Best Horse Racing Books of All Time – A Poll of our Washington Industry Leaders

Best Horse Racing Books of All Time – A Poll of our Washington Industry Leaders

I have polled some of our industries finest upstanding citizens asking them about their favorite horse racing books of all time. Part of it was selfish because I wanted to add to my reading list, but mostly I wanted this information so we could send it along to our new owners (especially the Emerald Racing Club members).  Hopefully they will read the books that started our love affair with horses and this industry.  I encourage you to share these lists with people in your partnership groups and people getting involved in the game. Most people could not choose five (I couldn't either) and most people had a hard time ranking them which I completely understand. So I listed all the list of books that were sent to me in the order that they were provided. I have also included commentary from the people if provided. Thanks to those that responded to my request. 

If any of these titles interest you, I encourage you to purchase them at the Emerald Downs Gift Shop after a good day at the track or you can purchase them from Amazon. If you go to http://smile.amazon.com, Amazon donates a portion of your purchase to a charity. I encourage you to select Washington Thoroughbred Foundation (of which I am a board member). The Foundation gives money to very important causes including the Rainier Therapuetic Riding Center, which helps our soldiers dealing with PTSD (something very close to my heart because my father suffered from it severely). Please take the time to view this great video of what this charity does. 

Now for the Book Lists:

Joe Withee, Director of Publicity and Broadcasting at Emerald Downs, Board Member of the Washington Thoroughbred Foundation. 

     (1) Seabiscuit by Lauren Hillendbrand

     (2) Secretariat: The Making of a Champion by William Nack

     (3) Beyer on Speed by Andrew Beyer

     (4) Best of Thoroughbred Handicapping by James Quinn

     (5) Champions: The Lives, Times and Past Performances of America's Greatest Thoroughbreds - By DRF Press

Sophia McKee, Director of Marketing at Emerald Downs, President of the Prodigious Fund (a very very very worthy cause as you can see from this video): 

(1) Crazy Good: The True Story of Dan Patch, the Most Famous Horse in America by Charles Leerhsen. It is the "Seabiscuit" book of Harness Racing. Worth a read as a racing fan. Did you know Dan Patch had a FULLY COVERED and ENCLOSED ½ mile training track?

(2) Ruffian: Burning From The Start by Jane Schwartz- Have a box of kleenex for this one. But captures the heart and spirit of a Thoroughbred.

(3) The Black Stallion by Walter Farley - Get the kids into it early - classic.

(4) Riding for My Life by Julie Krone- For every little girl that wants to be a jockey.

(5) Any novel by Dick Francis

     (6) Man o'War: A Legend Like Lightening by Dorothy Ours - His accomplishments are remarkable.

     Dana Halvorson, President of the WTBOA and Bloodstock Agent to the Stars

(1) Seabiscuit by Lauren Hillendbrand

(2) A Wild Ride: The Rise and Tragic Fall of Calumet Farm, Inc., America's Premier Racing Dynasty by Anne Hagedorn Auerbach

(3) All Books on Tesio

(4) All Dick Francis novels.

Ralph Vacca, Former Lord of the WTBOA and Member of the Washington Thoroughbred Hall of Fame

Fiction (in no particular order):

(1) Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

(2) Old Blue the Cowpony by Sanford Tousey

(3) The Red Pony by John Steinbeck

Non-Fiction (In no particular order): 

(1) Man O' War - by Walter Farley (I believe this was the book Ralph was referring too). 

(2) History of Thoroughbred Racing in America - By William Robertson

(3) C.W. Anderson series of Books (Blaze series). 

(4) Seabiscuit by Lauren Hillenbrand

(5) Richard Stone Reeves series of Books with beautiful paintings. 

(6) Bobinski's Breeding and Mating Tables (Will Brewer Note: Bobinski updated Lowe's works on families and split them up into sub categories)

(7) Books by Tesio. 

(8) The Horse - Description by Ralph "And  a  long  shot,  one  I  absolutely  cherish  and  almost  impossible  to  find  is:  “The  Horse”.  Book  is  only  about  two  inches  wide  and  two  and  a  half inches  deep. 128  pages  long.  So  very  unique  and  just  plumb  filled  with   truly  great  information  about  the  horse.  Will  show  you  it  one  day.  Is  one  of  my  great  treasures!!"

