Horse racing Books

Book SynopsisRed Rum''s classic win in the 1977 Grand National is the stuff of sporting legend. Red himself became a national treasure, and his charismatic trainer - the redoubtable Ginger McCain - became a sporting hero. While the public adored Ginger, there were those who sniped that he was a one-horse trainer. All that changed 27 years later when, in a thrilling race, Ginger won his fourth National with Amberleigh House, equalling the record of Fred Rimmer. Once again Ginger had taken the sporting world by storm. In the 70s, the popularity of Red Rum and Ginger almost single-handedly saved the great race when there were plans afoot to turn the track into a housing estate. Ginger himself is a remarkable individual - charming, forthright, not afraid to speak his mind and a hugely entertaining raconteur. This is his story, at times funny, sad, exciting and always captivating, told in his own inimitable style.

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Book SynopsisCelebrating a Century of the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe charts the history of Europe's - and arguably the world's - greatest horse race. Established in 1920 and staged in Paris on the Bois de Boulogne, the Arc is a truly international contest attracting runners from England, Ireland, Japan, Italy, Germany and the USA. This illustrated race-by-race account traces the exploits of many all-time racing legends. From Ribot, Sea Bird, Allez France and Mill Reef, to Dancing Brave, Sea The Stars, Treve and Enable. It's also a who's who of the turf starring the Rothschild, Aga Khan, Wildenstein, Wertheimer and Head families, as well as Marcel Boussac, Vincent O'Brien, Lester Piggott and Yves Saint-Martin. The modern era features luminaries such as Andre Fabre, Coolmore, Godolphin, John Gosden, Frankie Dettori and Khalid Abdullah. You'll discover which champion hurdler won the title, which horse came back from stud to recapture his crown and which jockey ended up in prison as a result of his win.

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Book SynopsisIf you enjoyed The Racing Post Quiz Book by Mart Matthews, published in 2019, you are sure to appreciate this follow-up to the hugely popular first volume. The author has delved deep into the archives of the horseracing world to come up with another 1,000 questions on one of the nation s favourite sports, sure to challenge every fan. Try these questions for size: which Classic has been won this century by a capital city, a poet, a country and a cricketer? Which surname has cropped up twice among Derby-winning jockeys since the war? And which King George VI Chase winner sounds optimistic concerning a fish, but pessimistic in regard to a dog? Put your horseracing knowledge to the test again and see if you can come out on top. This is the perfect gift for all horseracing fans from anoraks to armchair fans alike it really does have something for everyone.

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Book SynopsisThe Racing Post Royal Ascot Guide 2024 is packed with tips and information for the world-famous five-day extravaganza of top-class Flat racing. Royal Ascot is always extra special on and off the track and this guide from the best team in the business is the perfect companion. It features an in-depth look at all 35 races across the five days, accompanied by a host of betting pointers and analysis to help punters find those all-important winners. Along with profiles of the leading contenders from Britain and Ireland, you''ll get the lowdown on the international challenge, eyecatchers to note, the best early two-year-olds and the standouts on Racing Post Ratings. With all angles covered, this is the ideal way to get set for Royal Ascot 2024.

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Book SynopsisDo you know what the oldest horse race in Britain is, where the term ‘gee-gee’ comes from, or who is credited with bringing racing to Ascot? Fact-packed but light-hearted in style, this reliable reference book and quirky guide reveals little-known facts, details of classic races, famous riders, racing records, amusing anecdotes and criminal goings-on. A compendium of the fascinating, strange and entertaining, The Little Book of Horse Racing can be dipped into time and time again to reveal something new about this ancient sport.

