No comments about Running Racing: The Jockey Club Years Since 1750.

1 comments about Ascot: The History.

1. Sir Peter O'Sulleven claims, in the foreword to this book, that Ascot is the most famous racecourse in the world. Whether it is or not, it has established itself as one of the most important racecourses in Britain over the past 200 years.
   
   Ascot's history begins almost 300 years ago, in 1711, but took a long time to establish itself. Documentation of the early history is incomplete - for example, the result of the first race staged there is not known, although a list of all the horses competing was preserved. Apparently, the person who was supposed to record the result didn't turn up to see the race. Such modest beginnings contrast sharply with what Ascot later became.
   
   This book, written with the co-operation of the royal family, explains their role down the years. You are not left in any doubt which kings and queens enjoyed horse racing and which ones were uninterested.
   
   Ascot only really started to blossom in the reign of King George III, who was the subject of the movie The madness of King George. The king was not interested in horse racing, but his son the Prince Regent was, and it was he (who eventually became King George IV) who made Ascot into a major racecourse, which it has remained ever since. The prince was also responsible for beginning all the pageantry that has now become part of the Ascot scene every June.
   
   Despite the royal patronage and the fashions, ultimately it is the racing that most of us are really interested in. Many champion racehorses have competed at Ascot and their exploits are given plenty of coverage. Although not a champion in the true sense of the word, Brown Jack was a very popular horse in the 1920's and a whole chapter is devoted to his exploits.
   
   The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes was inaugurated in 1951 and has now become Ascot's most prestigious race. Run at the end of July, it has been won by some great champions including Ribot, Nijinsky, Mill Reef, Brigadier Gerard, Dahlia (twice), Shergar, Dancing Brave, Lammtarra, Swain (twice), Daylami and Galileo. Plenty of coverage is given to this great race, including the exciting finish in which Grundy beat Bustino.
   
   Traditionally, the Gold Cup was Ascot's most prestigious race. Staged on the Thursday of the royal meeting in June, it is run over two and a half miles. It is still a race worth winning, but despite some popular winners such as Sagaro (who won three Gold Cups) and Double Trigger, this race is not particularly important these days. In the nineteenth century, horses who won the Epsom Derby as three-year-olds sometimes ran in the Gold Cup as older horses. They did not always win, but many did, notably Isinglass, the Triple Crown winner of 1893, as a five-year-old in 1895. No modern Epsom Derby winner would attempt to win the Gold Cup; the last one to try was the 1969 winner, Blakeney. The Gold Cup is given plenty of coverage in the book.
   
   Ascot has also seen plenty of champion milers, including Brigadier Gerard, Kris, Rose Bowl, Warning and Dubai Millennium, while steeplechasing and hurdling also get coverage. Desert Orchid won eight times there, including his thrilling victory over Panto Prince in the 1989 Victor Chandler.
   
   A chapter is devoted to the extraordinary day in 1996 when Frankie Dettori rode all seven winners, a feat unlikely to be matched in my lifetime.
   
   This is a magnificent book, well worth the price, which tells you everything you need to know (up to the time of publication) about one of the greatest racecourses in the world.

5 comments about The Race for the Triple Crown: Horses, High Stakes and Eternal Hope.

1. In my opinion, this book did not live up to its fantastic reviews. I am a huge fan of Fusaichi Pegasus (...)And also, the other Big Red-Man o' War-was better.), and enjoyed reading the chapters on FuPeg. However, as a previous reviewer posted, this book was like a giant list of names. Name after name after name appeared, it could confuse even an expert at horse racing, which I do not claim to be. Overall, an average book, though it depicts the connections of each horse quite well.



2. Forget Seabiscuit. This is the racing book of 2001. Drape has taken an otherwise foregttable year in racing, and crafted a rivetting, memorable, behind the scenes look at the personalities, egos, hopes and dreams that live on the backstretch. Drape offers the well earned insights of a man who not only has pushed a bit of money thru the windows at tracks across the world, but has even owned a hard-luck pony of his own. I loved this book!



