100 Best Horse Racing Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best horse racing books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

Featuring recommendations from Mary King, Fabrice Grinda, Dr. Monali Y. Desai, and 3 other experts.
1

Seabiscuit

An American Legend

There's an alternate cover edition here

Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit’s fortunes:

Charles Howard was a onetime bicycle repairman who introduced the automobile...
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2

Secretariat

In 1973, Secretariat, the greatest champion in horse-racing history, won the Triple Crown. The only horse to ever grace the covers of "Time, Newsweek," and "Sports Illustrated" in the same week, he also still holds the records for the fastest times in both the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. He was also the only non-human chosen as one of ESPN's "50 Greatest Athletes of the Century." The tale of "Big Red" continues to be a classic, more than 30 years after its initial publication.
Walt Disney Studios is scheduled to release the still untitled movie based on the book in October...
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3
"For anybody who loves horses, and for all of those who are thrilled by horse racing and the behind-the-scenes drama of the track, The Horse That God Built is must reading."
--Michael Korda, author of Horse People

Most of us know the legend of Secretariat, the tall, handsome chestnut racehorse whose string of honors runs long and rich: the only two-year-old ever to win Horse of the Year, in 1972; winner in 1973 of the Triple Crown, his times in all three races still unsurpassed; featured on the cover of Time, Newsweek, and Sports...
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4

Ruffian

Burning From the Start

During two short seasons at the track, Ruffian was hailed as the greatest thoroughbred filly of all time. Unbeaten in her first ten starts, she shattered one record after another, dazzling crowds with both her beauty and her brilliant speed. Then tragedy struck on the afternoon of July 6, 1975. Ruffian broke down–on the lead–in the middle of a match race at Belmont Park. Later that night she had to be destroyed.

Ruffian: Burning from the Start is the story of this exceptional filly, a horse so dominating, so powerful, that writer Walter Farley once suggested she was more like the...
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5

Longshot

Jump in the saddle with a sure thing.

Writer John Kendall travels to England to interview a racehorse trainer with something to hide-a secret that could threaten Kendall's life.
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Recommended by Mary King, and 1 others.

Mary KingThey are all based on the racing world. Dick Francis was a former jockey. Every book I have read of his is very exciting. They always begin with something that captures you right from the start. In this book, the main character is a young author called John Kendall who has agreed to write the biography of a famous horse trainer. When he arrives at the trainer’s house, one of the riders has just... (Source)

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6
A classic guide to handicap strategies in the field of thoroughbred racing

 

Just as football evolved with the introduction of the forward pass and basketball with the development of the jump shot, so too was handicapping forever changed by the use of speed figures—and it all started with Andrew Beyer. With a foreword discussing the changes that have swept horse racing since the book's original publication in 1975, Picking Winners is essential reading both for serious horseplayers and curious amateurs.
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7
His trainer said that managing him was like holding a tiger by the tail. His owner compared him to "chain lightning." His jockeys found their lives transformed by him, in triumphant and distressing ways. All of them became caught in a battle for honesty.
Born in 1917, Man o' War grew from a rebellious youngster into perhaps the greatest racehorse of all time. He set such astonishing speed records that The New York Times called him a "Speed Miracle." Often he won with so much energy in reserve that experts wondered how much faster he could have gone. Over the years,...
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8
An award-winning writer chronicles the tragic story behind the downfall of horse racing's crown jewel.

Founded in 1924 by Chicago mogul William Monroe Wright, Calumet Farm was to the world of thoroughbred racing what the New York Yankees are to baseball -- a sports dynasty. The stable bred so many superstars that it became the standard by which all achievements were measured in the horse racing industry. But during the 1980s, a web of financial schemes left Calumet destitute.

Wild Ride is Ann Hagedorn Auerbach's investigation of the fast-track,...
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9

Nerve

Rob Finn was a bit of a misfit: a struggling young jockey in a family of accomplished musicians, a man in love with a beautiful woman who wouldn't have him -- he suddenly looked like a rider who had lost his nerve. Could it be, though, that the horses were unusually sluggish, and that there was something more sinister attempting to sabotage him...?
"The best thriller writer going."
ATLANTIC MONTHLY
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10

Come to Grief (Sid Halley, #3)

Sid Halley, ex-champion jockey turned investigator, is facing his toughest test.

A number of horses have been brutally mutilated, horrifying their owners and the general public. Even Sid's friend, broadcaster Ellis Quint, has been moved to make a shocking programme about it.

But when Sid is asked to look into the case, the evidence he uncovers points in a startling direction and he finds that his head must overrule his heart.

