Like the Wind...

America's Memorable Race Horses

[Biographies] [Further Reading] [Horse Racing in Fiction]

Nicholas Clee

Eclipse. Bantam, 2010.
[798.4009 Clee]
So great was this amazing, undefeated 18th century champion, who retired to stud after only 17 months of competition, it is estimated that 80-90 per cent of horses racing today are his male-line descendants. but it is the story-behind-the-story of Eclipse--the people and around him and the world in which he lived--that makes this book both an entertaining and illuminating read.

John Eisenberg

Native Dancer, the Grey Ghost: Hero of a Golden Age. Warner Books, 2003.
[798.4 Eisenberg]
Nicknamed the “Gray Ghost,” Native Dancer (1950-1967) , was the son of 1945 Preakness winner, Polynesian. Although he won all of the first nine races he entered, he failed in his Kentucky Derby attempt, although he went on to win the Preakness and Belmont in 1953. When a recurring foot injury forced him to retire, Native Dancer did so with a record of 21 wins in 22 races.

The Great Match Race: When North Met South in America’s First Sports Spectacle. HM, 2006.
[798.400929 Eisenberg]
On 27 May, 1823, over 60,000 people gathered at Long Island’s Union Course to witness three 4-miles races between Northern champion, American Eclipse and Sir Henry, pride of the South. After losing the first heat, American Eclipse was given a substitute rider who rode him to victory in the next two heats, delivering a blow to the Southerners who had offered the challenge in an attempt to prove “Southern” superiority,” especially those who had confidently bet their own plantations in the venture.

Funny Cide Team with Sally Jenkins

Funny Cide: How a Horse, a Trainer, a Jockey, and a Bunch of High School Buddies Took on the Sheiks and Blue Bloods--and Won. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 2004.
[798.4 Funny]
The saga of Funny Cide (2000— ) was a true Cinderella story. Purchased for the bargain-basement price of $75,000, Funny Cide became the long-shot winner of the 2003 Kentucky Derby (the first NY bred horse to do so), then went on to win the second jewel in the Triple Crown by the second largest margin in Preakness history. The rags-to-riches fairy tale captured the imagination of the country, but Funny Cide fell short at the Belmont, finishing third.

Steve Haskin

John Henry. Eclipse Press, 2001.
[798.4 Haskin]
John Henry (1975— ) remains the only horse to win Horse of the Year more than once but not in consecutive years (1981 & 1984). He did not get off to an auspicious start early. Known more for tearing steel water and feed buckets off the walls of his stall and stomping on them, his prospects were so dim that he was gelded because of his lousy temperament. Ah, hindsight can be heart-breaking! Once he hit his stride, John Henry became a horse to be reckoned with. He went on to win 30 stakes races, was voted the Horse of the Decade in the 1980s, and retired as the world’s richest thoroughbred in 1985.

Laura Hillenbrand

Seabiscuit: An American Legend. Ballantine, 2003, 2001.
[798.4 Hillenbrand]
The little horse that could! Immortalized in book and on film, Seabiscuit (1933—1947) was another famous “late bloomer,” another forlorn hope that flourished under the leadership of the right men at the right time. After failing to impress in his first three years of racing, Seabiscuit was sold to businessman Charles Howard for $8,000. The horse responded to trainer Tom Smith’s unorthodox style and began to win. And win. And win. In 1938, in what is considered the greatest match race of the century, he was pitted against Triple Crown winner, War Admiral, and to the delight of the masses, the underdog humbled the mighty stallion. Seabiscuit was later named Horse of the Year. Read also: B. K. Beckwith. Seabiscuit: The Saga of a Great Champion. Westholme, 2003 [798.400929 Beckwith]

Linda Kennedy

Kelso: The Horse of Gold. Wsetholme, 2007.
[798.400929 Kennedy]
When he retired at the age of nine, Kelso was considered to be among the best racehorses of the 20th century. The big gelding, with 39 victories in 83 starts, was named Horse of the Year a record 5 times between 1960 and 1964 and set or equaled 15 track records. In the final 5 months of his career he broke or tied 3 U.S. records; for a mile and an eighth on turf, 2 mi. on dirt, and a mile and a half on turf.

Dan Mearns

Seattle Slew. Eclipse Press, 2000.
[798.400929 Mearns]
Seattle Slew (1974—2002) was the first—and only—horse to win the Triple Crown (1977) with an undefeated record. He retired after his four year old season with 14 victories in 17 starts, winning championships in each season including Horse of the Year in 1977. His earnings of $1,208,726 was a pretty good turn on an $17,000 investment.

Dorothy Ours

Man o’ War: A Legend Like Lightning. St. Martin’s, 2006.
[798.400929 Ours]
In 1999, a panel of experts assembled by racing’s prestigious The Blood-Horse magazine voted Man o’ War (1917-1947) the No. 1 racehorse of the 20th century. The chestnut colt won 9 of 10 starts as a 2-year-old, and ran unbeaten in 11 starts in 1920 before being retried. His only loss was to a horse named Upset.

