The History Book Club discussion

This is the thread to discuss the history of Horseracing.

Got to have this one here:

Laura Hillenbrand

Amazon's review:
He didn't look like much. With his smallish stature, knobby knees, and slightly crooked forelegs, he looked more like a cow pony than a thoroughbred. But looks aren't everything; his quality, an admirer once wrote, "was mostly in his heart." Laura Hillenbrand tells the story of the horse who became a cultural icon in Seabiscuit: An American Legend.

Seabiscuit rose to prominence with the help of an unlikely triumvirate: owner Charles Howard, an automobile baron who once declared that "the day of the horse is past"; trainer Tom Smith, a man who "had cultivated an almost mystical communication with horses"; and jockey Red Pollard, who was down on his luck when he charmed a then-surly horse with his calm demeanor and a sugar cube. Hillenbrand details the ups and downs of "team Seabiscuit," from early training sessions to record-breaking victories, and from serious injury to "Horse of the Year"--as well as the Biscuit's fabled rivalry with War Admiral. She also describes the world of horseracing in the 1930s, from the snobbery of Eastern journalists regarding Western horses and public fascination with the great thoroughbreds to the jockeys' torturous weight-loss regimens, including saunas in rubber suits, strong purgatives, even tapeworms.

Along the way, Hillenbrand paints wonderful images: tears in Tom Smith's eyes as his hero, legendary trainer James Fitzsimmons, asked to hold Seabiscuit's bridle while the horse was saddled; critically injured Red Pollard, whose chest was crushed in a racing accident a few weeks before, listening to the San Antonio Handicap from his hospital bed, cheering "Get going, Biscuit! Get 'em, you old devil!"; Seabiscuit happily posing for photographers for several minutes on end; other horses refusing to work out with Seabiscuit because he teased and taunted them with his blistering speed.

Though sometimes her prose takes on a distinctly purple hue ("His history had the ethereal quality of hoofprints in windblown snow"; "The California sunlight had the pewter cast of a declining season"), Hillenbrand has crafted a delightful book. Wire to wire, Seabiscuit is a winner. Highly recommended. --Sunny Delaney

Great add Bryan.

thanks. Here is:

William Nack

Library Journal:
Secretariat captured the public's attention from his remarkable season in 1973 to his 1989 death. Sports Illustrated writer Nack here updates his 1975 portrait of the Triple Crown-winning champion, whose records set at the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes have yet to be broken. This edition includes a new preface, Secretariat's breeding history and race chart, and an account of his death.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc

This looks good, focusing on the hard to reach "triple crown" winners:

Marvin Drager

Product info:
After nearly 130 years of trying, only 11 colts have swept the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes to earn the Triple Crown—the grand slam of Thoroughbred racing. These 11 were more than just magnificent Thoroughbreds—they were stars, and their stories are full of the drama, passion, and courage associated with stardom. These champions’ stories are found in The Most Glorious Crown, the most entertaining and comprehensive work on the Triple Crown winners ever assembled.

And this one:

Dorothy Ours

Booklist:
*Starred Review* Laura Hillenbrand, in her best-selling Seabiscuit (2001), set the bar awfully high for scholarly research in just about any genre, let alone what might be called racehorse biographies. Very much to her credit, Ours meets Hillenbrand's standard in her exhaustively researched account of the career and human connections of Man o' War, usually conceded to be the greatest racehorse who ever competed in America. Man o' War dominated racing in 1919 and 1920, winning 20 of 21 starts and setting speed records nearly every time he raced as a three-year-old. Such uninterrupted excellence, however, poses a problem for any biographer. Man o' War's saga lacks the drama of Seabiscuit's rise from obscurity and comeback from injury. Nor are the stories of Man o' War's human connections as compelling as those of Seabiscuit's, though the history of jockey Johnny Loftus is more than intriguing. Also of great interest is the remarkably detailed account of Man o' War's most famous race, a showdown with the older Sir Barton, America's first Triple Crown winner, at an unlikely bush track in Canada. Finally, Ours uncovers the true reasons for Man o' War's early retirement, which ended a career that seemed destined to dwarf the accomplishments of those who came before him and set an impossibly high standard for those who followed. Even without Seabiscuit's dramatic trappings, this is must reading for racing fans, and it will reward anyone with an interest in the history of American sport. Dennis Dodge
Copyright © American Library Association.

