This collection of poems captures the life and brilliance of one of racings biggest legends. In a lyrical style that brings the tale of Secretariat to life, Lifshin highlights the beauty and wonder of the foal's early days from birth to the track. As always, Lifshin focuses on Secretariat's life before the track, outlining the playfully perfect foal who found his way into the hearts of many. Full of emotion and beauty, this collection outlines the life and death of one of the tracks biggest racing legends. from "As The Days Get Longer" the horse dreams of flying in the air like a gust of wind on an abandoned Christmas tree, red exploding like a spurt of light, flaming wildly like those boughs of northern lights out of darkness

Man o' War has been acclaimed as the greatest racehorse of all time, and nearly three-quarters of a century after his death his legend continues to grow. In Man o' War, veteran racing historian Edward L. Bowen recounts the life and times of "Big Red." Bowen traces not only Man o' War's life but also those of the people connected to him-his breeder, August Belmont II; his trainer, Louis Feustel; and his famed owner, Samuel D. Riddle-weaving their stories into that of the great horse. Man o' War became the greatest sports hero of his era, mentioned with the same reverence as Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey, and Red Grange. Man o' War's legend began at age two when he won nine of ten starts. Due to his great popularity, his only loss was surrounded by rumor and intrigue. Man o' War never knew defeat again. He dominated his rivals at every turn, even winning one race by a recorded 100 lengths. Retired to stud in Kentucky, Man o' War welcomed tens of thousands of fans to Faraway Farms where faithful groom Will Harbut would regale visitors with tales of Man o' War's exploits. The sons and daughters of Man o' War-including Triple Crown winner War Admiral-and their descendants carry on his legend in the Thoroughbred breed today. This edition includes a new epilogue by the author.

Master storyteller Ralph Moody tells the thrilling story of a plucky horse who refused to quit, a down-on-his-luck jockey who didn't let horrendous accidents keep him out of the saddle, and a taciturn trainer who brought out the best in both. During the Great Depression, Seabiscuit captured the hearts of Americans from the streets to the White House, winning more money than any horse at that time and shattering speed records across the country. In this real-life story Moody captures the hoof-pounding excitement of the explosive early races to an unforgettable showdown with the feared Triple Crown winner War Admiral. Moving and inspirational, Come on Seabiscuit! is a reminder of the qualities that make a real American champion. Ralph Moody is best known for his eight Little Britches books, which have delighted generations of readers and are all available in Bison Books editions. Ralph Moody captured the hearts of young readers everywhere with his beloved Little Britches saga. In this Bison Books edition of his 1963 classic, Moody brings to life the story of a knobby-kneed little colt called Seabiscuit, who against all odds became one of the most celebrated racehorses of all time. Although Seabiscuit was the grandson of the legendary Man O' War, he was neither handsome nor graceful. His head was too big, his legs too short, and his gallop was awkward. His owners gave up on Seabiscuit when he was two, raced him too heavily, and tried unsuccessfully to sell him. It took the keen eyes of trainer Tom Smith to recognize the heart, courage, and gallant determination of Seabiscuit, the qualities of a truly great horse. Smith's unfailing patience and astute treatments, the love and skill of jockey Red Pollard, and the continued support of owner Charles Howard forged Seabiscuit into a champion. Purchase the audio edition.

This book constitutes the first full volume dedicated to an academic analysis of horseracing in British cinema. Through comprehensive contextual histories of film production and reception, together with detailed textual analysis, this book explores the aesthetic and emotive power of the enduringly popular horseracing genre, its ideologically-inflected landscape and the ways in which horse owners and riders, bookmakers and punters have been represented on British screen. The films discussed span from the 1890s to the present day and include silent shorts, quota quickies and big-budget biopics. A work of social and film history, The British Horseracing Film demonstrates how the so-called "sport of kings" functions as an accessible institutional structure through which to explore cinematic discussions about the British nation-but also, and equally, national approaches to British cinema.

A Year In The Frame is award winning sports photographer, Edward Whitaker's third collection of images following on from In The Frame and Beyond The Frame. These photographs encapsulate the racing year; its grandeur, its traditions, its variety, its vivid palette of colours. Festivals from around the globe punctuate the calendar and these are brought to life through the lense of a master craftsman. From Cheltenham to Chantilly, Meydan to St Moritz, the best that the sport of kings has to offer is captured in moments, at times vast in scale and at others focused, intimate. Stars, both equine and human are on show, as well as racegoers who tend to dress for the occasion and not the elements they may have to battle, whilst the unique characteristics of each month are exposed chapter by chapter. Racing fans are reminded that they are never more than a few days away from something to enjoy.