As friends and associates are angered by his discoveries, so Sid is drawn into a terrible web of conspiracy and intrigue. Escape will...
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11

Man O'War

An exciting, moving piece of fiction based on the facts about one of the greatest horses of all time.

The feeling for horses, horse breeding and training, and horse racing is masterfully handled. Thrilling, highly recommended."--(starred) "School Library Journal.
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12

Straight

A jockey becomes the sole inheritor of his late brother's business, horse, mistress, and enemies. less

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13

Break In (Kit Fielding, #1)

Steeplechase jockey Christmas "Kit" Fielding has had more than his share of close calls both on and off the course. But trouble hits close to home when a grudge between his family and his sister's in-laws turns into a blood feud. less

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14

Under Orders (Sid Halley, #4)

"Sadly, death at the races is not uncommon. However, three in a single afternoon was sufficiently unusual to raise more than one eyebrow."

It's the third death on Cheltenham Gold Cup Day that really troubles super-sleuth Sid Halley. Last seen in 1995's Come to Grief, former champion jockey Halley knows the perils of racing all too well-but in his day, jockeys didn't usually reach the finishing line with three .38 rounds in the chest. But this is precisely how he finds jockey Huw Walker-who, only a few hours earlier, had won the coveted Triumph Hurdle.

Just...
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15

Odds Against (Sid Halley, #1)

Former hotshot jockey Sid Halley landed a position with a detective agency, only to catch a bullet from some penny-ante thug. Now, he has to go up against a field of thoroughbred criminals--and the odds are against him that he'll even survive. less

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16

Reflex

Longtime jockey Philip Nore suspects that a racetrack photographer's fatal accident was really murder--and unravels some nasty secrets of corruption, blackmail, and murder. less

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17

Whip Hand (Sid Halley, #2)

"Challenging....First class."
THE BALTIMORE SUN
Sid Halley, once a jockey, was now a private invesigator with only one good hand left after a horse fell on the other. His new life, though, could never erase the haunting memories of his past glories. But it was only when the wife of one of England's top trainers came to beg his help in preventing foul play at the race track that Sid Halley began to know what being haunted really was....
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18

Hot Money

Malcolm Pembroke never expected to make a million pounds without making enemies. Nor did he expect his latest wife to be brutally murdered. All the clues suggest the killer comes from close to home - but after five marriages and nine children, that still leaves the field wide open. When he finds his own life in danger, Pembroke entrusts his safety to his estranged son, Ian, an amateur jockey; and through him discovers a compulsive new outlet for his financial expertise. Soon he's playing the international bloodstock market for incredible stakes. Not the safest bet for a man on the run from... more

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19

Blood Sport

English agent Gene Hawkins is restlessly facing three weeks of vacation with only his tormented past for company. So when his boss asks him to help millionaire Dave Teller locate a prized missing stallion, he accepts. But he gets more action than he bargained for when he draws the affection of his boss' beautiful teenage daughter, advances from Teller's socialite wife, and the deadly attention of the horse thieves, who would be happy to put Hawkins out to pasture...permanently. less

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20

Wild Horses

Once a blacksmith, now famous and respected as a newspaperman, Valentine Clark knows everyone who is anyone in the racing world. Aged, confused, blind and dying, he harbors a daunting secret that he is desperate to be rid of. he makes his last confession to his visiting film-director friend, Thomas Lyon, whom in his delirium he mistakes for a priest. Unburdened and at peace, Valentine passes away, yet his legacy remains, guarded by Thomas.

On location in Newmarket, Thomas is troubled by the old man's secret. Seeking to understand this puzzling revelation, he uncovers a...
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Don't have time to read the top Horse Racing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

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  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
21

10 lb Penalty

Benedict Juliard is an aspiring jockey who must bypass his dreams of horse racing to help his father, George, in his quest to enter the world of politics. At 18, the reserved Benedict is asked by his father to enter into a pact: Neither of the two will do anything that could somehow hinder or destroy George's blossoming political career. Young Benedict, who has no stronger ambition than to ride steeplechase as an amateur jockey, agrees to the pact, without possibly knowing what lies ahead.

Twelve years pass, and Ben has since abandoned his dream of making a career on the racetrack. Like...

