1 comments about Derby Day: A Pop-up Celebration of the Kentucky Derby.

1. This book is excellent for children of all ages. It brings to life the excitement of the Kentucky Derby. The book adds fun with it's colorful and imaginative pop-ups and tells the complete story of the race. Includes well researched historical background and photos of past Kentucky Derby's. I loved how the author included a recording of the "Call to the Post".
   
   If you enjoy this book, you will also enjoy "Macy's on Parade".

No comments about Bloodlines: A Horse Racing Anthology.

No comments about Royal Racing: The Queen and Queen Mother's Sporting Life.

2 comments about American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002: A Decade-By Decade Review of Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Winnersplus Kentucky Oaks and Coaching Club American Oaks.

1. In American Classic Pedigrees (1914-2002), thoroughbred racing expert Avalyn Hunter informatively examines the pedigrees of the winners of the five American Classic horse races of the twentieth century: The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, Kentucky Oaks, and Coaching Club American Oaks. Closely studying the evolution of the breeding horses to be racing champions; the degree of inbreeding among race winners; and presenting an exciting history of the races themselves, American Classic Pedigrees (1914-2002) is enthusiastically recommended reading for professionals as well as non-specialist general readers with an interest in the lineage of championship race horses.



2. You might think that 700 pages of statistics and history would make for dry reading, but there's flesh and bone and heart behind those numbers. A. Hunter does a wonderful job of summarizing the horses' greatest races and then tying them back to the ancestors' performances. For example, who was "Teddy" and why does he matter so much to the horses running today?
   Some horses are as great on paper was they are on the track, but why does it seem that some horses come out of nowhere and succeed when nobody in their family has ever accomplished anything? Or did they? Is somebody great lurking back there in the grandsire or great-granddam spot in the pedigree?
   If the numbers are dry, the text is anything but. It's easy to say "this horse was first, this one second", but it's an art to convey the effort and the struggle or, for that matter, the ease with which some horses became legends.
   My only wish for change in this book would be to add more pictures. Surely the Racing Museum or whoever holds the rights to Robertson's Thoroughbred Racing in America could provide more images. Yes, it would make the book even bigger, but while it's great to read about the blood ties, it's even better to see the slant of a shoulder in the filly that reflects the same power in the grandsire.

5 comments about Citation: In a Class by Himself.

1. It appears that this book and those on other great horses was inspired by the interest in the book and movie on Seabiscuit. However, Seabiscuit was not in Citation's class.

   As a long-time follower of the "sport of kings," I consider Citation as the greatest thoroughbred ever. Had Citation been retired at the end of his three-year-old season, as were Man o'War and Secretariat, he would have had a record of 27 wins in 29 races, the two second-places losses easily explained. That record is more impressive than those of Man o' War and Secretariat, the two horses usually rated higher than Mighty Cy in polls of racing experts. Unfortunately, Mighty Cy's owner wanted to make him the first million dollar winner and brought him back as a five-year-old, after more than a year's layoff. Clearly, the horse lost something in that long layoff and was the not the competitor he was as a two- and three-year-old, winning only five of his next 16 races before finally going over the million dollar mark. When comparing Cy with Man o' War and Secretariat, it seems only reasonable to consider only his two- and three-year-old seasons. Who knows what those two horses might have done as five- and six-year-olds?

   Author Georgeff captures the greatness of Citation, appropriately referring to him as "the greatest thoroughbred in modern history" and "in a class by himself." I couldn't put the book down once I started on it.




2. someone who obviously cannot add has stated that citation would have retired at 3 with a more impressive record than man o'war or secretariat. citation was a brilliant racehorse, one of the finest of all time...but he lost twice in two years, and man o'war only lost once(which can also be easily explained) in two years. horses cannot be compared against each other who have not faced each other on the track (don't forget former-plater seabiscuit beat one of the finest horses ever in war admiral, and the fastest-horse ever whirlaway also lost in a match race).
   citation was great, but this book isn't.
   actually, it is one of the worst books on thoroughbreds i have ever read (only rivalled by horses of a different color, by that dullard squires).
   avoid!!