3. Drape took on the task that all of us outside the world of racing should be grateful, that is, giving us an inside look at the horses and connections that take a 2 year old colt from Derby wannabe to Triple Crown contender. What I found disappointing was the lack of detail in the races themselves. Drape sufficiently builds up the Derby and details the race, but the other prep races, Preakness and Belmont are slighted. I guess I am used to William Nack's detailed descriptions of Secretariat's races. You won't learn anything new about Lukas or Baffert here that you haven't already read. You will at least learn a little about Todd Pletcher, Neil Drysdale and Jenine Sahadi.



4. This is not a bad book, but it isn't going to be a dog-eared favorite, either. The main problem is that there is no continuity. The author jumps around from character to character, story to story, with no way of knowing how (or if) anything is connected to anything else. The behind-the-scenes gossip and backgrounds of the major players in Thoroughbred racing was interesting, and the writing was smooth and graceful, but I became more and more frustrated the more I read. Maybe the audience best served by this book is made up of people who like horses but only read during five minute bathroom visits.



5. Decent job of getting some insight on the connections, but overall just not that good.

3 comments about Remembering the Derby.

1. This book explores the stories that come with a race as big as the Derby. The author writes of horses, people, and their experiences at the Derby; wether they won or not. A must for racing fans.



2. REMEMBERING THE DERBY is the second book in the five-book series written by the late Jim Bolus, the man who knew all the stories and all the trivia of the great race. Like the other books, this is a must-have for racing fans.

   Included in this volume is a chapter on Flip Sal, a horse who was injured in the centennial running of the Derby in 1974, another on Sir Barton, the first Triple Winner, one on Northern Dancer (1964), a chapter on the 1957 Kentucky Derby in which Bill Shoemaker misjudged the finish line, and who could forget to read about Silky Sullivan?

   Your racing library would be incomplete without the Bolus series.




3. Jim Bolus offers yet another memorable book filled with vivid recollections and Derby stories. Highly recommend. You don't have to be a horse racing aficionado to enjoy this book, but Thoroughbred enthusiasts will find it of particular interest.

5 comments about Handicapping for Bettor or Worse: A Fresh Perspective to Betting the Races.

1. John Lindley, Handicapping for Bettor or Worse (Eclipse, 2004)
   
   Not a bad little book, for what it is, and does provide some insight into a number of aspects of racing that will hopefully serve to demolish some myths in the more open-minded readers who pick this up. Lindley also raises the same excellent points as regards post position "statistics" that Henry Kuck brings up in Winner's File, which is quite nice to see; I'm glad that particular piece of spurious statistic-mongering, which has long been the subject of really, really stupid systems sold by faceless Las Vegas post office boxes for $44.95, is finally getting the short shrift it deserves. But, as with more and more handicapping books coming my way, Lindley's slim volume lacks the same thing that makes Ainslie, Beyer, Pizzolla, Mitchell, etc. well worth reading: any real sort of writing style to go along with the information. Andy Beyer and Dick Mitchell may annoy the hell out of you when you're reading their books, but their writing style makes what they say that much more memorable. Lindley is a writer of the "just the facts, ma'am" school, and not surprisingly, that makes even his most important sections in here somewhat unmemorable. Thus, I suggest you take notes while reading this one, as what he has to say is certainly worth hearing. ***



2. Frankly, I bought this book to fulfill an Exclusively Equine requirement for free shipping. After reading the book, I wish it was available ten years ago when I started handicapping. The book covers many aspects of handicapping from both handicapper and owner perspectives. The book's treatment of trainers and claiming race conditions is good. Other books like the aforementioned books by Ainslie, Quinn and Mitchell are good, but talk about races at the highest level. The author's use of races from a smaller track, EmD, makes this book relevant to the 90% of American race going fans who follow smaller tracks and lower level races. I thought this book was very good for the beginner and intermediate level handicapper. Advanced handicappers will find the content covered elsewhere, but there are still unique perspective worthy of consideration.



