Full Description
The world of Thoroughbred horse racing is much more than the glitz-and-glamour Saturday races shown on TV. From Sunday through Friday, there are a myriad of horses who run, not for million dollar purses, but in the smaller claiming races that keep horse-racing alive and financially viable. On these same days, there are the bettors, owners, trainers and jockeys who form the backbone of horse-racing with their less-than-glamorous livelihood. This volume presents a non-fiction insider's look at today's sport of Thoroughbred racing from a day-to-day, behind-the-scenes vantage point. Divided into three sections, it discusses the racing, breeding and jockeying which is the reality of Thoroughbred racing. From trainers and jockeys to the editor of the Illinois Racing News, men and women well versed in the sport provide firsthand insight and experience regarding the actualities of Thoroughbred racing. Selected racing records and an extensive glossary of horse racing terms are also included.
Contents
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Prologue
I. AT THE TRACK
1. Pssst ... Anybody Wanna Buy a Horse?
2. Lighting Up with a Loverboy
3. Try, Try Again. And Again.
4. Rejuvenation, Risk, Reward and Retirement
5. A Time of Reckoning
6. Pssst ... Are You Sure You Don't Wanna Buy a Horse?
7. How You Gonna Keep 'Em Down on the Farm...?
II. ON THE FARM
8. Mole Meadows and the House of Optimism
III. RIDERS UP
9. Breakfast of Champions
10. "We rode for the love of it," or "I was tryin' to kill the son of a bitch!"
11. How to Ride a Thoroughbred to the Hall of Fame
12. Running Hard, Going Slow
Selected Racing Records
Glossary
Index