(8) John D. Hertz Private Leather Notebook - Again, description from Ralph: "Oh  yes,  another  treasure  I  have  which  is  priceless  (to  me)  is  John  D.  Hertz  private  leather  notebook  with  all  his  broodmares  with  expanded pedigrees;  stallion  shares  and  hand  written  notes  which  he  used  when  suggesting  breeding  to  the  like  of  Nasrullah,  Princequillo, etc.   This  is  a  very  personal  treasure  as  he  gave  it  to  me  one  day  a long  time  ago  when he  was  walking  around  Stoner  Creek  Farm (in  Paris,  Kentucky)  and  stopped  to  visit  with  me,  then  (I)  much  thinner,  lots  of  black  hair  and  totally  absorbed  with  all  the  beauty,  peacefulness  and  heaven-like   environment!  Maybe  sounds  a  bit  corny  but  was  and  still  is  truth  with  super  memories!!!!"

Will Brewer Note: I would love to take a look at that leather notebook someday. Sounds like a real treasure!

Sue Van Dyke, Associate Editor of the WTBOA and Research Goddess (This list is awesome). 

King of the Wind, by Marguerite Henry

  Every little girl’s favorite fairy tale of the Godolphin Arabian, one of three main founders of modern Thoroughbred racing.

**Seabiscuit, by Laura Hillenbrand

  What more can be said of this carefully researched and well-written masterpiece which just happens to be about a racing legend.

**At the Wire, by Ed Bowen

  By one of the master of the descriptive phrase – 25 of the 20^th century’s greatest races told in the best Bowen style.

**West With the Night, by Beryl Markham

 Airplanes and horse racing and the beautiful prose of a pioneer aviator and champion horse trainer in Africa who was a contemporary of Isak Dinesen.

A Wild Ride, by Ann Hagedorn Auerbach

  The cautionary and fascinating tale of one man’s greed that led to the fast spiral downward of the historic Calumet Farm and the death of racing icon Alydar

Secretariat, by William Nack

  As Laura Hillenbrand reviewed  on the cover of the 2002 reprint “ . . . a love song to one of the most enthralling performers in sports history” and Andrew  Beyer added “One of the best, most beautifully crafted books on racing ever written.”

**The History of Horse Racing in America, by William Robertson

  For its scope (and pictures) of American racing from the 17^th century until the early 1960s.

Hoofbeats (short stories), by John Taintor Foote

  From the lyrical author who gave us the short story “The Look of Eagles” on which the racing favorite movie Kentucky (staring Walter Brennan, Richard  Green and Loretta Young)

Treasures of the Bloodstock Breeders Review, edited by  Leon Rasmussen &  Miles Napier

  With so much to choose from – the BBR was first published in 1912 and lasted until 1979 – there are so many wonderful stories and anecdotes from this publication whose international goal was “Where the Thoroughbred is found, thither will it travel, conveying information calculated to be of interest and value to breeders. . .”

The Thoroughbred, by E.S. Montgomery

  A well-written and expansive overview of racing from its earliest beginnings until the late 1960s with an additional and comprehensive listings of all things Thoroughbred.

Names in Pedigrees, by Joe Palmer; which was followed by Sire Lines, by Abram S. Hewitt

  Great introduction to the traits and prominent horses in the most successful sire lines (written by specific lines) of the 19^th and 20^th centuries written by two knowledgeable and entertaining writers.

Breeding the Racehorse, by Federico Tesio and The Tesios as I Knew Them, by Count Mario Incisa della Rochetta        

  The “Classic,” written by the “Genuis.” Followed by the della Rochetta’s insight into his longtime horse partners.

           

**Racing My Father, by Patrick Smithwick

   The tale of a racing family and as enjoyable book as I have ever read

Complete Guide to Breeding & Raising Racehorses, by Joe Taylor

  Just the must read for anyone even thinking to getting into the Thoroughbred industry.  Practical information from one of the most respected horsemen in the business.

Bloodstock Breeding, by Sir Charles Leicester

  The standard reference work on Thoroughbred breeding and a must read for anyone for anyone wanting to learn about pedigrees.

All the wonderful illustrated racing books by C. W. Anderson

Any and all of Dick Francis’s entertaining mystery novels .

