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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Equestrian & animal sports > Horse racing
Burned out by working the baseball beat for years, in the summer of
1922 Damon Runyon was looking for a new sport to cover for The New
York American as a change of pace. Having pilloried golf just a few
years before, he went to Saratoga that August to sample horse
racing and found that "There, right in front of him, were so many
of the characters he so loved from his time covering the comings
and goings of the Manhattan night crowd." This was just the tonic
Runyon needed to emerge from his malaise. Runyon didn't just cover
the great races and which horse won: he would get to the track days
before and roam along the backstretch, speaking with the trainers,
the gamblers, the rich owners, and the wise guys, many of which
became model characters in his fiction and in the musical Guys and
Dolls. This book collects the best of Runyon's horse racing columns
to 1936, when he moved on to other beats. In addition to an
introduction, Reisler will include a "cast of characters" that will
provide short biographies of a number of people Runyon discusses in
his columns.
A safety pin was all that kept Spectacular Bid from becoming the
eleventh Thoroughbred to take the Triple Crown. This work examines
Spectacular Bid from his humble beginnings -- he was born in a mud
puddle on a horse farm in Versailles, Kentucky -- to his
recognition as one of the greatest American racehorses. On the
morning of the 1979 Belmont Stakes, Spectacular Bid stepped on a
safety pin in his stall, injuring his foot. He had impressively won
the first two races -- the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness -- but
finished third in the Belmont, most likely due to his injury,
making him one win shy of becoming the sport's third straight
Triple Crown champion. But that loss did not prevent him from
becoming one of horse racing's greatest competitors. After taking
two months to recover, the battleship gray colt would go on to win
26 of 30 races during his career, with two second-place finishes
and one third. He was voted the tenth greatest Thoroughbred of the
twentieth century according to Blood-Horse magazine, and A Century
of Champions places him ninth in the world and third among North
American horses -- even ahead of the renowned Man o' War. This
horse biography tells the story of the honest and not-so-glamorous
colorful characters surrounding the champion -- including Bud Delp,
the brash and cocky trainer who was distrustful of the Kentucky
establishment, and Ron Franklin, the nineteen-year-old jockey who
buckled under the stress and pressure associated with fame -- and
how they witnessed firsthand the splendor and triumphs of
Spectacular Bid. Including contemporary newspaper accounts of Bid's
exploits and interviews with key players in his story, this is an
encompassing look into the legacy of one of horse racing's true
champions.
Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit’s fortunes:
Charles Howard was a onetime bicycle repairman who introduced the automobile to the western United States and became an overnight millionaire. When he needed a trainer for his new racehorses, he hired Tom Smith, a mysterious mustang breaker from the Colorado plains. Smith urged Howard to buy Seabiscuit for a bargain-basement price, then hired as his jockey Red Pollard, a failed boxer who was blind in one eye, half-crippled, and prone to quoting passages from Ralph Waldo Emerson. Over four years, these unlikely partners survived a phenomenal run of bad fortune, conspiracy, and severe injury to transform Seabiscuit from a neurotic, pathologically indolent also-ran into an American sports icon.
Author Laura Hillenbrand brilliantly re-creates a universal underdog story, one that proves life is a horse race.
From the Hardcover edition.
On May 4, 1968, Dancer's Image crossed the finish line at Churchill
Downs to win the 94th Kentucky Derby. Yet the jubilation ended
three days later for the owner, the jockey and the trainers who
propelled the celebrated thoroughbred to victory. Amid a firestorm
of controversy, Dancer's Image was disqualified after blood tests
revealed the presence of a widely used anti-inflammatory drug with
a dubious legal status. Over forty years later, questions still
linger over the origins of the substance and the turmoil it
created. Veteran turfwriter and noted equine law expert Milt Toby
gives the first in-depth look at the only disqualification in Derby
history and how the Run for the Roses was changed forever.
An American champion at heart, "The Magnificent Sham" achieved an
unofficial record for the second-fastest time in the history of the
Kentucky Derby. He remains second only to the legendary
Secretariat. Ironically, challenging Secretariat for the 1973
Triple Crown abruptly shattered his quest for fame and almost ended
his life. This compelling book unfolds that brilliant animal's
spellbinding story-the story of a courageous underdog born in the
wrong place in time.