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22

Dead Cert

As jockey Alan York looked at the back of Bill Davidson astride the great horse Admiral, one thing was different. Before his rival reached the last hurdle, he was dead. Alan knew racing was dangerous; he also knew Bill's death was no accident. It was the kind of knowledge that could get a man killled....
"The best thriller writer going."
THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY
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23

Bolt (Kit Fielding, #2)

Kit Fielding will do whatever it takes to stop the killing of racehorses. Not an easy task considering that the woman he adores is leaving him, an international arms dealer is threatening him, and Kit's nemesis has plans to knock him off the track—and plant him under it. less

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24
History was made at the 2015 Belmont Stakes when American Pharoah won the Triple Crown, the first since Affirmed in 1978. As magnificent as the champion is, the team behind him has been all too human while on the road to immortality.

Written by an award-winning New York Times sportswriter, American Pharoah is the definitive account not only of how the ethereal colt won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes, but how he changed lives. Through extensive interviews, Drape explores the making of an exceptional racehorse, chronicling key...
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25
Alec Ramsay is the sole human survivor of a devastating shipwreck. Trapped on a deserted island, Alec finds his only companion is a horse, beautiful, unbroken, and savage . . . a horse whose beauty matches his wild spirit.

This first classic story of the Black Stallion, full of action, excitement, and suspense, has set the pace for horse stories for sixty years . . . and continues to leave its rivals in the dust.
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26

Silks

“Julian Trent, you have been found guilty by this court of perpetrating a violent and unprovoked attack on an innocent family, including a charge of attempted murder. You have shown little or no remorse for your actions and I consider you a danger to society.”

When defense lawyer Geoffrey Mason hears the judge’s ruling at London’s Old Bailey, he quietly hopes that a substantial sentence will be handed down to his arrogant young client. That Julian Trent receives only eight years seems all too lenient. Little does Mason realize that he’ll be looking Trent in the eyes again much...
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27

Dick Francis's Gamble

Felix Francis co-wrote several horse racing mysteries with his late father Dick Francis before the legendary author passed away in 2010. Taking up the reins for his first solo effort, Felix delivers a captivating tale that franchise fans will thoroughly enjoy. Former jockey Nicholas “Foxy” Foxton is at the track one day when he witnesses the execution-style killing of his friend Herb Novak. Worried he might be next, Foxy wonders if there was a dark side to Herb he didn’t know about. less

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28

Funny Cide

They had no business being there. They were up against million-dollar horses owned by patricians, oilmen, Arab sheiks, and Hollywood producers. They were ten regular guys, and all they wanted was to win a race. Instead, they won the hearts of America.

In 2003, a three-year-old with the unlikely name of Funny Cide became "the people's horse," the unheralded New York-bred gelding who-in a time of war and economic jitters-inspired a nation by knocking off the champions and their millionaire owners and sweeping to the brink of the Triple Crown.

Trained by a journeyman who'd...
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29

Proof

Wine merchant Tony Beach has expertly catered his latest society soiree, but the fun's over when a team of hit men crash the party…literally. The event leaves Tony with a bitter aftertaste of suspicion—and sets off a mystery that's an intoxicating blend of deception, intrigue, and murder. less

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30

Twice Shy

A computerized horse-betting system falls into Jonathan Derry's hands--and unless he returns it to the rightful owners, the odds of his survival are slim to none. less

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  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
31

High Stakes

Steven Scott may have been a successful, wealthy inventor with no experience in horseracing, but with the inspired guidance of his trainer, Jody Leeds, and the prowess of a beautiful black hurdler named Energise, he has brought home several wins. But his winning streak is about to come to a fast end when he discovers trouble in his own stables—trouble that could bring about his own termination if he doesn’t watch his step… less

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32

The Edge

A high-class, transcontinental horse-racing junket should be an idyllic getaway for the super-rich.

But one passenger on this train is a sociopath, a genius at blackmail and criminal corruption—and he plans to take everyone for everything they've got.
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33

For Kicks

Daniel Roke, Australian who established a stud farm to raise orphaned siblings, accepts undercover stable lad job from the Earl of October, investigating steeplechase doping in England. At least ten horses win adrenalin-high stimulated, but regular lab tests show nothing. Gorgeous October daughters distract, detract, and fatally endanger. Tension builds into an explosive fight to the death. less

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34

Thoroughbred Champions

Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century

Follows The Blood-Horse's Top 100 list, beginning with Man o' War in the No. 1 spot and ending with Blue Larkspur at No. 100. less

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35

Enquiry

36

Forfeit

When reporter Bert Checkov falls to his death, his colleague James Tyrone thinks he can prove it was murder. But there's no such thing as a sure thing. less

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37

Dick Francis's Damage

Felix Francis is back with another edge-of-your-seat thriller, in the classic Dick Francis tradition.
 