3. Overall an average volume without much that really helped me. I'm not an expert, but I am an experienced handicapper and this just wasn't for me at this point in my experience.



4. This book is a nice read for the novice handicapper. It is concise and well writen with some excellent examples. However, it offers little for new ideas, just a different perspective on topics which have been covered in detail previously by other authors.
   
   There are some interesting insights into the claiming game and the interaction between owner and trainer. It also offers some nice explainations of how the Beyer numbers, the Sheets and pace figures work. The author spends many pages discounting their accuracy and usefulness, which is cerrtainly valid, but not revolutionary.
   
   A chapter on the potentially positive aspect of horses going from a sprint to route - please give us something new! I am beginning to think the tremendous explosion of excellent materials in the late 70's and 80's has left the subject completely covered and there may not be anything of significance left to write about.
   
   This one will join the many others in my handicapping library, but I'm not sure the pages will see the light of day again.



5. I have gone to the track casually throughout the years but did not know much about handicapping. I had already read BRad Free's "Handicappng 101" and felt ready to buy a couple of more intermediate books. This was one of them. What a waste of money. I don't know if an advanced player can get something out of this but it was just a waste of time, especially for the price. THere is little structure and it's as though someone just felt like jotting down some stuff they do and pass it off as a book. DO NOT BOTHER WITH THIS IF YOU ARE A BEGINNER!!

5 comments about Nine Secrets of Perfect Horsemanship.

1. At last a book that explains the most important, yet least talked about aspects of horse training. Mr. Blazer explains how to attain anything we want with horses by simply using the nine secrets and applying the six elements. He explains how to train horses through your heart and how to truly become a better horseman. I have applied the principles in this book and have seen first hand many triumphs. This wonderful book shows you how to enhance your horse experience by better utilizing your mind.



2. As a horse trainer I have found this book incredibly valuable. The answer to any training problem with a horse or rider can be found in The Nine Secrets. Reading between the lines is the best part, because this is where the secrets to happiness and success in life will be found. I have recommended this book to my clients as well as friends that are not involved with horses! Everyone will get something from this book!



3. Don Blazer is an opinionated jerk who needs sensitivity training about women.



4. The author conveys too little, useful information in a book [at this price]. Most of the text talked about the power of the mind, visualization, spirituality, and other intangibles. Granted, these concepts are important, but give the reader little to grasp and apply in their own horse training. I think Don Blazer may have been trying desperately to reach a minimum number of written pages, hence the nonsense and fluff.



5. The nine secrets are not just about horsemanship. As a teacher and farmer I inserted all living things where ever he wrote horse in the secrets and the principles still apply. His guidelines for training horses also make sense. The book could be retitled the Nine secrets of how to be a decent human being. His writing style is a bit awkward and redundant but considering the actual magnitude of the subject I'm not sure it could be helped. I give this book to people I care about.

1 comments about Ride Right.

1. I highly recommend this and all of the William G. Langdon press books. These books are full of common sense information and will be enjoyed by beginner riders and those who have many years experience. I refer back to this book often , have found it to be very helpful.

No comments about Nashua: Thoroughbred Legends.

No comments about Round Table: Thoroughbred Legends.

5 comments about Eliminate the Losers.

1. Mr.McKnight has a hard time putting simple basic handicapping rules into his text. It is difficult to read and understand his basic premise of speed, condition and class.Any reader would be better off betting the price of the book on a 6/5 favorite at the race track rather than invest in the book