Punters have never had it so good. In a world of rapidly
progressive technology and ever-changing ways to bet, the days of
punting solely in the betting shop and on the racecourse are long
gone. Since the invention of Betfair in 2000 and the mass move
online, bookmakers have never been closer to their customers.
Punters are able to place bets at the click of a button - on the
move, from the pub and even in the office - and the gambling
industry has boomed because of it. Football has taken over as the
market leader but horseracing is still hugely popular, while odds
on other popular sports have opened them up to a fresh audience -
the punters. But in a world of flickering screens and rifling
numbers can come confusion. Whether you're a newcomer or a seasoned
bettor, the Racing Post Betting Guide provides a lighter look at
betting in the current climate, covering horseracing, football and
other major sports such as golf, cricket and tennis. The views of
our unparelled team of experts can help shape your thinking. Call
on the Racing Post's unrivalled expertise, soak up all the
knowledge you can and become a better bettor. Among the chapters to
consider are: Ten top tips by Pricewise supremo Tom Segal-Studying
the form by tipping judge Paul Kealy-Football accas and in-play by
Mark Langdon-Punting at the big festivals by David Jennings-Golf
betting and the Majors by Steve Palmer-Betting on the favourites by
Richard Birch-Tackling the handicaps by Keith Melrose. Other forms
of betting covered are: Betting exchanges, pool betting, multiple
bets, ante-post betting, pedigree punting plus betting on NFL,
darts, rugby, UFC and cycling plus more!
Irresistible to the punters, champion jockey Frankie Dettori is
a charismatic personality with an easy charm and immaculate dress
sense that make him an instant favourite on the track and a
household name off it. His autobiography has been fully updated to
include Frankie s record-breaking racing exploits in 2004.
In his own words, Frankie Dettori charts his rise from stable
lad to champion jockey, revealing the endless hours of hard work,
the fun along the way, and his determination to succeed against the
odds.
Frankie relives his nine Classic winners in the UK and talks
about his notable victories at the St Leger, The Breeder s Cup
Mile, the Arc de Triomphe, the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes, and,
memorably, his seven winners on the same card at Ascot in 1996. He
also shares the secrets of his successful partnerships with
trainers like Luca Cumani and John Gosden, and owners such as
Sheikh Mohammed of the Goldolphin organisation.
This is also a human interest story. Frankie talks openly about
using drugs to keep his weight down, his celebrity role as team
captain on A Question of Sport, his rich and varied lifestyle
outside of racing, including his family and inner circle, and of
the moment when he almost lost his life following a plane
crash.
Controversial, informative and hugely entertaining, Frankie
Dettori s life story will appeal to the millions of people who
follow the sport as well as those intrigued to know more about one
of the greatest talents that horse-racing has ever seen."
**WINNER OF THE GENERAL OUTSTANDING SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD**
**SHORTLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2017**
Coping with your own death, when you are not yet dead, is a strange
thing... A natural on a horse since he was able to walk, and imbued
with a pure love of riding, Declan Murphy became one of the most
brilliant jockeys of his generation before his world came crashing
down at the final hurdle of a race at Haydock Park. His skull
shattered in twelve places, he was believed to be dead, the last
rites were read and the Racing Post prepared his obituary.
Miraculously, and the word is not used lightly, he survived and
defied medical thinking in recovering to the extent that eighteen
months after his fall, he was able to saddle up for one more race.
As usual, he won. For 23 years, Declan has been unable to tell his
story, to bring to words existence on the frontier between life and
death, to describe the incredible bond between man and horse. But
now, in an extraordinary collaboration with Ami Rao, she has helped
him find those words, a way to piece together what happened before,
during and after, what it all meant and what it means to us all. It
is a story of triumph, fear, love and loss, by turns primal,
heartbreaking and inspirational, and ultimately, it is the story of
hope, and of life.
