title and closed out his racing career at the advanced age of nine.

John Henry and his trainer, Ron McAnally were both elected to the Thoroughbred Hall of Fame in 1990, which was only fitting.

John is now spending his retirement at the Kentucky Horse Park, and is shown to his visitors three times a day during the season (March 15th through October 31st).Go see him soon, as he turned twenty-six this year.Just don't visit the grand, old gelding on a day when he's been given medicine:

"John also hates medicine, and whenever he's given a dewormer, which is a pasty substance, he keeps it in his mouth for hours and refuses to swallow it.One time, Roby [his groom] took him out to show him several hours after he had been given the medication.`John was standing in the ring,' she said, `and all of a sudden, he blows this wormer all over the audience.'"

John still knows what he doesn't like. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (17)

Humor + Insight
I just finished re-reading all of Dick Francis, and picked this book up at garage sale.It wasn't exactly what I expected, but I enjoyed it very much.I thought it was a nice balance between informative information about horses, and the story of a son trying to understand his late father.What other reviewers haven't commented on is the humor - very dry and wry.His asides about John Shaw cracked me up.

Doesn't really know what he's talking about
Unfortunately the author makes a bunch of sweeping, inaccurate statements in this book that reveal that he didn't do enough research. Where are the knowledgeable editors to catch these mistakes, so prevalent in modern horse books? For example, Sullivan makes the assumption that desert Arab tribes must have found it difficult to train foals inconveniently "born in the desert," so they sold them off. This shows not only a lack of insight but a kind of deliberate ignorance on the author's part. And the supposed "Mitochondrial Eve" is estimated to have lived about 200,000 years ago, not 70,000 years ago. All in all, there are a few interesting nuggets in the book, but how can a reader believe them when the author has compromised his integrity with such mistakes? If Sullivan had convinced me that he really knew his stuff, I might have had more patience for the bits about himself and his father that make up the loose structure of the book. This is more of a document of a personal journey for the author than a history of blooded horses; Sullivan would have fared better had he either 1. researched more carefully, or 2. left out all pretense of historical facts, since he couldn't get them right, and just focused on his personal feelings about horses and his father.

Subtle Elegy
This magnificent book is a subtle tribute to the author's father.Apparently, subtlety is lost on some of the philistines who posted reviews below - so let me help.If you want a book all about horsies - this is not it.If you want a series of reflections written in the "new journalism" style of Tom Wolfe and arranged around a journalist's coverage of the Kentucky Derby, "Blood Horses" will draw you in and astonish you time and time again.Sullivan is a genius, his elegiac and moving work will last, and we will hear more from him.

Tossed this book in the garbage
I read voraciously, and bought this one expecting a story about thorobred horse racing. Instead, I got a lot of whining from an obviously very insecure author. Except for 6-7 pages about Secretariat that were good, the rest of the book is a waste. My reaction to this author was: grow up and get a life.Tossed it into the garbage when I was done it was so bad I wouldn't even bother to pass it on to friends.

Tracing bloodline personally and through equines
I first came across the article gleaned from the pages of this book (or in preperation of...) in a 2003 Harper's Magazine, October, I think. Mr.Sullivan's walk through the bizarre intricacies of the horse racing world from all sides, including his most personal, were raw genius. He nonchalantly drew connections between more humble pedigrees (his own, for example - nothing remarkable except that it, too, is now published) and those of these rarified creatures (thoroughbreds) in a way I didn't even notice until half way through. What a respctful tribute to his father. It seemed to me a sort of a come from behind type of writing style that crystalized into a fine read somewhere in the middle, and then just got better. All the way to the very last sentance. ... Read more

Product Description
For years, Jim Maxwell wanted a wining racehorse. His close friend, a thoroughbred veterinarian named Doc Bellman, had an idea how to create a champion.Their experiment would be costly and in the end, confirm their convictions that winners are born and not made. Motivated by his desire and his theory, Maxwell agrees with Bellman to proceed with the endeavorHowever, just before the initial test of their experiment, Bellman is shot to death under mysterious circumstances.Now more than ever, Jim must prove to himself that his horse is a winner as well as find the killer of his long time friend. A daunting task since he must secrete his horse in the process. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Race to Kill Review
Easy reading. Didn't want to put the book down. Loved the surprise ending.Perfect book for a quick read. Highly reommend ... Read more

Product Description
Within the hallowed halls of Churchill Downs appear the names of 127 horses who have ascended the summit of the Kentucky Derby -- the K2 of Thoroughbred racing. Like the deadly mountain of the Himalayas, the Derby is not for the meek, and it has no mercy on those who fail. Nowhere do you hear even a whisper of the 1,578 horses whose attempt at immortality proved futile.

In "Horse Racing's Holy Grail: The Epic Quest for the Kentucky Derby", Steve Haskin examines what it takes to win the world's most famous horse race. He goes behind the scenes to discover the secrets of successful trainers, the common pitfalls that hinder so many others, and the enigmatic nature of the race itself. Haskin, an award-winning Turf writer, has been in the Derby trenches for more than three decades. His unique perspective shows why the Derby is the "most exciting two minutes in sports." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Derby Eve
I have been a fan of Steve Haskin when he was a columnist for the Daily Racing Form, and I continue to read his articles in the Blood-Horse as well as his frequent internet postings.I enjoyed the Holy Grail.I have read it twice, most recently as a reference guide in preparing remarks to my local Rotary club on the Kentucky Derby.The stories set forth therein will interest not only the dedicated fan of thoroughbred horse racing but anyone with an appreciation of the human condition.

