Northern Dancer: The Legend and His Legacy (Mainstream Sport) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is very well written and informative. As well as the life-story of this remarkable animal it provides an insight into the history and workings of the racing industry. At times it brought a tear to my eye! I have a Northern Dancer horse and I look at him with a new dimension of knowledge.

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When Northern Dancer won the Kentucky Derby in the spring of 1964, Canadians poured into the streets to celebrate. Northern Dancer had not only waltzed off with North America's most cherished racing trophy, he had also run the Derby faster than any horse in history. The mayor of Toronto awarded him the key to the city, the country's sportswriters voted him Athlete of the Year, and he was deluged with fan mail. Yet the excitement generated by this remarkable animal had only just begun. The story of Northern Dancer is the stuff of legend. He was a little horse, dismissed time and again because of his size, and to many he appeared to be the antithesis of streamlined, thoroughbred elegance. Today, however, his descendants dominate racing the world over, and Northern Dancer is recognized as the greatest thoroughbred sire in modern history. To discover what made Northern Dancer so extraordinary, journalist Muriel Lennox takes us on a ride into the sport of kings and queens.

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THE BEST and Worst of Thoroughbred Racing Review

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(More customer reviews)I enjoyed "The Best and Worst of Thoroughbred Racing" enormously. I disagreed with some of the author's choices (which is to be expected for any list-type book) but that's the fun - it will definitely spark a good debate. Steve Davidowitz doesn't pull any punches when he's critical of something, either. I think even the most casual racing fan would enjoy this book - it's a great read cover-to-cover, but it's also the kind of book you can pick up and grab little bites of.
There are loads of interesting stories: how some aspects of the heroic struggle to save Barbaro were built on knowledge gained from the tragedy of Ruffian back in 1975; the highs and lows of Sunny's Halo; and the iron will of Personal Ensign. I loved the author's story about Ruffian in the 1974 Spinaway at Saratoga - Davidowitz watched her act like a "nut case" all the way to the gate, and he thought "Ruffian - what a phony!" and bet a lot of money on the horse who eventually finished second to her - by 12-3/4 lengths!
Of course, you'll read about the big names: Laffit Pincay Jr, Jerry Bailey, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Native Dancer, and even Barbaro - but perhaps the most fun were the sections entitled "Before My Time", "Best Rivalries" and even "The Biggest Dud At Stud". At the end of the book, the author closes with a section called "Ideas and Issues" which contains some real thought-provoking topics such as drugs and the fragility of the modern Thoroughbred.
I highly recommend this extremely interesting and well-written book.

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The Best and Worst of Thoroughbred Racing is a fascinating listing of the history of horseracing's most memorable moments. Every aspect of the game is covered in this unique collection. Whether it's legendary handicapper Pittsburgh Phil, top sire Storm Cat, or the renowned 1978 Belmont Stakes with Alydar and Affirmed the racing aficionado will have hundreds of entertaining racing data and anecdotes at his or her fingertips to feast upon.

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Horseplayers: Life at the Track Review

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(More customer reviews)Looking for a fun, fast-paced read this summer? If so, odds are you'll love this book. The author, Ted McClelland, spends a year as part of a fascinating subculture -- people desperately searching for the edge it takes to make a living betting on horses, whether it's searching the grandstand floor for winning tickets that were discarded by mistake, developing a new handicapping system, or just doing what your gut tells you. McClelland introduces readers to the regulars at Chicago's horse tracks, from grifters to whales (big-time betters). The book is much more than a series of character profiles, though, because the characters are McClelland's friends, mentors, confidants, and foils as he searches for his own edge.
I can attest that you don't have to be a horse racing aficionado to enjoy Horseplayers, you just have to appreciate excellent writing. McClelland has a reporter's eye for detail, a novelist's skill with metaphor and character development, and a humorist's wit and sense of timing. He also throws in historical tidbits and wonderful literary references for good measure. It is a truly great read.

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This fun and witty exposé of horse racing in America goes behind the scenes at the track, providing a serious gambler's-eye view of the action. Ted McClelland spent a year at tracks and off-track betting facilities in Chicago and across the country, profiling the people who make a career of gambling on horses. This account follows his personal journey of what it means to be a horseplayer as he gambles with his book advance using various betting and handicapping strategies along the way. A colorful cast of characters is introduced, including the intensely disciplined Scott McMannis, "The Professor," a onetime college instructor who now teaches a course in handicapping, and Mary Schoenfeldt, a former nun and gifted handicapper who donates all of her winnings to charity. This moving account of wins, losses, and personal turmoil provides arealistic look at gamblers, gambling, and life at the track.

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Champions: The Lives, Times, and Past Performances of America's Greatest Thoroughbreds, Revised Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)I don't know how to describe how wonderful this book is other than to say that after reading through this book for a week, I declared to my wife that I could spend an hour a day for the rest of my life reading this and be happy doing it. If you are a fan of the game, this is something you absolutely must have. It not only covers the champion horses organized by decade, but each horse's lifetime past performances are included. Anyone who has ever picked up a racing form should delight to see the history of the game in this format.

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Each chapter tells the story of each champion's racing career, decade by decade, followed by past performances of these Thoroughbred legends. There is a chapter for each decade, recounting a few horses' careers and several memorable races, accompanied by pictures of horses in action and at rest, to celebrate and honor the greatest achievements of the Thoroughbred bloodline.

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The Great Black Jockeys: The Lives and Times of the Men Who Dominated America's First National Sport Review

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(More customer reviews)Mr. Hotaling's latest horse-racing book is a must read for anyone who considers himself a true afficianado of the sport. It tells a story which far too many people, even serious horse players, know little about. Horse racing is unique among sports in America because it is has virtually no black presence. There are few black owners, trainers, and breeders, and very few of the most visible players in racing, the jockeys.This was not always the case. In fact, black jockeys once dominated America's oldest sport. The first winner of the Kentucky Derby was black, as was the Derby's first repeat winner and its first three-time winner. The jockey with the highest winning percentage in history was black. Hotaling gives the history of these pioneers, and in doing so gives a history of the sport. He also deals with the glaring question: why have black jockeys largely dissappeared from the sport? It is well-written and insightful, a book invaluable to those who value the history of horse racing.

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