And Eclipse Press’s entire Thoroughbred Legend series, Volume 1 to 24

Richard Ulbrich’s Peerage of Racehorses 

Index to Stakes Winners by Clio Hogan  

Kany Levine, Attorney, Handicapper, Regional finalist in a Bert Sugar Look-a-like Contest

(1) Wild Ride by Ann Hagedorn Auerbach, is a terrific story about the rise and fall of legendary Calumet Farm.  It was published years ago now and does not cover Calumet's latest incarnation, but it remains one of the best at illustrating how a great breeding dynasty was built in the old days, and how the greed and irresponsibility of one man, a bubble in the commercial breeding market, and the treatment of one beautiful and extremely valuable racehorse--Alydar--all combined to bring everything crashing down.  A cautionary tale.

(2) Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand, is a beautifully written story about the legendary "Biscuit."  Much of the book focuses on Seabiscuit's owner, Charles Howard, and the last paragraph alone--don't look!--brings a tear to the eye.  Fun fact: Seabiscuit ran 35 times as a 2 year old!  No, they don't make 'em or train 'em that way anymore.

(3) Betting Thoroughbreds by Steve Davidowitz. The Bible for Horseplayers, by the long time chronicler of racing for numerous publications, including DRF.  Make sure you get the  most recent addition; some of the original edition has been made obsolete by new technology.

Mary Lou Griffin, Queen of Griffin Place

(1) The Estes Formula for Breeding Stakes Winners, by Joseph A. Estes

(2) All mystery novels by Dick Francis

(3) Seabiscuit, by Larua Hillenbrand

(4) A Wild Ride, by Ann Hagedorn

(5) Horsefeathers, by David Ramey, D.V.M.

(6) King of the Wind, by Marguerite Henry

Debbie Pabst, Master of Blue Ribbon Farm

Fiction List:

(1) The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley written for Young Adults  rather dated, but these are what got me fascinated with racing

(2) Dick Francis Novels (he was a British steeplechase jockey) -- bejillion mysteries -- All about British Racing from the inside -- read them all and you will know an amazing amount about how British Racing works

(3) William Murray's "Shifty Anderson" series  -- 1st Book is TIP ON A DEAD CRAB  set on the west coast, a view of racing from the players side

Non-fiction List: 

(1) Cot Campbell Books -- Has out a couple of books, the first is LIGHTNING IN A JAR.  Great true stories of buying and racing horses

 (2) Patterns of Greatness II (The Americans) by Alan Porter and Anne Tegzes Peters -- this is about great American race horses of the Twentieth Century

(3) Country Life Diaries by Josh Pons -- day to day operation of a thoroughbred breeding farm

Bob Cappelletti, Racing Manager for George Todaro, Handicapper of Penn National Non-Winners of 5 Lifetime races 

(1) A Wild Ride: The Rise and Tragic Fall of Calumet Farm, Inc., America's Premier Racing Dynasty by Anne Hagedorn Auerbach.

(2) Champions: The Lives, Times and Past Performances of America's Greatest Thoroughbreds by DRF Press

(3) The Horse God Built by Lawrence Scanlan

(4) At the Wire by Edward Bowen

(5) Memoirs of a Longshot by Cot Campbell

(6) Horse Racing's Holy Grail by Steve Haskin

Andy Evans, Z Thoroughbreds

(1) Sham: Great Was Second Best by Phil Bandera

(2) The Horse God Built, Lawrence Scanlon

(3) Understanding Your Horse's Behavior by Sue McDonnell, PhD

(4) The Kingmaker:  How Northern Dancer Founded a Racing Dynasty, Avalyn Hunter

(5) Traits of a Winner: The Formula for Developing Thoroughbred Racehorses by Carl A Nafzger

Rod Moore, Z Thoroughbreds

Currently reading: Secretariat's Meadow by Kate Chenery Tweedy

Recently purchased:

Breeding for Solid Conformation(How to breed classic racehorses), by Sarah Montgomery

Thoroughbred Breeding: Pedigree Theories and the Science of Genetics, by Matthew Binns

Scott Gruedner, Master of the Horseplayers Racing Club, LLC

(1) Dick Francis Books: Especially Field of 13  

(2) Seabiscuit by Lauren Hillenbrand

(3) The Perfect Ride by Gary Stevens 

And Finally, the Authors List:

Will Brewer – Brewer Thoroughbreds, LLC, V.P. of the WTBOA, Owned by a dog and cat, lesser half of a marriage, vegetarian, Seahawks fan, blogger. 