Undercover investigator Jeff Hinkley is assigned by the British Horseracing Authority to look into the activities of a suspicious racehorse trainer, but as he’s tailing his quarry through the Cheltenham Racing Festival, the last thing he expects to witness is a gruesome murder. Could it have something to do with the reason the trainer was banned in the first place—the administration of illegal drugs to his horses?

Then many more horses test positive for...
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38

Even Money

Ned Talbot is a small-time bookmaker on the edge of giving it all up when his world is turned upside down by a man who claims to be his father, long thought dead. And when the mysterious stranger is murdered, Ned feels compelled to find out exactly what is going on. But the more he discovers, the longer the odds become for his survival. less

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39
How to enjoy a day at the races-and bet to win!
The last two years have seen a record number of Americans tune in for climatic Triple Crown races featuring Smarty Jones and Funny Cide; in 2004, television viewership jumped a whopping 61 percent over the record set in 2003, and the Belmont Stakes race itself drew a record crowd of more than 120,000! This easy-to-understand guide shows first-time visitors to the track how to enjoy the sport of horse racing-and make smart bets. It explains what goes on at the track, what to look for in horses and jockeys, how to read a racing form and do...
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40
Presents the story of how the Chenerey family came to breed and race Secretariat along with the history of the family and the land in which they bred racehorses. less

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  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
41

To the Hilt

From the acclaimed master of mystery and suspense comes the story of a self-imposed outcast who must refresh his detection skills in order to save himself and his family. less

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42

In the Frame

Charles Todd—a renowned painter of horses—is shocked when he turns up at his cousin Donald’s house for a weekend visit to find his cousin’s young wife dead on the floor—and Donald the police’s prime suspect. Determined to prove Donald’s innocence, Todd trails a set of clues from England to Australia to New Zealand, only to realize that someone is trailing him. Someone with every intention of taking him out of the picture for good… less

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43

Decider

Architect Lee Morris inherits a partial ownership in the Stratton Park racecourse--and with it, a dangerous position among the warring upper-class family trying to settle its fate. Morris would like to see the course restored to its former grandeur, but the various Stratton heirs have plans of their own. When an explosion rocks the grandstands, the disagreement turns violent--and Morris finds himself in a race to save himself and his family from an unknown culprit... less

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44

Risk

When he wakes in a pitch-black room with his hands bound, Roland Britten—accountant and champion steeplechase jockey—knows he’s entered a nightmare of someone else’s making. Wracking his brain to figure out who’s out to get him and why, he comes up empty, but somehow manages a death-defying escape. It isn’t long, though, before he’s recaptured. Now, with his life at stake, he must take every risk to outsmart his well-disguised enemy and save himself... less

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45

Rat Race

Hired to fly four racing buffs to the track, pilot Matt Shore expects it will be the kind of job he likes: quick and easy. Until, that is, he’s forced to make an emergency landing just minutes before the plane explodes. Luckily, no one is hurt, but it isn’t long before Matt realizes that he’s caught up in the rat race of violent criminals who are dead-set on putting anyone who stands in their way on the wrong side of the odds… less

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46

Comeback

With his 30th novel, Dick Francis proves without a doubt that he is one of the superstars among mystery-thriller writers.--Los Angeles Times Book Review. A globe-hopping diplomat comes face to face with a case of fatal corruption in Francis's new thoroughbred thriller. less

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47

Crossfire

Shell-shocked and missing a foot-lost to an IED during his tour of duty in Afghanistan-Captain Tom Forsyth has been sent "home" by the army and, at loose ends, returns to his estranged mother's house for the first time since he joined up at seventeen. But Josephine Kauri, the "first lady of British racing," has always put the horses she trains first and her family last. Tom soon finds himself strained to the breaking point with his mother and stepfather.

But there's another reason for the stifling tension at Kauri House Stables: Josephine is being blackmailed for a hefty sum every...
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48
The Greatest Gambling Story Ever Told is an inspiring personal narrative about a filly who broke through the male-dominated world of horseracing and inspired crowds of men and women alike, along with a trio of gamblers who embark on an unforgettable adventure that's as epic as the history victory of Winning Colors. It's Seabiscuit meets Narcos, and the best true-life gambling story ever told.

