The great myth of horse racing is that the game is the regal and
royal Sport of Kings. It isn't. Not by a long shot.
Anyone who doubts this need look no further than Suffolk Downs, a
once-proud racecourse graced in its glory years by boisterous
throngs and champions such as Seabiscuit. Now the blue-collar East
Boston track is one of many that have fallen on hard times. These
days "Sufferin' Downs" is where grizzled Thoroughbreds come to end
their careers, hopeful young jockeys aspire against daunting odds
to begin them, and diehard fans cheer, curse and gamble on the
entire fascinating spectacle. These bit players are not just cogs
of a single, struggling horse track. They are the unseen supporting
cast for a $15 billion betting industry.
In fifteen years as a racing reporter and press box personality,
T.D. Thornton gained access to remote corners of racetrack life off
limits to the general public. He got to know the raucously
Runyonesque characters and the quirky personalities of the horses;
he learned the tricks of the trade from trainers, owners, and
jockeys; he witnessed the tragedies and small triumphs of racing
lives lived below the radar. One recent season, he finally decided
to write it all down.
"Not by a Long Shot" is a deeply textured portrait of an industry
where even the best in the business lose 75 percent of the time.
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