3. When reading this book, the reader becomes surround by the life of Citation. Georgeff writes with a passion unmatched and fills the book with describtive details. Everyone that was important to mighty Cy's career was in this book and their opinions. The debate Georgeff makes, that Citation is the greatest horse to every race, throughout the book is proved with expert opinions, Georgeff personal experiences, and history. The character list is extremely long that includes barn owners, trainers, and jockeys that all argee that Cy was the best. Sometimes the characters can get confusing and the timeline can get a little mixed up, but all in all the story is wonderful. If you want a good, detail-packed story, this is the book for you. OSU



4. Having only lived in the '90's and the early part of this century myself, you can't help but think when you look at fascinating black and white photographs of Citation and think, "What would they have looked like in color?" Georgeff puts the color into those photos and then takes it a step further, letting you into Citation and his private circle of the Wrights, Freeman McMillan, Ben and Jimmy Jones, Margaret Glass, and the likes of all the jockeys close to him. Most times in the book, I felt like I was standing right next to Citation in his stall, watching the conversations around me. His races come back to life through Georgeff's words, showing the man has a deep devotion to the famous racehorse. I highly respect him of that. Eddie Aracaro, who is considered the greatest jockey of all time, was born in Cincinati, Ohio, just an hour and a half from where I am. Being the big racing enthusist I am, I was clearly humbled at the thought that 'The Master' came from little old Ohio. The famous father and son trainers Ben and Jimmy Jones were able to read horses so well, and that is portrayed through how they thought of Citation. This book was compelling and had been so thoroughly researched that it is just like taking you back to the golden days of the 1940's and 50's. I was clearly convinced that, taking the words of Ben Jones saying, "Anything Citation can see, he can catch!" I bet if Citation can see Secretariat and Man o' War, then he could whip 'em both. Best of all, this memorair portrays Citation exactly as he should be remembered: Citation was the Secretariat without television.



5. This book is a panegyric to Citation by one of his biggest fans. I used to idolize Secretariat, but on closer inspection, great as he was, he just did not achieve Citation's level of greatness. As his trainers, Ben and Jimmy Jones, said, they rated a horse's class by "who he beat, how he beat them, how many times he beat them, and finally time." It is an interesting parlor game to guess what Citation would have achieved if he were healthy at 4 years old and raced. Unfortunately, he sat out his entire 4th year, when a thoroughbred is at his prime, with injuries. When he tried to make a comback at five, he was not the same Citation as at 2 and 3. Georgeff describes Citation's heartbreaking return at ages 5 and 6, when he did something he was not used to ... lose races (a few to the great Noor, by just a nose, in record time, though). Just to fulfill owner Wright's dream of owning the first million dollar horse. Arcaro, who no longer rode him, bemoaned the nickel-and-diming that the owners put Citation through. Others called it criminal and said that if it were today, Wright would be put in jail for what he did to Citation.
   
   Sure, Georgeff is biased ... if he did not love Citation, he would not have written this book. Yes, the book is redundant in places in its praise of Citation. But the book provides pretty convincing proof, that, Citation, not Secretariat or Man of War, should be considered the greatest racehorse of the 20th century (if such a thing can be determined). And Charles Hatton is in the definite minority in his deprecation of Citation. Every week, Hatton had a new "greatest racehorse." Most sport writers place Citation at or near the top.
   
   The book is very discursive, jumps around in places and strays from the subject sometimes. The descriptions of the horse races is wondereful.
   
   My one complaint is that there is no chart at the back listing Citation's races, the ones he won, the ones he lost, times, jockeys, lifetime stats, etc. I had to plod through the book and make my own chart. Looking at the chart reminded me of the remark "So far Citation's done more than any horse I've ever seen ... and I've seen Man of War." Truly a horse for the ages.

No comments about Horse People: Thoroughbred Culture in Lexington and Newmarket (Animals, History, Culture).

1 comments about Ainslie's New Complete Guide to Harness Racing.

1. Though this guide was released in the late 1970's, I consider this to be the most important book written on Harness Racing. The book is well written and interesting, it is not an angles on gambling on races type of book. Instead it is an honest straight forward approach to attending Harness Racing and understanding the sport, its history and creating speed ratings from the racing program. Even regular attendees of the races can learn from this book, and enjoy the read as well.

No comments about Whittingham: The Story of a Thoroughbred Racing Legend.

2 comments about Buying and Re-Schooling Ex-Racehorses.

1. I bought this book because I thought it would focus more on the special training an ex racehorse needs. This book contained mostly information on general horse training which intermediate to experienced riders/trainers probably already know. The begining of the book was the most interesting part because it gives the history of the thoroughbred breed. But, the rest of this book was pretty disappointing.



2. the book had good information,kept my attention & was easy reading. I was disappointed that it did not cover what I would consider reschooling of ex-racehorses. It was a good introduction to beginning schooling over jumps for horses that are already trained for riding. The book is geared towards people that have a certain level of knowledge and would not necessarily be good for beginner trainers. I am still going to get Coldrey's first book Breaking and Training the Young Horse. Maybe Buying and Reschooling would have been better if I had read Breaking & Training the Young Horse first.

No comments about Advanced Speed & Pace Handicapping.