In the late 1980s, a spectacular three-year-old female racehorse named Winning Colors was being groomed for success under her famous "Hollywood" trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, and the billionaire...
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49
In the early 1950s, a rising star flickered across millions of black-and-white TV sets. Nicknamed "The Grey Ghost, " Native Dancer was a blue-blood thoroughbred with a taste for drama, courtesy of his come-from-behind running style, and impressive credits: He finished first in 21 of his 22 career starts, his only loss by a nose in the 1953 Kentucky Derby; was named Horse of the Year--twice; and was inducted into the National Museum of Racing's Hall of Fame. His popularity was so great, Time(R) magazine put him on its cover, and TV Guide named him one of America's top three TV stars, along... more

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50

Flying Finish

Much to his snobbish family's horror, Henry Grey takes on the dirty and demanding job of transporting racehorses by air. And when he discovers that he is transporting something altogether different, he has to fight to land with his life intact. less

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  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
51

Banker

A classic mystery from Dick Francis, the champion of English storytellers. Tim Ekaterin has a lot of money. Unfortunately, it is other people's, and it is his job to invest it wisely, or get fired. And right now he's taken a big risk: using £5 million to stud a champion racing stallion. When the resulting foals have birth defects, Tim is worried and decides that there may be something else going on at the stables. His suspicions are confirmed when one of those helping with the horses is murdered. Now it's not just about money, but about life and death. Determined to get to the bottom of why... more

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52
No serious horseplayer should be without Beyer on Speed, the third jewel in Andrew Beyer's literary triple crown. Beyer shows the handicapper how to make his Beyer Speed Figures the focal point of a wagering strategy for pursuing spectacular profits by relating speed figures to pace, track bias, and track conditions. He helps bettors utilize new opportunities for picking winners, such as video replays and a successfully structured multirace ticket, whether betting online, on the phone, or at the track.

This invaluable book on wagering includes a new preface by the author, focusing...
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53
Dick Francis’s beloved investigator Sid Halley returns in the riveting new mystery by New York Times–bestselling author Felix Francis.

Six years ago, investigator Sid Halley retired for good. He’d been harassed, beaten, shot, even lost a hand to his investigating business, and enough was enough. For the sake of his wife and new daughter he gave up that life of danger and uncertainty, and he thought nothing would ever lure him back into the game.

He thought wrong. Sir Richard Stewart, chairman of the racing authority, begs Sid to investigate a series of dodgy...
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54

The Scorpio Races

It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is...
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55

Bonecrack

In the middle of the night, two masked men break into Neil Griffon’s home and abduct him. He quickly discovers that unless he agrees to their unreasonable demands, they will destroy his father’s precious horses and racing stable—and, ultimately, Neil himself. Returned to his father’s stables, he must find a way to bring down these criminals. Because having to choose between his integrity and his life is no choice at all… less

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56
In The Winning Horseplayer, Andrew Beyer builds on the strategy of speed handicapping that he detailed brilliantly in Picking Winners by introducing the concept of trip handicapping. Through an unbeatable combination of case studies and lively anecdotes, Beyer shows the smart bettor how to combine past performance data with an understanding of trips, track bias, and pace. This advanced guide to handicapping, which includes a new preface by the author, offers a generous dose of the wit and wisdom that have made Beyer a legend in the sport. less

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57

Driving Force

The New York Times bestseller. Transporting racehorses is big business for ex-jockey Freddie Croft. But when one of his drivers breaks a cardinal rule--never pick up a hitchhiker--the results are fatal. Now strange nighttime stalkers and unseen conspirators are weaving a web of deceit and danger that Freddie might never escape. less

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58

Secretariat

Accompanied by stunning photographs, here is the behind-the-scenes story of Secretariat--Horse of the Century. A coin toss determined ownership of the yet unborn foal that was to become the first Triple Crown winner in twenty-five years, breaking and still holding all three track records. The author, who was on personal terms with Secretariat's owner, trainers, grooms, and jockey and who photographed "Big Red" throughout his career, gives us this enthralling intimate portrait - the triumphs and disasters - of Secretariat's gallop to immortality. Secretariat was the best-known and most beloved... more

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59

Shattered

After his friend is killed in a horse-racing accident, up-and-coming glass artisan Gerard Logan finds himself embroiled in a deadly search for a stolen videotape--a videotape that just might destroy his own life. less

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60

Smokescreen

Edward Lincoln is a worldwide celebrity who plays detectives on the big screen. But when his godmother asks him to investigate her racehorses in South Africa, he's out of his depth. Soon enough, he's plunged into a plot of gold, greed, and gilded lives that forces him to uncover a killer and give a bravura performance he'll never give again.... less

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Don't have time to read the top Horse Racing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
61

The Danger

Kidnapping is Andrew Douglas's business: they take them, he finds them. But it isn't so simple when Alessia Cenci, golden-girl jockey, disappears, followed by the young child of a derby winner and the senior steward of the Jockey Club. From Italy to England to Washington, D.C., Andrew's caseload is suddenly, violently overflowing. And he must fight triply hard to keep his own name off the growing list of victims. . . . less