This resource demonstrates how a combination of modern techniques
is used to ensure that horseracing is both fair and prevents abuse
of the horses involved. Based on the work of the Horseracing
Forensic Laboratory (HFL) located near Newmarket in the UK, the
book comprises five sections of student material. First, an
overview of the work of HFL is presented, followed by sections on
immunoassay, metabolism and chromatography. Teachers' notes are
also included. Following the explanatory text are questions, which
assist with understanding and also illustrate real-life
applications of the chemical techniques encountered at school.
Chemistry at the Races is designed mostly for ages 16+, but some
material is also included for younger students. It is an invaluable
resource for teachers, enabling them to demonstrate an up-to-date
and interesting context for their work.
It was a cold and foggy February night in 1983 when a group of
armed thieves crept onto Ballymany Stud, near The Curragh in County
Kildare, Ireland, to steal Shergar, one of the Thoroughbred
industry's most renowned stallions. Bred and raced by the Aga Khan
IV and trained in England by Sir Michael Stoute, Shergar achieved
international prominence in 1981 when he won the 202nd Epsom Derby
by ten lengths -- the longest winning margin in the race's history.
The thieves demanded a hefty ransom for the safe return of one of
the most valuable Thoroughbreds in the world, but the ransom was
never paid and Shergar's remains have never been found. In Taking
Shergar: Thoroughbred Racing's Most Famous Cold Case, Milton C.
Toby presents an engaging narrative that is as thrilling as any
mystery novel. The book provides new analysis of the body of
evidence related to the stallion's disappearance, delves into the
conspiracy theories that surround the inconclusive investigation,
and presents a profile of the man who might be the last person able
to help solve part of the mystery. Toby examines the extensive cast
of suspects and their alleged motives, including the Irish
Republican Army and their need for new weapons, a French bloodstock
agent who died in Central Kentucky, and even the Libyan dictator,
Muammar al-Qadhafi. This 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.
The book is an account of one very ordinary person's quest to
become a racehorse owner and his growing obsession with and love
for the sport. This is not a book about famous jockeys, trainers
and horses. It is a story of the challenges and low points facing
an owner on a budget but it also describes the elation and joy when
things do, eventually, go right. There is also a useful section of
tips and do's and don'ts for those who want to have a go at
ownership for themselves.
There are still many unknowns in the breeding of Thoroughbreds, but
the international research coalition known as the Equine Genome
Project is facilitating many new exciting discoveries. Dr Matthew
Binns is a leader of the project, an enterprise set up to map the
equine genome, and with racing historian and bloodstock authority
Tony Morris has written this important book on the theory,
practice, art and science of Thoroughbred breeding. This
long-awaited book describes how man came to express pedigree and to
develop theories about it, and how practical breeders behaved in
the light of their understanding. It explains why many theories -
including some still widely granted credibility today - are
fallacious, examines the very real progress in knowledge since the
principles of genetics were discovered, and focuses on the exciting
developments of the last few years, when eminent geneticists have
applied their expertise to the subject of the Thoroughbred. It has
been the authors' endeavour to present that information in a form
that may be readily understood by anyone who shares a love of the
Thoroughbred and a fascination with what makes him what he is.
Packed with absorbing history and cutting-edge science, this is a
fascinating and illuminating book.
The Queen's Plate was inaugurated, with royal blessing, on
Wednesday, June 27, 1860, at the Carleton track in Toronto, located
in bucolic surroundings near what is now the traffic-strangled
southwestern corner of Keele and Dundas streets. There is no reason
to believe that Queen Victoria was a wild-eyed devotee of horse
racing. However, Her Majesty granted the petition of the little
turf club in the boisterous Upper Canada community (the population
of Toronto was 44,425) and offered as an annual prize, "a plate to
the value of Fifty Guineas." And thus Canadian horse racing was
established as "the sport of royalty." Today, the Queen's Plate is
the first jewel in Canada's Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing and
the longest continuously run stakes race in North America. It takes
place every June, and the first-place purse is $1 million. The
Plate is unquestionably Canada's most famous, one-day social and
sporting event. This book explores the colourful history of the
Queen's Plate through words and archival photographs.
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