Curious about how the most successful Thoroughbred racehorses in America came into existence? This is the book for you.

I really enjoyed the way the author (who must’ve done an INTENSE amount of research) made history come to life while also informing the reader about the subject at hand. There was one breeder who took a lot of what he knew from racing Standardbreds in harness & triumphantly applied the knowledge to the world of Thoroughbreds, & similarly there was some crossover with polo enthusiasts. Many featured breeders were involved in politics, & many made the money they spent on horses from Wall Street. The founding of the Jockey Club, racetracks, the National Museum of Racing, & the beginnings of famous farms were all discussed with the author shining light on the major players & different bits of history that came into play throughout (like the sinking of the Titanic, & the impact that anti-gambling legislation had on the sport as a whole).

I would’ve liked a little more explanation regarding some abbreviations used in bloodline diagrams & listings of stakes winners, & sometimes the chapters got a little dense, but overall this was an meticulous & interesting look at the way history shaped horse racing, & the many pictures of the racehorses made the experience that much better.

Thank you to NetGalley & Eclipse Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a wonderful book!! Great for those interested in the Thoroughbred bore or just horses in general, it was easy and engaging to read!

The majority of my nonfiction books this year seem to be horse related, so here’s another one! It’s impressive both how much money is made by racehorses, but also how much money is spent on them. The vast estates to house broodmares, the cost to ship horses from one continent to another, the careful bloodlines developed and established — and sometimes not so carefully. And it’s impressive that so many of those who shaped horse racing as far back as the 1880s are still known and respected today.

This book collects 20 such men and women and traces their influence, from the horses they bought and the races they one as well as giving a brief biography of their lives … insofar as horses are concerned. It also shows the pedigrees and pictures of some of the most influential horses, full lists of stakes winners bred by each person and farm, as well as the money made.

The writing is engaging — which can make or break a non fiction book for me — and, more importantly, it came with pictures of horses! (Okay, maybe that’s just for me.) All in all, this is an interesting book that I think will be appreciated by followers of the sport more than casual fans. It’s interesting, it’s well researched and well written, and I thank Net Galley and the publisher for giving me an ARC.