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62

Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments

Some of horse racing's most respected authorities looked at feats of greatness, world records, legendary rivalries, and innovations to rank the sport's top 100 moments. They weighed individual accomplishments against industry initiatives, innovations against lucky breaks to come up with the definitive list. They pondered Secretariat's 31-length Belmont Stakes victory, Smarty Jones' elusive Triple Crown, the creation of the Breeders' Cup, and advancements in equine surgery. Racing's top 100 list will generate debate for years to come, just as did the ranking of Man o' War over Secretariat as... more

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63
In the bestselling tradition of the The Eighty-Dollar Champion, the propulsive, inspiring Cinderella story of Stymie, an unwanted Thoroughbred, and Hirsch Jacobs, the once dirt-poor trainer who bought the colt on the cheap and molded him into the most popular horse of his time and the richest racehorse the world had ever seen.

In the wake of World War II, as turmoil and chaos were giving way to a spirit of optimism, Americans were looking for inspiration and role models showing that it was possible to start from the bottom and work your way up to the top-and...
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64
A hundred years ago, the most famous athlete in America was a horse. But Dan Patch was more than a sports star; he was a cultural icon in the days before the automobile. Born crippled and unable to stand, he was nearly euthanized. For a while, he pulled the grocer's wagon in his hometown of Oxford, Indiana. But when he was entered in a race at the county fair, he won -- and he kept on winning. Harness racing was the top sport in America at the time, and Dan, a pacer, set the world record for the mile. He eventually lowered the mark by four seconds, an unheard-of achievement that would not be... more

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65

Knockdown

For a generous commission, ex-prize-winning jockey Jonah Dereham reluctantly agrees to bid on a young steeplechaser on behalf of a wealthy American woman. But his life is thrust into danger immediately following the auction, when he receives a blow to the head by two thugs demanding ownership of the horse. Unfortunately, that’s just the beginning—and now Jonah must figure out the high-stakes game being played…before he becomes its next casualty. less

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66

Stud

Adventures in Breeding

The most expensive thirty seconds in sports.

Every year, on Valentine's Day, the great Thoroughbred farms open their breeding sheds and begin their primary business. For the next one hundred and fifty days, the cries of stallions and the vigorous encouragement of their handlers echo through breeding country, from the gentle hills of Kentucky to the rich valleys of California.

First appearing as an article in The New Yorker, Stud takes you into this strange and seductive world. We move from Lexington's Overbrook Farm, where the world's leading sire, Storm Cat, a...
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68

King of the Wind

The Story of the Godolphin Arabian

He was named "Sham" for the sun, this golden red stallion born in the Sultan of Morocco's stone stables. Upon his heel was a small white spot, the symbol of speed. But on his chest was the symbol of misfortune.

Although he was as swift as the desert winds, Sham's proud pedigree would be scorned all his life by cruel masters and owners.

This is the classic story of Sham and his friend, the stable boy Agba. Their adventures take them from the sands of the Sahara to the royal courts of France and, finally, to the green pastures and stately homes of England.

For...
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70

Front Runner

Jefferson Hinkley is back in the newest Dick Francis thriller by the New York Times–bestselling author of Damage.
 
In his role as an undercover investigator for the British Horseracing Authority, Jeff Hinkley is approached by a multi-time champion jockey to discuss the delicate matter of losing races on purpose. Little does he know that the call will set off a lethal chain of events, including the apparent suicide of the jockey and an attempt on Hinkley’s own life. Never one to leave suspicious events alone, Hinkley begins investigating the jockey and the races...
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71
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Eighty-Dollar Champion, the remarkable true story of the valiant rescue of priceless pedigree horses in the last days of World War II.

As the Russians closed in on Hitler from the east and the Allies attacked from the west, American soldiers discovered a secret Nazi effort to engineer a master race of the finest purebred horses. With the support of U.S. general George S. Patton, a passionate equestrian, the Americans planned an audacious mission to kidnap these beautiful animals and smuggle them into safe territory—assisted by a...
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72
Ashleigh's determined to make her dreams come true . . .

In her second year of racing, Wonder, the Thoroughbred filly Ashleigh Griffen has helped raise, is the star of Townsend Acres Stables - until the worst happens.

Just as Wonder is about to start training for the important Breeder's Cup race, Jilly, Wonder's regular jockey, is injured and can't ride. Wonder doesn't like any other jockey, and she won't perform.