Bryan wrote: "Got to have this one here:

Laura Hillenbrand

Amazon's review:
He didn't look like much. With h..."

Love, love, love this story. Great book, so much depth to the story and the characters, she really brings Seabiscuit to life.

This looks interesting.

by John Eisenberg
On the first Saturday in May every year in Louisville, Kentucky, shortly after 5:30 PM, a new horse attains racing immortality. The Kentucky Derby is like no other race, and its winners are the finest horses in the world. Covered in rich red roses, surrounded by flashing cameras and admiring crowds, these instant celebrities bear stellar names like Citation, Spectacular Bid, and Seattle Slew. They're worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. From the time of their pampered births and training on fabulous Thoroughbred farms in Kentucky, Florida, and California, they are destined for the Derby. But in 1992, a funny thing happened on the way to the roses. The rattling roar of 130,000 voices tailed off into a high, hollow shriek as the horses crossed the finish line. Lil E. Tee? ABC broadcasters knew nothing about him, but they weren't alone. Who knew about Lil E. Tee? A blacksmith in Ocala, Florida, a veterinary surgeon in Ringoes, New Jersey, a trainer at Calder Race Course, and a few other people used to dealing with average horses knew this horse - and realized what a long shot Lil E. Tee really was. On an obscure Pennsylvania farm that raised mostly trotting horses, a colt with a dime-store pedigree was born in 1989. His odd gait and tendency to bellow for his mother earned him the nickname "E.T." Suffering from an immune deficiency and a bad case of colic, he survived surgery that usually ends a horse's racing career. Bloodstock agents dismissed him because of his mediocre breeding, and once he was sold for only $3,000. He'd live in five barns in seven states by the time he turned two. Somehow, this horse became one of the biggest underdogs ever to appear on the American sporting landscape. Lil E. Tee overcame his bleak beginnings to reach the respected hands of trainer Lynn Whiting, jockey Pat Day, and owner Cal Partee.

I may be the only horseracing fan who didn't particularly care for by Laura Hillenbrand . The problem I found was the book was written and marketed for the masses instead of horse racing fans. It was too much about the owners, and not enough about the horse. I read quite a few horseracing books when I was younger, and that book just didn't stack up in my opinion.

Gee I guess books hit folks differently depending upon what they are looking for. I particularly liked the book myself but I can understand your point of view Chrissy.

Bentley wrote: "Gee I guess books hit folks differently depending upon what they are looking for. I particularly liked the book myself but I can understand your point of view Chrissy."

I know I'm in the definite minority regarding my opinion of that book. I didn't think it was bad or anything; just don't personally think it's as great as others found it to be. I'd probably rate it a 3. But as you said, books affect people differently. I could absolutely love a book, and another person think it was the worst thing they ever read lol. But I'm glad the book did create more exposure for horseracing

Bentley wrote: "Gee I guess books hit folks differently depending upon what they are looking for. I particularly liked the book myself but I can understand your point of view Chrissy."

Bentley I feel exactly the same way. Chrissy, I just never thought of it that way but can see your point. Thanks for sharing your perspective. I too am a fan of the sport of kings, and would love it if you offered a recommendation about other worthy books.

Chrissy wrote: "I may be the only horseracing fan who didn't particularly care for [bookcover:Seabiscuit: An American Legend] by Laura Hillenbrand. The problem I found was the book w..."

I actually found the stories of Charles Howard, Tom Smith and Red Pollard the more engrossing parts of the book. I loved the book although I guess if I had to compare it to the movie Secretariat (I've never read that book or books that movie may have been based on?), the latter was in many ways a better story about an amazing horse.

Maybe there are some really good books out there written for horse racing fans, but I really enjoyed the fact that this was such an accessible book and could be enjoyed by both fans of the sport or newcomers to horse racing.

