The Jockey Club's Illustrated History of Thoroughbred Racing in America

ISBN: 0821220594

Author: Edward L. Bowen

Condition: New

Thoroughbred horse racing has long been one of the most popular sports in America, and now, with this lavishly illustrated history, both casual fans and turf connoisseurs alike can relive the thrilling stretch runs of years past. Filled with over two hundred breathtaking images that have been culled from the finest private collections and museums, this illustrated history brings to life the horses, the people, and the places that have defined racing in America for the last century. Included, of course, are the great champions like Man o' War, Native Dancer, Citation, and Secretariat; the great personalities, from August Belmont II and turn-of-the-century jockey Tod Sloan to current hall of fame owners, trainers, and jockeys like Paul Mellon, Woody Stephens, and Angel Cordero, Jr. And then there are the famous places: Hialeah during the fabulous twenties, Santa Anita and its Hollywood celebrities, the stately splendor of Saratoga, and Churchill Downs, home of the most famous race run on American soil. Additionally the reader is treated to a private look into the sport's classic rivalries, from President Andrew Jackson's relentless pursuit of a champion that might defeat the famous mare Maria, to the fateful races that brought Alydar and Affirmed to the wire virtually head to head time and time again.The history. The horses. The people. The places. The Jockey Club's Illustrated History of Thoroughbred Racing in America is a celebration of racing's glorious past, and a glimpse forward to the challenges of racing's future.