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Book SynopsisKatherine C. Mooney recaptures the sights, sensations, and illusions of America’s first mass spectator sport. Her central characters are not the elite white owners of slaves and thoroughbreds but the black jockeys, grooms, and horse trainers who called themselves race horse men and made the racetrack run—until Jim Crow drove them from their jobs.Trade ReviewKatherine Mooney’s enthralling account of an all-but-forgotten population of elite slaves in the American South reads like a novel. Race Horse Men is both the story of 19th century thoroughbred racing—‘America’s first mass-audience sport’—and a detailed portrait of the expert equestrian slaves and free black horsemen upon whose competence in the stables wealthy white ‘turfmen’ depended… Mooney makes a strong case for why these forgotten histories continue to illuminate systems of inequality to this day. -- Thomas Chatterton Williams * San Francisco Chronicle *It is that history—of rich white men, enslaved black men, and the birth of American horse racing—that Katherine C. Mooney tells in Race Horse Men. Scholarly yet accessible, the book argues that far from subverting the racist notions of the slave-holding South, black horsemen were seen as ‘the perfect slaves, precisely calibrated extensions of a master’s will’ and ‘central figures in turfmen’s vision of the harmony of a slave society.’ -- Kate Tuttle * Boston Globe *Mooney’s book draws on the stories and memoirs of a range of figures across racing, as the sport became simultaneously a Southern specialty and an object of popular fascination. Race Horse Men is stitched out of these portraits, many of which are wonderfully effective in revealing just how ambiguous, for example, the situation of enslaved grooms, trainers, jockeys, and breeding-shed managers could be… Mooney’s book is at its strongest when it peers not into the clubhouse but out into the stables… She positions her history to thread together a large chunk of time, when racing carried the burden of chattel slavery and civil war. -- Eric Banks * Chronicle of Higher Education *Black men were active in 19th-century racing, most prominent in the South, as jockeys, grooms, and trainers for this first large spectator sport in the United States… But Mooney shows how white resentment of black presence and success at the race track increased. Whites feared that the example of success that these race-horse men set would incite other blacks to demand more rights and become violent. With the rise of Jim Crow in the South, blacks were driven out of the sport. -- Patsy Gray * Library Journal *Writing with exceptional polish and élan, Katherine Mooney succeeds brilliantly at restoring humanity to black jockeys and trainers. This superb book says as much about the cruelties and distortions wrought by racism in nineteenth-century America as any single book can. -- W. Fitzhugh Brundage, author of The Southern Past: A Clash of Race and MemoryKatherine Mooney leads us inside the paddock and beyond the finish line to reveal how horse racing shaped American society and molded race relations. In doing so, she brings to life the struggles of numerous individuals long lost to history. The result is an eye-opening and important book. -- Louis P. Masur, author of Lincoln’s Hundred Days: The Emancipation Proclamation and the War for the UnionKatherine Mooney gives us a vivid, pioneering study of the horse-racing world, a mainstay of nineteenth-century American and Southern culture. Her portrayal of the lives of black jockeys is a revelation. She uses sporting drama to illuminate the interplay between callousness and selective personal affection that pervaded white attitudes toward blacks. -- Melvin Patrick Ely, author of Israel on the Appomattox: A Southern Experiment in Black Freedom from the 1790s Through the Civil War