This is the definitive history of thoroughbred racing's tree premier events, which have never before been explored in such detail. This book gives the history of America's classic races from the inaugural Belmont Stakes in 1867 through 2013, identifying which equine participants were truly worthy of lasting acclaim and which were one-hit wonders. Perhaps even more compelling are the stories of the men and women who rode, trained, owned, or bred classic winners, including their exploits on the turf and their triumphs and failures in arenas far removed from horse racing.

"The" definitive work on this rare coronation, this book delves into the history, personalities, and subplots of each of the 11 Triple Crown champions. From Sir Barton in 1919 through Affirmed in 1978, each Triple Crown winner has exhibited a true personality and charisma befitting of super stardom and renowned author Marvin Drager's prose brings to life these 11 remarkable stories. "The Most Glorious Crown" is a unique and fascinating inspection of each champion, their jockeys, owners, and trainers, as well as a riveting account of each race and the events leading up to each historic event. This magnificent oversized book includes more than 150 archival, authentic black-and-white photographs of each thoroughbred throughout different stages of its career. It also includes actual racing forms from each race for the Triple Crown.

This fun and witty expose 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.

In The Ghost Horse, Joe Layden tells the inspiring true tale of a one-eyed, club-footed thoroughbred racehorse and a journeyman trainer, Tim Snyder, who scraped together every penny he had to purchase the broken and unwanted filly. Snyder helped the horse overcome its deficiencies, eventually naming her in part after his deceased wife, Lisa, the great and only love of his life - a bright and sweet-tempered woman whose gentle demeanour seemed eerily reflected in the horse. The trainer (and now owner) was by nature a crusty and combative sort, the yin to his wife's yang, a racetrack lifer not easily moved by new-age mysticism or sentiment. And yet in those final days back in 2003, when Lisa Snyder lay in bed, her body ravaged by cancer, she reassured her family with a weak smile. "It's okay," she'd say. "I'll see you again. I'm coming back as a horse." Tim Snyder did not then believe in reincarnation. But he acknowledged the strangeness of this journey, the series of coincidences that brought them together, and the undeniable similarities between the horse and his late wife. And so did those who knew the couple well, and who could now only marvel at the story of the filly, Lisa's Booby Trap, and the down-on-his-luck trainer who apparently had been given a new lease on life. The Ghost Horse is a powerful horseracing story of underdogs and second chances.

First staged at Cardiff's Ely Racecourse in 1895, the Welsh Grand National is a vital element in the sporting heritage of Wales. This is the definitive history of the event, encompassing more than 100 years of history and including all the great jockeys, trainers, and horses.

Michelle Payne rode into history as the first female jockey to win the Melbourne Cup. She and her 100-to-1 local horse Prince of Penzance took the international racing world by surprise but hers was no overnight success story. Michelle was first put on a horse aged four. At five years old her dream was to ride in the Melbourne Cup and win it. By seven she was doing track work. All of the ten Payne children learned to ride racehorses but Michelle has stayed the distance. She has ridden the miles, done the dawn training, fallen badly and each time got back on the horse. So when she declared that anyone who said women couldn't compete in the industry could `get stuffed', the nation stood up and cheered. Michelle has the audacity to believe she can succeed against all the odds. Her story is about hope triumphing over adversity, and how resilience and character made a winner.

For decades Peter O'Sullevan was one of the iconic sports commentators, providing the sound track for half a century of horseracing as he called home such legends of the sport as Arkle, Nijinsky, Red Rum and Desert Orchid. His rapid-fire commentary seemed to echo the sound of horses' hooves, and it was not long before he became known as 'The Voice of Racing'. But in addition to his legendary status as a TV personality, Peter O'Sullevan was also a notable journalist and much-admired writer, and it is a measure of his standing both within and beyond the world of racing that his compulsively readable autobiography Calling the Horses, first published in 1989 and reprinted eight times, reached the top of the SUNDAY TIMES non-fiction bestseller list. The most recent edition of Calling the Horses was published in 1994, and the twenty years since then have brought many fresh episodes in the ongoing Peter O'Sullevan story, including the last racing days of his great friend Lester Piggott in 1995, his commentary on the 'Bomb Scare' Grand National of 1997, and his retirement from the BBC. He also describes setting up the Sir Peter O'Sullevan Charitable Trust, which has raised over GBP3.5 million for animal welfare charities, as well as offering his appreciation of a new generation of racing heroes, including jockey AP McCoy, who has come to dominate jump racing in a manner unparalleled in any sport, and the wonder-horse Frankel. The heartening news for the legions of Peter O'Sullevan fans is that, despite his years, his enthusiasm for racing is undiminished, and so are the elegance, fluency and wit which infuse his writing style. This new and extensively updated edition of Calling the Horses is a very remarkable book by a very remarkable man.