If you are a horse racing fan or just love horses, the Kentucky Horse Park in Georgetown, KY in the Bluegrass is a great place to visit. One of the finest things there is the larger than life bronze statue of Man O'War (lovingly known as Big Red) with a very moving inscription on the base. It makes the whole experience worthwhile. More information is found at the link below.

http://kyhorsepark.com/

Alisa wrote: "I too am a fan of the sport of kings, and would love it if you offered a recommendation about other worthy books."

It's been ten years since I've read any horse racing books, but I was big into them when I was 10-14 or so. I've since packed those books up and moved them into storage, so I can't remember all the titles. A series I remember enjoying a lot though was the Thoroughbred Legends. I owned/read many of them (Citation, Man O' War, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Personal Ensign, etc). Here is an example of one: by Bill Heller (no pic). Here are a few others I can remember off the top of my head that I enjoyed:

by W. Cothran Campbell (no pic)
by Jay Hovdey (no pic)
by The Blood-Horse Staff (no pic)
by Edward L. Bowen (no pic)
by Bob Baffert (no pic)

Jill wrote: "If you are a horse racing fan or just love horses, the Kentucky Horse Park in Georgetown, KY in the Bluegrass is a great place to visit. One of the finest things there is the larger than life bronz..."

My mom took me there when I was 12 or so, and it was awesome :) My mom used to be a horse trainer and I grew up a horse lover myself, so it was great to have her take me on a roadtrip there, just the two of us. I loved doing the trail ride around the park

There is something for everyone there,Chrissy. A great experience.

Chrissy, thanks for the recommendations. I will check them out. more to add to the to-read list! :-)

Just a reminder that the 2013 Triple Crown series marks the 40th anniversary of Secretariat's amazing achievements. I can vividly recall being an 8 year old girl watching the 1973 Belmont Stakes; despite my limited experience I knew I was seeing something special.

I was about the same age and probably had the same type of reaction. Forty years later I also find it amazing that a) Secretariat still holds the honor of fastest-ever Kentucky Derby and Preakness races, not to mention the incredible performance in the Belmont that has to go down as the most remarkable stakes race ever run by a horse and b) it's been so long since we've had a Triple Crown winner. (35 years)

I was able to watch this year's Kentucky Derby with my seven-year-old son (he tabbed Orb as the winner, by the way, before the race!) and who knows? Maybe Orb with its pedigree to both Secretariat and Seattle Slew can take the Preakness later today and go on to break the Triple Crown drought.

One last thought on Secretariat and the 1973 Kentucky Derby (had to look up this last note). It was held about a week after President Nixon fired HR Haldeman and John Ehrlichman as the Watergate scandal began to heat up. That and the fact that we were in the midst of the anti-Vietnam movement probably gave more meaning to this great horse's achievements to help take a lot of people's minds off some rough moments in American history.

Biography of probably the greatest race horse in history. A large statue of "Big Red" graces the grounds of the Kentucky Horse Farm in Lexington, KY and it is impressive. (shown below)

Man O' War

by Page Cooper (no photo)

Synopsis:

Man O' War, or "Big Red" as he was affectionately called, was the greatest racehorse that ever lived. In 1919 and 1920, he won 20 of 21 starts and set eight records, including three world records, while conceding as much as 30 pounds to his rivals and still beating them by large margins. His time in the Belmont Stakes stood for an incredible 50 years. Man O' War's last contest, and greatest achievement, was a match race against Sir Barton, the first Triple Crown winner, where he vanquished the Canadian horse by seven lengths. He was sire to War Admiral, Crusader, and Battleship, and was grandsire to Seabiscuit, who perhaps most of all inherited the indomitable spirit and great heart of the champion.

With his distinctive blazing white star on his forehead and deep red coat, Man O' War was a major star in the first half of the twentieth century, and his popularity is credited with reviving the scandal-ridden sport of horseracing. Bought for $5,000 by Pennsylvania horseman Samuel Riddle, Man O' War ended up winning more money than any American horse up to that time. He lost only once, in a controversial race, and was so good that his odds of losing races reached an astronomical 100-1, even though he was heavily handicapped with more weight than any of his challengers. Rather than jeopardize the health of his horse under such enormous weights, Riddle retired him at the age of three. Man O' War lived for 27 more years and sired 379 foals, 61 of which were stakes winners. He became a legend in his lifetime, retired to Kentucky, cared for by his groom, Will Harbut, and visited by millions.