Note: I am leaving out handicapping books. I will write about that later. 

   (1) A Wild Ride: The Rise and Tragic Fall of Calumet Farm, Inc., America's Premier Racing Dynasty by Anne Hagedorn Auerbach. This book is simply jaw dropping. I re-read it on my honeymoon and would often stop to tell my wife all of the crazy things that happened to Calumet when Lundy took over. It is a tale of building something so great only to see it fall because of bad management and greed. This is a must read for everyone. As Kaney said above, "a cautionary tale." 

   (2) Legacies of the Turf: A Century of Great Thoroughbred Breeders (Volume 1 and 2) by Ed Bowen - You will see a theme in my top books. I love every aspect of the industry but the breeding and sales part of the industry is what I love the most. The history of each family, the crosses, the great broodmares, and the great stallions is fascinating to me. This two-volume book is a masterpiece that I keep going back to over and over again. It goes from James Keene all the way to Seth Hancock and dedicates 15 pages to the 39 elite breeders of the past century (I am the 40th but got left out by accident). The amount of respect I have for James Keene and John Madden is enormous after reading these volumes but every chapter is a treasure. 

   (3) The Home Run Horse by Glenye Cain Oakford - Another great book about the breeding industry. The book tells several stories including the purchase of Vindication by Satish Sanan, the history of how the modern day thoroughbred came about, the crazy 1980s, Hill n' Dale farm, Taylor Made Farm, Buzz Chace, Winstar Farm, Funny Cide, Empire Maker, and Michael Dickinson. The final chapter is how Arthur Hancock retrieved his Kentucky Derby Winner, Gato del Sol, from a potentially bad situation. Gato del Sol was a failed stallion in Germany and after learning the fate of Ferdinand and Exceller, the Hancocks sprung in to action spending a significant amount of money to bring him back to the United States to live out his days on the farm. The final paragraph of the book is excellent: 

      

     "I think somewhere, when you do the right thing by them, it comes back to you for the good,' Hancock concluded. "It's the right thing to do as opposed to the money. He won the Derby for us. I owed him."

     Agree. 

    (4) The Kingmaker:  How Northern Dancer Founded a Racing Dynasty, Avalyn Hunter. A great read on a book about the most influential sire of our generation. A horse who at one time commanded a $1,000,000 stud fee. He was small but his influence was mighty. 

   

   (5) The  Horse Traders by Steven Crist. An excellent look inside the excess of the 1980s and the people who fueled it. Crist also discusses Seattle Slew and his stallion career along with various other topics. A fun read.

   (6) Native Dancer: The Grey Ghost Hero of a Golden Age by John Eisenberg. A well-researched book about the life of the Grey Ghost of Sagamore. This is an overlooked book about a horse that I believe should be ranked higher on the list of best horses of all time. Native Dancer came along at the time of television and his Grey coloring made him easily visible for those watching his races on television. A great story. 

   (7) Investing in Thoroughbreds by Arnold Kirkpatrick. One of the first books I read when deciding to invest in the thoroughbred world. Provides very good advice and I would recommend it to any newcomer to the game. 

  

   (8) Sire Lines by Abram Hewitt. This might be a little dry for most people but I am a pedigree dork and loved it from start to finish. It is a collection of articles that Hewitt wrote about stallions. There are several stallion lines that are examined that still have an impact on the breed today. 

    

   (9) Racehorse Breeding Theories by Frank Mitchell. This is a good primer on all the breeding theories out there. Does not spend too much time on one theory but will get a newcomer acquainted with the theories that exist. I always bust it out when it is time to consider a stallion for my mare. 

   (10) Complete Guide to Breeding & Raising Racehorses, by Joe Taylor. Just awesome. Everything you could want to know about creating a farm. I read it on vacation in Mexico and it was a quick read and really enlightening on every aspect of planning your farm, right down to how you close your gates. Talks about picking a stallion for a mare and how to raise a foal and prep it for the sale. Fantastic. 

    So you now have your summer reading list. 

Always Love your Animals,

Will