Tom Philbin and Pamela K. Brodowsky.

Barbaro: A Nation's Love Story. HarCol, 2007.
[636.120929 Philbin]
In 2006, after winning tech Kentucky Derby and the Belmont, wonder-horse Barbaro was expected to become the 12th horse in history to win the coveted Triple Crown until tragedy struck just a couple of hundred yards from the starting gate. Although the injury to his right rear leg was so devastating that under normal conditions he would have been etherized on the spot, Barbaro's owners opted to try to save his life. He underwent risky surgery in the hopes that he could be rehabilitated, and although the ending of Barbaro's story was not a happy one, it is one of strength, courage and inspiration.

Lou Sahadi

Affirmed: The Last Triple Crown Winner. T. Dunne, 2011.
[B 798.4009 Scanlon]
Winning the coveted Triple Crown (the last horse to do so back in 1978) was in his blood. He was descended from previous Triple Crown winner War Admiral and from the great Man o' War. Few race fans will forget the head-to-head match-up between Affirmed, ridden by 18-year-old Steve Cauthen, and Alydar, who became the first racehorse to finish second in all three Triple Crown races.

Laurence Scanlon

The Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World's Greatest Racehorse . T. Dunne, 2007.
[B 798.400929 Scanlon]
Secretariat (1970—1989) is ranked second only to Man o’War (see next title) on the list of the greatest thoroughbred race-horses of all time. Sired by Bold Ruler and Somethingroyal, Secretariat ran to glory in the 1973 Kentucky Derby and went on to become the first Triple Crown winner in a quarter century. Nicknamed “Big Red,” his records at the Derby and the Belmont Stakes (where he won by an astonishing 31 lengths) stand to this day. Few individuals have dominated their sport as Secretariat did, so it is fitting that he was named the Sports Illustrated Athlete of the Year in 1973. He was later ranked at number 35 on ESP's 100 Greatest Athletes of the 20th century. Read also: Timothy T. Capps' Secretariat. Eclipse Press, 2003. [798.43 Capps] and William Nack's Secretariat: The Making of a Champion. Da Capo, 2002, 1975. [798.4 Nack]

Robert L. Shoop

Down to the Wire: The Lives of Triple Crown Champions. Russell Dean, 2004.
[798.4009 Shoop]
The stories of the 10 great horses who have won the Triple Crown [for the record, they were: Sir Barton (1919), Gallant Fox (1930), Omaha (1935), War Admiral (1937), Whirlaway (1941), Count Fleet (1943), Assault (1946), Citation (1948), Secretariat (1973), Seattle Slew (1977) and Affirmed (1978)], plus one who did not [Man o’ War, who did not compete in the Kentucky Derby, but won both the Preakness & Belmont].

James D. Squires

Horse of a Different Color: A Tale of Breeding Geniuses, Dominant Females, and the Fastest Derby Winner Since Secretariat. PublicAffairs, 2002.
[798.400929 Squires]
Three years after setting up shop as a breeder, Jim Squires, former editor for the Chicago Tribune, sent Monarchos to the Kentucky Derby in 2001, and came away with a surprising victory. A story about taking risks and going against the odds in pursuit of a dream.

For Further Reading…

The Blood Horse Inc.
Thoroughbred Champions: The Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century. The Blood-Horse, Inc., 1999.
[798.400929 Thoroughbred]

The 10 Best Kentucky Derbies. Eclipse Press, 2005.
[798.42 Ten]

Kevin Conley
Stud: Adventures in Breeding. Bloomsbury, 2002.
[636.132 Conley]

Black Maestro: The Epic Life of an American Legend. Morrow, 2006.
[B 798.4 Wakefield D]

To the Swift: Classic Triple Crown Horses & Their Race for Glory. St. M., 2008
[798.4009 To]

Elizabeth Mitchell
Three Strides Before the Wire: The Dark and Beautiful World of Horse Racing. Hyperion, 2002.
[798.42 Mitchell]

Nan Mooney
My Racing Heart: The Passionate World of Thoroughbreds and the Track. HarperCollins, 2002.
[B 798.4 Mooney]

Mary Simon
Racing Through the Century: The Story of Thoroughbred Racing in America. BowTie Press, 2002.
[798.4 Simon]

Jane Smiley
A Year at the Races: Reflections on Horses, Humans, Love, Money, and Luck. Knopf, 2004.
[798.4 Smiley]

Bert Sugar, with Cornell Richardson
Horse Sense: An Inside Look at the Sport of Kings. Wiley, 2003.
[798.4 Sugar]

HORSE RACING IN FICTION

Mysteries

The Sport of Kings has inspired a number of mysteries and thrillers. And the undisputed King of this genre was the late, great Dick Francis. A former British steeplechase jockey, he found a new career for himself when he published his first mystery, Dead Cert, in 1971. Other titles by Dick Francis:

Nerve (1964)
For Kicks (1965)
Odds Against (1965)
Flying Finish (1966)
Blood Sport (1967)
Forfeit (1968)
Enquiry (1969)
Rat Race (1970)
Bonecrack (1971)
Smokescreen (1972)
Slay Ride (1973)
Knock Down (1974)
High Stakes (1975)
In the Frame (1976)
Risk (1977)
Trial Run (1978)
Whip Hand (1979)
Reflex (1980)
Twice Shy (1981)
Banker (1982)
The Danger (1983)
Proof (1984)
Break In (1985)
Bolt (1086)
Hot Money (1987)
The Edge (1988)
Straight (1989)
Longshot (1990)
Comeback (1991)
Driving Force (1992)
Wild Horses (1994)
Come to Grief (1995)
To the Hilt (1996)
10lb Penalty (1997)
Field of Thirteen (1998--short stories)
Second Wind (1999)
Shattered (2000)
Under Orders (2006)
Dead Heat (2007)
Solks (2008)

Another former jockey, Bill Shoemaker, penned a trio of compelling, intricately plotted thriller series featuring disgraced ex-- jockey Coley Killebrew. Stalking Horse (1994), Fire Horse (1995), & Dark Horse (1996).

It’s back to Britain with erstwhile champion rider John Francome, whose 21 thrillers set on and around the race track (the first four written with James MacGregor) began with EavesDropper in 1986. Other titles are:

Riding High (1987).
Declared Dead (1988)
Blood Stock (1989)
Stone Cold (1990)
Stud Poker (1991)
Rough Ride (1992)
Outsider (1993)
Break neck (1994)
Dead Ringer (1995)
False Start (1996)
High Flyer (1997)
Safe Bet (1998)
Tip Off (1999)
LifeLine (2000)
Dead Weight (2001)
Inside Track (2002)
Stalking Horse (2003)
Back Hander (2004)
Cover Up (2005)
Winner Takes All (2006)

Young barn manager Steve Cline is the hero of Kit Ehrman’s tales of horse theft, race fixing & murder in Maryland’s horse country. At Risk (2002), Dead Man’s Touch (2003), Cold Burn (2005), and Triple Cross (2006). In Hex (2003), Gargantuan (2004), and Flamethrower (2006), recovering alcoholic and animal lover Ruby Murphy of Coney Island discovers she has a knack for sleuthing. By Maggie Estep.

Lyndon Stacey's horse-focused novels feature a variety of intrepid heroes. There is American rider Ross Wakelin, who has given up riding after an accident that critically injured a spectator, but who reluctantly agrees to fill in as a replacement rider in the U.K., where he encounters much animosity and foul play in Cut Throat (2002). Blindfold (2004) introduced horse therapist Gideon Blake, seen again in Six to One Against (2006). In Deadfall (2005), Lincoln Tremayne disregards the advice of the police and risks his dream of Olympic glory when he resolves to investigate the attack upon his stable manager's daughter. And the sleuth-of-the moment in Outside Chance (2005) is Ben Coppefield, who hails from a horse-centric family, but who limits himself to writing about them, since they scare him to death.

And now entering the starting gate is John McEvoy with Blind Switch (2004), wherein unemployed Jack Doyle gets in over his head when he agrees to help a friend fix a horse race (with a follow-up tale called Close Call (2008), and Riders Down (2006), involving Chicago racing columnist Matt O’Connor’s investigation into something fishy at the track.

A couple of long-running British mystery series also found fertile fodder for individual tales involving the racetrack:

While recuperating from a gunshot wound suffered in his previous case, detective Richard Jury is brought into a mystery by his friend & associate in mystery solving, aristocrat Melrose Plant involving a missing girl and stolen race horse and, of course, murder. The Grave Maurice (2002) is the 18th in the series by Martha Grimes. In another British series, this one set in the 19th century, Robin Paige’s Death at Epsom Downs (2001) has Lord Charles Sheridan and his wife, Lady Kate, investigating the drugging of a horse that led to a fatal accident.

And for those who can’t get enough of mayhem in and around the track, there’s a short-story collection called, Murder at the Racetrack (2006).

HORSE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR:
Novels about horse racing, horse lovers, and just plain lovers

Sarah Challis
Turning for Home. St. Martin’s, 2003, 2001.
Maeve Delaney takes the position of companion to cantankerous octogenarian, Lady Pamela, who dreams of bringing back her injured horse, Irish Dancer, for one last race.

Margaret Falk
Dark Horse. Kensington, 1995.
Dakota McAllister arrives to sort things out at her recently deceased father’s thoroughbred ranch and begins to suspect his death was not an accident. Her decision not to sell his prized filly, Shameless, brings her back into contact with her ex-husband, Clay.

Karen Robards
Paradise County. Pocket, 2000.
A novel of romantic suspense set in Kentucky Bluegrass country, as two strong-willed souls clash, and rage turns into passion.

Jane Smiley
Horse Heaven. Ballantine, 2001.
A large cast of characters from different backgrounds and classes all have one thing in common: their love of horses and horse racing.

compiled by Lynne Kennedy, Reference Dept.

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