In Man O' War, the classic biography by Page Cooper and Roger L. Treat, Big Red emerges as an unforgettable animal full of personality, good looks, and blazing speed. It is a dramatic story, as in race after race, other stables try to beat the magnificent horse with the tremendous stride and determine just how fast he can really run. Page and Cooper present Man O' War vividly and authentically, as he was seen by those who trained and loved him, and whose hearts rode with him as he raced to victory.

Wicked Strong although California Chrome tugs at my heart (smile).

I am going with Tapiture. Pretty strong horse but California Chrome could be a challenge as well.

Great add Mike. The field is an interesting one this year and the placement of the horses could influence the race.

Jill - Man O' War must have been something - I wish I had been alive when he was running - he died when he was 30 of a heart attack not long after his long time groom had passed away.

You have to wonder at the attachments these animals have.

A great horse by all accounts.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_o...

Let us hope that the best horse wins (smile) and that the horses are safe.

@Mike - if I were a betting man and was at the race - one of the two horses I bet on would have won (smile) - but Wicked Strong did well with its unfortunate placement - all good horses - the third horse I would have bet on to place would have been Danza. I am always amazed at the beauty of these animals and always hope that they are forever taken care of which happens in some cases but not all. Wonderful animals.

Good race and I might have won $2.00 with California Chrome to place but boy did I pick the wrong one to win. We used to have a Derby party at a friends house and put all the names in a hat and you got what you pulled out. I always lost and still do when I pick them myself!!!! But it is lots of fun and just seeing those beautiful creature "running for the roses" is worth it. I think they know that it is important, just like in the song,composed by Dan Fogleberg especially for the 1980 Derby.

Run For The Roses

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSYPNi...

Good for you Mike

It's called the most exciting two minutes in sports!!

The Kentucky Derby: Run for the Rose

by Bill Doolittle (no photo)

Synopsis:

Written by Kentucky native son and sportswriter Bill Doolittle, "The Kentucky Derby: Run for the Roses!" celebrates the rich tradition of Kentucky horse farms; the festive, fun-filled days leading up to the race itself; the legends and the heroes; the memorable moments and the thrilling head-to-head rivalries that have punctuated 125 years of the Kentucky Derby.This is "The Kentucky Derby: Run for the Roses!" The rich tradition, the lavish spectacle, and the unforgettable moments. Illustrated with over 180 archival and contemporary photographs, memorabilia, masterful text, and the personal reflections of the many men and women who have made the Kentucky Derby the greatest horse race in the world. With a foreword by the quintessential observer of American life, Walter Cronkite, "The Kentucky Derby" is the most captivating and lavish book ever produced about "the most exciting two minutes in sports."

Finally, a new triple crown winner after 37 years! Congratulation to American Pharaoh. A very strong horse with a darned good jockey, Victor Espinoza, on board. After winning the race, Espinoza's comment of "Holy %@&$" to the press was priceless.



Photo source: Wikimedia

One of the most prestigious race meets in the world is taking place this week, the Royal Ascot. It ends today with the centerpiece race, the Gold Cup.

Royal Ascot is Britain’s most valuable race meeting, attracting many of the world’s finest racehorses to compete for more than £5.5milllion in prize money. Our eighteen Group races, eight of them in Group One, have made legends of the finest thoroughbreds. Black Caviar, Frankel, Yeats – all are Royal Ascot winners turned household names.

In 2013, The Queen watched her horse, Estimate, triumph in the Gold Cup. A dedicated racehorse owner, she has attended every Royal Meeting during her reign and the Royal Procession is always an iconic moment to herald the start of every raceday.

Anticipated and revered, these five days are made for socialising. Long seen as a spectacle of fashion and style, they are referenced the world over. Each year the meeting is broadcast to audiences around the globe, yet to experience it in person is something altogether more special.
(Source: Royal Ascot UK)



The Royal Family arrives
(Source: Wikipedia)