Graveyard of Champions: Saratoga's Fallen Favorites

by Bill Heller

This book explores the phenomenon of Saratoga Racecourse through the stories of the great horses that have fallen victim there, from Man o' War to Secretariat.

Genres: Horse Racing, Horses

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2002

Reviews

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fabled to be the curse of a great racehorse, and the blessing of a cursed racehorse, Saratoga Springs has a rich racing history dating back to the 1800's. Champions come to Saratoga and leave humbled. This track is not for the faint of heart, and is unpredictable in the best of times. Graveyard of Champions details the many horses who raced on the Saratoga track, and the many races that took place on these grounds. Sharing some of the most unlikely of wins and some of the most heartbreaking losses in Thoroughbred racing history, this book is a treasure trove of information for racehorse aficionados.

The horses, trainers, owners, and jockeys mentioned throughout the book are a veritable who's who of the sport. Saratoga has a rich and interesting history to learn about. There are lots of fun tidbits about where a horse's name came from (Busanda got her name from owner Ogden Phipps Navy experiences while serving in the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts during World War II), why a particular horse was bought or sold, etc. With the amount of facts and figures - pedigrees, race records, statistics and more - included, it's not a light read but some of these human (or horse) interest stories lighten it up a bit.

[Stefanie Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Saratoga Springs, New York, hosts a spectacular Thoroughbred race course. Saratoga has been in operation since 1863, and is the oldest major sporting venue still in use in the United States. The track has several nicknames, often being called The Spa for the nearby mineral springs, as well as the Graveyard, because so many champions are defeated here. Several notable races are held during the meet season at Saratoga, including the Travers, the Whitney, the Alabama, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. One notable burial at the course is Go For Wand, who suffered a catastrophic injury at the track.

This book focuses on the weird phenomenon of so many Grade I winners, a lot of whom are undefeated or rarely defeated, losing races at this course. Part of this reason is because so many races are ran in the meets all over the country previous and horses are raced out and tired of traveling. I really enjoyed reading this book at this particular time, as the Saratoga meet is still ongoing. The Travers was just raced (my horse lost). I enjoyed reading the stories about some famous names as well. This was a pretty good book.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much has been made of the number of superhorses who have been upset at Saratoga - Man o' War, Gallant Fox, Secretariat - but Bill Heller has created an entire book that lays the case for why Saratoga's nickname as "The Graveyard of Champions" fits.

He begins with a disclaimer: No more favorites lose at Saratoga than any other racetrack. Then, chapter by chapter, he lines them up: favorite after favorite, beaten by an upstart in a shocker of a race. Laid together, from the late 1800s through the late 1900s, it's fascinating, and by the end you're certain that Saratoga was built on some Native American burial ground.

Heller provides setup and drama for each race, and it's an easy read. You'll never see Saratoga the same way again.

[Susan Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting stories. Bill Heller looks at all the favorites that have been defeated at Saratoga. It is only a short meet, but many well-known and famous horses have lost at the track to longshots. Heller gives some interesting thoughts on why this happens so often at Saratoga - and then he goes on to tell the stories. Some of them, like Man O'War's defeat and Scretariat's are fairly well known. Others I had never heard of, or if I had I had forgotten, but they were still interesting. And he goes into greater detail about some of the horses and races.
It took a while to read this, because it's not like a story that goes from beginning to end, more like a book of short stories. But it was worth reading and I appreciate and understand a little more of what goes on behind the scenes at a Thoroughbred track between trainers, jockeys and horses.