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Book SynopsisFrom the length of the track and the need to ride small horses, to the risks, techniques, and training methods involved in racing, Meijer recreates ancient Rome's favorite pastime in impressive detail.Trade ReviewFans of Ben Hur will find this very readable book entertaining and informative... It is an in-your-seat, in-your-face ancient history worthy of any bookshelf. -- David Lee Poremba Past In Review 2010 Readers will find an excellent overview of knowledge... The material is presented in a way which both interested lay people and undergraduate students will readily digest. -- John D. Muccigrosso Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2010 This is definitely a 'must have' book for your library. The Lone Star 2010Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsChronologyIntroduction1. The Nika Riot: Thirty Thousand Dead in the Hippodrome2. Chariot Races of the First Century BC and Earlier3. The Circus Maximus4. Preparation and Organization5. A Day at the Circus Maximus6. The Heroes of the Arena7. The Spectators8. Changes around the Racetrack9. The Heroes of the Hippodrome10. The Disappearance of Chariot Racing11. Ben-Hur: Chariot Racing in the MoviesList of RacetracksNotesGlossarySelected BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe first Japanese American jockey, Kokomo Joe burst like a comet on the American horse-racing scene in the summer of 1941. As war with Japan loomed, Yoshio ""Kokomo Joe"" Kobuki won race after race. His is a story of the American dream catapulting headlong into the nightmare of a nation gripped by wartime hysteria and xenophobia. His story is at once inspiring, deeply sad, and richly ironic.Trade Review“Christgau masterfully unearths a story about a small man with a giant spirit struggling to realize a dream in the midst of racial hatred and war.”—Satsuki Ina, producer of From a Silk Cocoon“John Christgau has given us the bittersweet story of ‘Kokomo Joe’ Kobuki, who carried the American dream on his tiny shoulders, and of those whose fear of others tried to wrest the dream from him.”—Stephen Fox, author of Fear Itself: Inside the FBI Roundup of German Americans during World War II"Through his detailed writing Christgau makes Kokomo Joe's rise representative of the rise of Japanese America."—Kerwin Berk, Nichi Bei TimesTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsAcknowledgments1. The Pocket Baby2. Kokomo Joe3. Mister Charley4. Brilliant Queen5. The Yankee Doodle Boys6. Joltin' Joe7. The Railbird Witch8. The Oriental Invaders9. Lumberjacks and Truckers10. Joe Btfsplk11. Miserable Saboteurs12. Nipponese Dynamite13. Hoover's Lists14. Fibber McGee15. The Whiz Kid with the Jive Drive16. The Canadian Mounties17. Chester from Gunsmoke18. StargazersSources

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThis riveting account of the most notorious unsolved crime in the history of horse racing will captivate serious racing fans and aficionados as well as entertain a new generation of horse racing enthusiasts.

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Book SynopsisRemembers a blockbuster event and its legacy for American racing.Table of ContentsIntroduction American Dreams Progress Rancocas Tempest British Invasion America First Magnificent Losers

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Book SynopsisFor a few months in 1982, Landaluce was a national celebrity. In her second start, just one week after claiming her maiden, the two-year-old filly won the Hollywood Lassie Stakes by 21 lengths a margin of victory that remains the largest ever in any race by a two-year-old at Hollywood Park. Landaluce was poised to become the next American super-horse. But those dreams ended when the two-year-old died in her stall at Santa Anita four months later, the victim of a swift and mysterious illness. Today, with the ''I Love Luce'' bumper stickers long-gone, the filly has been largely forgotten. In Landaluce: Forever a Champion, Mary Perdue tells the story of a filly whose short but meteoric racing career could have changed racing history forever. In doing so, Perdue also explores the lives and careers of the breeders, owners and trainer, as well as her famous sire, Seattle Slew. From breeder Leslie Combs, who grew Spendthrift farm into a 4,000 acre powerhouse while standing over 40 of the mos

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Book SynopsisThe decision, which came to fruition three years after Hoots's death, would set in motion a story that would forever change Thoroughbred racing.In Dream Derby: The Myth and Legend of Black Gold, author Avalyn Hunter explores the personalities and histories that surrounded Black Gold.Table of ContentsPrologue A Man and a Mare Useeit's Odyssey The Queen of Juarez A Month in New Orleans Ruled Off A Woman of Two Worlds Bradley's Luck Gold and Turmoil Three Fingers and a Chief Baby Steps Hot Property One Man's Dream Mr. Derby Kentucky Trial Summer of Futility J.D. Mooney Converging Paths Slim Chance Season's End The Road Less Traveled Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler Kentucky Bound Preparations Waiting Game Falling Dominoes And Then There Were None Derby Trial Golden Jubilee Derby Aftermath The Final Mile Epilogue

