Kelso: The Horse of Gold

by Linda Kennedy

The Inspiring True Story of One of the Most Successful and Beloved Thoroughbreds in Racing History
Praise for Kelso: The Horse of Gold:
“Ms. Kennedy has captured the grandeur of the horse in a simple, straightforward way that will charm and excite those who saw Kelso run and remember his stirring deeds. . . . Kelso's racing record through eight seasons is simply breathtaking.”—Wall Street Journal
“In this concise, entertaining account, Kennedy tells the story of Kelso, a scrawny ungainly gelding who just happened to be one of the greatest Thoroughbreds that ever lived.”—Publishers Weekly
“An excellent portrayal... so intense that one has the sensation of being right there with the crowd and cheering Kelso on.”—Tom Trotter, Former New York Racing Secretary
“He was the greatest horse I ever rode.”—Eddie Arcaro, rider of Triple Crown champions Whirlaway, Assault, and Citation
At his three-year debut in June 1960, no one could know that Mrs. Allaire DuPont’s small, deerlike gelding named Kelso would come to dominate American racing like no other horse before or since. For five unprecedented years, he would reign as Horse of the Year, setting records and endearing himself to millions of fans. Always considered among the top four horses of all time—with Man O' War, Secretariat, and Citation—for many, Kelso is the greatest racehorse, since he won at sprints and endurance races, won on turf and dirt, carried unprecedented handicap weights, and raced both foreign and national thoroughbreds. Kelso was crowned champion of the Jockey Gold Cup, one of the most prestigious racing events, an astounding five straight times. Like Seabiscuit, Kelso was not earmarked as a contender and missed the Triple Crown races. But Kelso's greatness was decisive: he regularly defeated Triple Crown race winners. In Kelso: The Horse of Gold, Linda Kennedy tells the remarkable story of one of the greatest athletes of the ages, recreating the excitement of "Kelly's" unique and brilliant career while placing his unparalleled achievements in the context of racing history.

Genres: Sports, Horses, Horse Racing

232 pages, Hardcover

First published May 31, 2007

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read this book many times and am amazed each time that I found such a gem. Linda Kennedy’s excellent writing is befitting such a great horse as Kelso. And his story deserves telling! What a career. Her personal connection—following his career from when she was a girl and seeing him race—and her knowledge of the sport and historical events of the time add so much richness. I really gained a sense of what horse racing was like in the mid-century era—very different from today. This book helps to show that there is more than one type of greatness for a race horse. People try to compare great horses from different generations, and it’s important to understand the context in which the horse was great. From this book I learned that in Kelso’s era, greatness wasn’t just defined by winning one race, but by a season (or seasons) of consistently winning races at all different lengths—up to 2 miles. This context is important to understand the uniqueness of Kelso compared to champions like Secretariat. It makes me want to follow the career horses (typically geldings) more than the flash-in-the-pan-horses, who are here today and gone the next. I think seeing more horses with longevity would be good for the sport right now.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kelso was foaled in 1957 at Claiborne Farm. He was the grandson of Count Fleet, winner of the Triple Crown in 1943. He was also a grandson of Man O' War. He was notoriously bad mannered and ill tempered, which endeared him to me. He won many races, beating several favorites and champions in their own right. He set nine track records. He was inducted in the US Racing Hall of Fame and had many other awards. After his racing career ended, he began a career as a show-jumper. He returned to the track in 1986 to parade for the start of the Jockey Gold Cup. He died the next day at age 26.

This book provided a great look into the life and career of Kelso, who is considered to be in the top 100 racehorses of all time. I enjoyed learning about him, and if you are a horse racing fan, you should check this book out.

[Joseph J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving and readable life of the great gelding by a real in-person fan. Kelso. Five time Horse of the Year. Five Time Jockey Club Gold Cup winner at a marathon two miles. A great weight carrier. Legendary runs in the late and lamented Washington D.C. International. A personal narrative of a long racing career, who drew fans numbering 60,000 to 70,000 on Belmont and Aqueduct weekends. I also return to this volume in the autumn, the time of Kelso's climatic championship runs. Very enjoyable.

[Susan Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An exciting, enjoyable book about a great horse. Kelso had a lot of heart and determination - and REALLY loved to race.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of the best horse books I've ever read. Honestly. Kennedy loves Kelso, and it very much shows in her writing.

Not to say that she can't be even-handed, because at several points she was fairly objective. But when you're a fan of Kelso and you're reading a book about him, you really don't want to hear him bashed, and Kennedy did not, at all.

The prose was very pretty at times and I enjoyed her writing style overall. The descriptions of the races were often more than the usual 'this is who he was up against, and this is how many lengths ahead he was when he won' approach found so depressingly often in racing books.

Kelso was an exceptional horse, and this book is a delightful ode to him.

[Frank Shedd · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is the biography of my favorite race horse 5 times horse of the year
he was small (980 lbs compared to 1200 for Secratariat) had bad feet and a mean temper
for most of his career he had 2 jockeys the great Eddie Acaro and Milo Valenzula
and when Kelso died Acaro said that Kelso was the best horse he ever rode Valenzula said Kelso
was the best horse he ever saw he was owned by Mrs Allaire duPont trained by Carl Hanford
but the first to see his greatnes was a groom named Dick Jenkens
i liked this book but to appreciate how great Kelso could be you have too see the films of his races

[K · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the great race horses of the 20th century the book follows Kelso's life and racing career. While not as good as Seabiscuit: An American Legend book, it is an interesting read about racing.