History was made at the Belmont Stakes in Summer 2015 when American Pharoah won the Triple Crown title, the first racehorse to achieve the momentous feat since Affirmed in 1978. Pharoah was the crowd favorite, as spectators had anxiously anticipated the American Thoroughbred's victory, already a proven winner at the year's earlier Kentucky Derby and Preakness races. By all appearances, American Pharoah has led a successful career, unmarred by any controversy as he was the undisputed champion-only twelve horses total in American history have won the Triple Crown. Unfortunately however, his training team has not fared nearly as well. With accusations ranging from sour business transactions to poor gambling practices to active litigation with bankruptcy courts and other legal cases pending, his owner Ahmed Zayat has many rooting against him. The flamboyant Egyptian-American businessman has been leading a double-life that has threatened to overwhelm his small empire. Victor Espinoza, the famed racehorse's relentless jockey, left rural Mexico only to face harsh conditions on a farm where he had to overcome his fear of horses before learning that he had a gift for race riding. Finally, Bob Baffert, American Pharoah's trainer, has an interesting arc that includes tremendous wins, personal losses, and controversial medication violations. Beginning with American Pharoah's modest showing at his first maiden race in 2014, Joe Drape will recount the winning thoroughbred's explosive racing career by weaving in details of Zayat's questionable business practices, Espinoza's heartbreaking loss with California Chrome last year, and Baffert's temperamental, unreliable track record. By interviewing many of the parties involved, Drape will explore the claims of corruption, illegal gambling, and secretive business practices that have been prevalent throughout, all that have ultimately contributed to the makings of this award-winning racehorse.

The ultimate betting companion in the build-up to the 2018 Festival. Packed with invaluable advice from the best writers in the business, this comprehensive guide has everything you need for jump racing's biggest meeting. Includes: Race-by-race guide, with in-depth assessment of the main contenders in every championship race by Racing Post betting editor Paul Kealy Key trends for all the established races The Irish challenge Views from the British training centres What the bookmakers say Tipsters' forum with the views of the Racing Post team on the big questions Plus: Racing Post Ratings, Topspeed, trainers and jockeys to follow, pedigree pointers and analysis of the key trials.

A comprehensive book on the great racetracks of the world. How they became great, the horses that have won, the races that are famous. Details more than 200 key racetracks around the world, including and featuring every Group One track. Information includes races, location, track conditions, race history, famous incidents and winners. An unbelievably thorough listing that will fascinate any fan of racing.

This book presents an in-depth, qualitative exploration of the practice of horse-riding by "disabled" and "non-disabled" riders and their horses. Situated as part of an "affective turn" within human geography, creative and original use is made of poststructuralist theory to bring together animal studies and disability studies in order to decentre the human as we think about the social. Eighteen months of multi-sited performance ethnography "on the hoof" were conducted with riders recruited from local riding schools, an internet forum and three Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) groups. The study employed various methods, including diary-keeping, participant observation and video-recording of riding activities, in order to capture moments of horse-human relating. Through these methods, the embodied expressions of horses are taken seriously as demonstrative of their individual thoughts and intentions.

Inspired by the Henry Taylor poem of the same name, Flying Change is the true story of a man changing strides and leaving the comforts and security of middle-age life to reenter the hazardous and highly competitive world of steeplechasing. After a youthful career begun under the tutelage of his father, legendary steeplechase jockey A. P. "Paddy" Smithwick, he gave up riding to become a newspaper editor, a Chesapeake Bay waterman, a teacher of English and literature, and a father. But the one-time jockey could not leave the sport he so loved. At forty-six, he pushed himself back into shape for competitive racing and set about trying to find a horse to ride in the most challenging of timber races, the Maryland Hunt Cup.

From the rolling hills of Maryland horse country, Smithwick issues a movingly written call to those of us trapped in increasingly sedentary, digital lives to get up and go outdoors and let the senses play, to feel a cold rain on your shoulders and sit in front of a warm fire, to smell hay and grass and live in the beauty of spring dawns and brilliant autumn sunsets.