2. Sure, McKnight takes his time getting to the secrets in this book, but it's worth it if you have the patience. The book is designed this way because McKnight feels you should earn his secrets of identifying winning horses, eliminating losing horses, and using sure-fire betting techniques. I used his system and in my limited experience as a horse better, I am still hitting with horses in the money at a 76% clip and my win percentage is 38% (over my last 100 races), which are not bad figures. With a greater understanding of horse betting and by not trying to bet as many races as possible, I think with McKnight's information I can improve my percentages even more. McKnight establishes a few different systems in this book for sprint races and routes and teaches you how to avoid races that are too difficult to figure out. He also includes a few stories about legendary horse bettors from the past. This is a great book, a quick two or three day read. The book deals primarily with the figures found in the Daily Racing Form, so get yourself a subscription to DRF online and save yourself a lot of money. The first day I used this book at Del Mar in California, I hit 8 out of 9 races. I was even hitting races I shouldn't have bet on. This book will not only find you decent payoffs on the win end, but huge overlays as well. I hit several winners at 10-1 odds or greater inside of two weeks. McKnight is a genius for horse betting. If you can crack his code in this book, you'll find the secrets you'll need at the track or at the satellite off-track.



3. Sure, McKnight takes his time getting to the secrets in this book, but it's worth it if you have the patience. The book is designed this way because McKnight feels you should earn his secrets of identifying winning horses, eliminating losing horses, and using sure-fire betting techniques. I used his system and in my limited experience as a horse better, I am still hitting with horses in the money at a 76% clip and my win percentage is 38% (over my last 100 races), which are not bad figures. With a greater understanding of horse betting and by not trying to bet as many races as possible, I think with McKnight's information I can improve my percentages even more. McKnight establishes a few different systems in this book for sprint races and routes and teaches you how to avoid races that are too difficult to figure out. He also includes a few stories about legendary horse bettors from the past. This is a great book, a quick two or three day read. The book deals primarily with the figures found in the Daily Racing Form, so get yourself a subscription to DRF online and save yourself a lot of money. The first day I used this book at Del Mar in California, I hit 8 out of 9 races. I was even hitting races I shouldn't have bet on. This book will not only find you decent payoffs on the win end, but huge overlays as well. I hit several winners at 10-1 odds or greater inside of two weeks. McKnight is a genius for horse betting. If you can crack his code in this book, you'll find the secrets you'll need at the track or at the satellite off-track.



4. Sure, McKnight takes his time getting to the secrets in this book, but it's worth it if you have the patience. The book is designed this way because McKnight feels you should earn his secrets of identifying winning horses, eliminating losing horses, and using sure-fire betting techniques. I used his system and in my limited experience as a horse better, I am still hitting with horses in the money at a 76% clip and my win percentage is 38% (over my last 100 races), which are not bad figures. With a greater understanding of horse betting and by not trying to bet as many races as possible, I think with McKnight's information I can improve my percentages even more. McKnight establishes a few different systems in this book for sprint races and routes and teaches you how to avoid races that are too difficult to figure out. He also includes a few stories about legendary horse bettors from the past. This is a great book, a quick two or three day read. The book deals primarily with the figures found in the Daily Racing Form, so get yourself a subscription to DRF online and save yourself a lot of money. The first day I used this book at Del Mar in California, I hit 8 out of 9 races. I was even hitting races I shouldn't have bet on. This book will not only find you decent payoffs on the win end, but huge overlays as well. I hit several winners at 10-1 odds or greater inside of two weeks. McKnight is a genius for horse betting. If you can crack his code in this book, you'll find the secrets you'll need at the track or at the satellite off-track.



5. First of all, I think the following review may be unfair to the author and this book. This book was written over 30 years ago, the time when I was still a baby! During this period of over 30 years, things have changed a lot regarding horse racing --- with the invention of VCR, the greatest tool in the history of horse handicapping, we can watch the replay easily to assess the performance of any horses in any races at any time; with the invention of Internet, we can now access to different information on horse racing easily; with the popularity of using PC, we can analyze data easily. These are only a few of the changes happended since 1960s. I also believe horse racing at that time was not as sophisticated as that nowadays.

   This book only teaches me methods regarding simple assessment on speed (comparison with par time), class (comparison among horses) and condition (comparison of recent performances among horses), with the use of numerous examples in early 1960s. I cannot tell whether these methods were sufficient at that time, but I am sure that these methods alone are not enough nowadays.

   I do not recommend you to read this book as the ideas presented in it are outdated. Anyway, let me finish this review by emphasizing that my review is not fair to the author and a book which was written over 30 years ago.