Only one person can ride Wonder now, and that's Ashleigh. She's never ridden in a race, but she's Townsend Acres' only hope. Can Ashleigh's...
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73

Horse Heaven

"It's not true," says a character in Jane Smiley's funny, passionate, and brilliant new novel of horse racing, "that anything can happen at the racetrack," but many astonishing and affecting things do—and in Horse Heaven, we find them woven into a marvelous tapestry of joy and love, chicanery, folly, greed, and derring-do.

Haunting, exquisite Rosalind Maybrick, wife of a billionaire owner, one day can't quite decide what it is she wants, and discovers too late that her whole life is transformed . . . Twenty-year-old Tiffany Morse, stuck in her job at Wal-Mart, prays,...
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75

Sunday Silence

Sunday Silence was like a scrappy kid from the other side of the tracks who wouldn't go down without a fight. less

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76

Trial Run

Veteran horseman Randall Drew travels to Moscow to help the Russian royal family--but ends up caught in a world of jealousy, sabotage, and murder. less

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77
Noted turf authority Edward L. Bowen takes a definitive look at a select group of top American broodmares and their descendants. Among the mares profiled in this volume are the great La Troienne, Rough Shod II, Myrtlewood, Blue Delight, Grey Flight, and Missy Baba, who is the ancestor of both 1999 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Charismatic and 1999 Belmont Stakes winner Lemon Drop Kid. Includes 32 pages of photographs plus detailed pedigrees and female lines of the featured mares. less

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78
A SWEEPING EPIC OF ANCIENT ROME FROM THE #1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE THORN BIRDSWith her renowned storytelling gifts in full force, Colleen McCullough delivers a breathtaking novel that is both grand in scope and vivid in detail -- and proves once again why she is the top historical novelist of our time.

In the last days of the Roman Republic, Gaius Julius Caesar is both adored and despised -- but his rule is unshakable. Forced by civil war to leave his beguiling mistress Cleopatra, Caesar turns his eye to the future: who is to inherit the throne of Roman power? But in the shadows...
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79
Ashleigh Griffen swore she'd never give her heart to another horse - not after a terrible disease wiped out her family's breeding farm, along with Ashleigh's favorite mare, Stardust. less

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80
A gripping look at the great duel between Affirmed, the last horse to win the Triple Crown—comprised of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes—and his archrival, Alydar.

From the moment they first galloped head-to-head in Saratoga Springs, the two chestnut colts showed they were the stuff of racing legend. Alydar, all muscle with a fearsome closing kick, was already the popular favorite to win the Kentucky Derby. Affirmed, deceptively laid-back streamlined elegance, was powered forward by his steely determination not to settle for second place.

...
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81

Dead Heat

Max Moreton is a rising culinary star and his Newmarket restaurant, The Hay Net, has brought acclaim. But two disasters fall. Food poisoning fells banquet attendees, and a bomb explodes the private boxes at a race, killing guests and employees. less

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82

Ruffian

A Race Track Romance

On July 6, 1975, a 3-year-old filly named Ruffian was loaded into the starting gate at Belmont Park for a televised match race against Kentucky Derby winner colt Foolish Pleasure. Since winning her first race a little more than a year earlier, the unbeaten, unflappable Ruffian had literally raced her way into the hearts of a nation. One of those hearts belonged to Newsday turf reporter William Nack.As a boy in Illinois, Nack had carried in his pocket a trading card of his hero, Swaps, the winner of the 1955 Kentucky Derby. As a young soldier in Vietnam, Nack tuned out the midnight... more

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83
What does it take to win the Kentucky Derby? The breeder of the 2001 Derby winner shows us that while a fast horse is necessary, a sense of humour and a boundless capacity for absurdity and humiliation are absolutely essential. less

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84
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
 
Harry de Leyer first saw the horse he would name Snowman on a truck bound for the slaughterhouse. The recent Dutch immigrant recognized the spark in the eye of the beaten-up nag and bought him for eighty dollars. On Harry’s modest farm on Long Island, he ultimately taught Snowman how to fly. Here is the dramatic and inspiring rise to stardom of an unlikely duo. One show at a time, against extraordinary odds and some of the most expensive thoroughbreds alive, the pair climbed to the very top of the sport of show jumping. Their story...
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85

Slay Ride

When a champion jockey disappears--right before a big race and the birth of his child--Investigator David Cleveland bets on foul play. less

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86
A new superstar appeared on the American sports landscape in the spring of 2006: Barbaro, a three-year-old racehorse, won the Kentucky Derby by six and a half lengths, the largest margin of victory in sixty years. Barbaro's impressive performance immediately stirred talk of a possible Triple Crown. But in the opening yards of the Preakness Stakes two weeks later, the horse suffered a catastrophic leg injury that ended his undefeated career and left him fighting for his life.