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Book SynopsisThe story of one of history’s fastest racehorses, a humiliating defeat, the steep price of striving at all costs, and an American era in which getting everything you ever wanted could be the most empty and unfulfilling sensation of all.Trade Review“The story we have here, in remarkable detail, [is] due in part to Mr. Gilden’s tenacity as a journalist and his willingness to search for the truth rather than pass along the same old stories.”—Max Watman, Wall Street Journal"Although many have voiced their opinions on Spectacular Bid's loss, few have looked as closely at the explosive story, with its underlying threads of class and race, as Gilden, who turned to sources close to the subjects in order to get a clear picture."—Olive Fellows, Christian Science Monitor"Not only is the ride a fast one, it’s a thrilling one."—Abby Loden, Itawamba County Times"Every sports fan needs this book on their shelf to enjoy and to hear the results of this day in racing and how the future is altered for all involved."—Tom Knuppel, Knup Sports"It's a complicated legacy, but Gilden, in a great read, has uncovered it in all its gruesome glory in his book."—Thom Loverro, Washington Times"A fast ride and a shocking ride, indeed."—Jennifer Morrison, Canadian Thoroughbred"The Fast Ride is not a typical biography of a horse. . . . What it is is a riveting book about how a horse with a fairly modest pedigree and price tag, ridden by a young inexperienced jockey not equipped emotionally for such a big stage and trained by a brash Maryland hardboot, can go on to become one the all-time greats despite the shortcomings and self-destructive actions of those around him."—Steve Haskin, secretariat.com"For those who value the sport and its past, for those who want to understand why as much as how, this is a book worth picking up. The gift of history is not simply stirring stories, but the recounting of the past so that we may understand the present, and, hopefully, plot out a future that has learned from who and what came before."—foxesofbelair.com“Jack Gilden’s superb reporting turns the story of a great American racehorse into a riveting lesson about the difference between perception and reality. Spectacular Bid and his wild cast of human connections positively pulsate with energy.”—John Eisenberg, author of The League: How Five Rivals Created the NFL and Launched a Sports Empire"Gilden takes the reader inside the stables and development of a jockey and a race horse in a manner that shows both the beauty and the ugliness of this sport. This is a book anyone interested in horse racing, especially during that era, must add to their bookshelf."—Lance Smith, Guy Who Reviews Sports BooksTable of ContentsAuthor's Note Introduction 1. A Steel Spine 2. The Crucible 3. Old Hilltop 4. The Beard 5. Middleburg 6. And They’re Off 7. Rough Riders 8. Follow the Money 9. Retribution 10. Coke Was It 11. Derby Days 12. Coming Home 13. Out of Control 14. A Fearful Ride 15. Moving On 16. Saying Goodbye 17. Crossing the Wire Afterword Acknowledgments Selected Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThis 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 player 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 a sobering look at gamblers, gambling, and life at the track.Trade Review"Immensely readable account, by a brutally honest writer...a gambler's book that is well worth a punt" -- The Racing Post"A delightful memoir . . . McClelland details his transformation from casual fan to obsessed racing geek with humor." -- Railbird

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Book SynopsisEach spring as the Kentucky Derby grows near, a kind of frenzy hits a wide section of the population. People suddenly turn their attention to Churchill Downs, and the anticipation of the Run for the Roses sends everyone into 'Derby fever.' Here in his third book on the Kentucky Derby, Jim Bolus brings together a collection of his favorite Derby Stories that are sure to make an avid race fan out of anyone. Bolus covers a wide range of topics--from 'the Duke' at the Derby; to the famous Derby photograph of the Fighting Finish in 1933; to his favorite Derby, the 1969 running. Also included are such champions as Whirlaway, Exterminator, Secretariat, Spend a Buck, and Nashua. Bolus has devoted a chapter to the Stevens family, whose horse-racing roots trace back more than 120 years, and to the Derby chart callers, those men who through the years have documented the race for posterity. Bolus also relates his own personal experiences as a bettor (and a loser!) on the Derby. In particular, he devotes a chapter to Holy Land, a horse who ran in the 1970 race but lost his jockey and the race. It's a pick Bolus has been kidded about a lot over the years. An authority on the subject, Jim Bolus has conducted hundreds of interviews about the Derby. With this book, readers will understand his passion for the grand old race and its traditions as they learn why so many get Derby fever every spring. Also by Jim Bolus are Remembering the Derby and Kentucky Derby Stories, both published by Pelican.

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Book SynopsisFormer horse jockey Randy Romero, winner of the Breeders' Cup, is a Louisiana sports legend still well loved in racing circles today. In 1985 he was at the top of his game, ranked number two in the country. This gripping biography covers the triumphs and tragedies in his exciting career, until his retirement in 1999.

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