Very disappointing
As a huge fan of Steve Haskin's column on Bloodhorse and a yearly attendee to the Derby, I was really looking forward to reading this.Disappointment is an undetatement of my first reaction to the book.How can this guy write such good stuff weekly, yet fall woefully short in his book?

(2.5) Disappointing - falls short of what it could have been
The quest for the Kentucky Derby is a topic with a lot of potential for a great book, but unfortunately this book fails to live up to it. The title - "Horse Racing's Holy Grail: The Epic Quest for the Kentucky Derby" - would lead one to believe that by reading this one will gain a deep insight into the workings of the Derby and what it takes to get there and win it. Not so. Haskin's thesis here can be summed up more or less as "anything can happen." And while this isn't untrue, it certainly doesn't tell us anything we didn't already know. Avid racing fans that have been following the sport for years won't learn anything new here, and relative newcomers hoping to find a formula for picking winners won't find that either.

The information Haskin provides here is mostly in the form of statistics. He gives us lists and numbers. What he doesn't do is look in-depth at any of the past Derby contenders. We don't get to know any of them very well, or hear their stories. The book merely skims, and lacks depth.

Worse yet is the fact that Haskin doesn't seem to have a clear message for us. He says, "There is a distinct formula for success that has proven its worth year after year" (pg. 138) but he fails to make it clear what this formula is. Every time he tells us about a trend or "rule" relating to the Derby, he immediately follows it up with half a dozen not-uncommon exceptions. He even states that future Derby winners can look like anything, be bought for any price, be of any parentage, and have any kind of previous race record. While this is certainly a true statement, once again it's nothing profound or new.

Another problem is that Haskin meanders quite a bit and sometimes gets off-topic. He delves into topics like how to be a reporter, or how to spot a "gonzo journalist," or how to tell what trainer comments really mean. None of this has much bearing on discovering the secret to a successful Derby. In fact, even much of the racing information Haskin gives is not specific to the Kentucky Derby, and it's often easy to forget that the book is supposed to be focussed on that one race.

My final irritation with the book is its use of space. The margins are large, the typeface is large, and the space between lines is enormous, leaving only 25 lines of text per page. And that's only on the pages that are composed entirely of text! About 75% of the pages are heavily picture-laden, which means that the actual length of the writing is much less than 219 pages. I normally don't mind having lots of photos in a book like this, but these aren't even very impressive photos. They're all black-and-white, and few are really appealing shots.

I realize that thus far I've only said negative things about the book, and perhaps that makes you wonder why I've even given it three stars. Despite my disappointment with it, it's not entirely bad. The information is accurate, at least, even if it doesn't tell us anything insightful. It is also easy to read, and can be finished quickly. What it boils down to, though, is the question of whether the book is worth it. Is it worth reading? Perhaps, though any long-time racing enthusiast will already know most of what Haskin says. Is it worth the price? I really don't think so. If you still do want to read it, check it out of the library.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE LADY LUCK ON YOUR SIDE WHEN PLACING A BET
One of the best books I have read onon the Derby. I though I was a fairly good handicapper on the Derby but didnt realize how important it was to have the Gods of Racing on your side. Very informative book.

a book with an identity crisis
As a very enthusiastic horse racing fan, I was eagerly awaiting this book when I found out it was being published.I am a huge fan of Steve Haskin's writing for the Blood Horse.His weekly Derby Watch reports are the only ones I read, and I was deeply moved by his article on Tiznow after the 2001 Breeders' Cup.I also enjoyed Haskin's book "Dr. Fager" from the Thoroughbred Legends series.Which makes me feel just terrible about giving this book one star.

I just put the book down after reading it in about two hours.The print used is large, the spacing between lines is large, and the margins are large.Additionally, there are many full page photos (but none are particularly good, all in black and white).All of those combine to make the book much shorter than its 219 pages would suggest.

The problem I had with the book (as indicated in my title) was that the book had no focus.It varied between: (1) Recent history of the Derby (2) How to pick a Derby winner (3) Derby myths and legends (4) Haskin's ramdom musings.None of the aspects were explored fully which means that the book is at the same time about all of them and about none of them.

I don't know what I was expecting from the book, but the name implied great things that I simply did not find.I feel the book is too frozen in time, talking only about recent trends, recent big name trainers and jockeys, and recent horses.In ten years, it could be meaningless, so the book has no timeless quality.I have been following horse racing for two years and there was nothing in the book that I did not know.However, the book (IMO) would not be good for a newcomer, because it assumes a certain level of knowledge.

I only feel justified in giving the book one star because I intend to return it.I feel that it was a waste of money and the book was neither enjoyable or informative.There are very few books that I dislike, and since I like Haskin's other work so much, it makes me all the more disappointed I did not find this book even satisfactory. ... Read more