Edgar Prado, a native of Peru and one of the world's top jockeys, rode Barbaro to glory and then stood...
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87
Is this good-bye?When Samantha McLean hears that her beloved horse, Wonder's Pride, is about to be sold by the owner of the farm where Samantha lives, she thinks her heart will break. But Samantha knows she has to be strong if she's going to save Wonder's Pride from the auction block.

The more Samantha finds out, the more hopeless the situation seems. It's not just Wonder's Pride, but all of the Townsend Acres breeding farm that's in danger of destruction.

Time is growing desperately short when Samantha turns to her friend Ashleigh Griffen, a legend in the Townsend Acres...
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88
The great myth of horse racing is that the game is the regal and royal Sport of Kings. It isn't. Not by a long shot. Anyone who doubts this need look no further than Suffolk Downs, a once-proud racecourse graced in its glory years by boisterous throngs and champions such as Seabiscuit. Now the blue-collar East Boston track is one of many that have fallen on hard times. These days "Sufferin' Downs" is where grizzled Thoroughbreds come to end their careers, hopeful young jockeys aspire against daunting odds to begin them, and diehard fans cheer, curse and gamble on the entire fascinating... more

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89

Cigar

America's Horse

The fascinating story of the most talked about Thoroughbred since Secretariat. Chronicled from birth through an illustrious racing career to his subsequent retirement at The Kentucky Horse Park. Winner of publishing's Benjamin Franklin Award! less

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90
Will Pride's winning streak ruin him?

Wonder's Pride, the three-year-old colt of champion mare Wonder, is the newest star in Thoroughbred racing and the favorite for the biggest race of them all - the Kentucky Derby. But when Pride wins the Derby, it looks as if victory could be the worst thing that ever happened to him!
Pride's owner, Clay Townsend, wants to race Pride in the strenuous three-race Triple Crown. But Pride's jockey, Ashleigh Griffen, and Ashleigh's friend Samantha McLean, who have watched Pride grow up, both believe that Wonder's Pride will suffer permanent...
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91
Can Samantha ride Fleet Goddess to victory?

When Ashleigh's horse, Wonder, gives birth to a beautiful foal, Ashleigh is thrilled. She's raising Wonder's colt, racing as an apprentice jockey, and she's even looking out for young Samantha McLean. Samantha moved to Townsend Acres with her father after her mother died in a riding accident. When Ashleigh buys a filly named Fleet Goddess, Samantha helps train the horse.

Samantha loves horses, but since her mother's death, her father has forbidden her to ride. Then Ashleigh is injured, and Fleet Goddess can't train. Samantha is desperate to...

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92

Second Wind

When his plane goes down during a hurricane, weatherman Perry Stuart is stranded on a desolate Caribbean island. And what he sees there gives him zero chance of survival. less

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93

Dr. Fager

Thoroughbred Legends

One of the most versatile and talented racehorses of modern times. 1968's Horse of the Year, champion handicap horse, champion sprinter, and co-champion grass horse. First and only horse ever to win four titles in a single year. He remains one of the most popular racehorses of the modern era. less

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94

The Man Who Listens to Horses

Monty Roberts is a real-life horse whisperer -- an American original whose gentle training methods reveal the depth of communication possible between man and animal. He can take a wild, high-strung horse who has never before been handled and persuade that horse to accept a bridle, saddle, and rider in 30 minutes. His powers may seem like magic, but his amazing 'horse sense' is based on a lifetime of experience. Roberts started riding at the age of two, and at the age of 13 he went alone into the high deserts of Nevada to study mustangs in the wild. What he learned there changed his life... more

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95
Now in paperback, John Henry continues to entertain horse racing and sports fans with its true rags to riches tale. A plain brown, small, bad-tempered animal, John Henry was the horse no one wanted until he was purchased sight unseen for $25,000 by Sam Rubin, a man who knew nothing about horses, except which end bit and which end kicked. Entrusted to California-based trainer Ron McAnally, John Henry blossomed into a star. Named Horse of the Year in 1981 as a six years old - an age when most racehorses are enjoying retirement - John Henry continued to race at the top level of the sport through... more

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96

Dynasties; Great Thoroughbred Stallions

Examines how the modern American Thoroughbred has evolved primarily through the influence of 26 noteworthy stallions. Also covers the people who bred or owned these horses, intertwining their stories with those of their horses. These stallions helped America become the source of the world's best racehorses. less

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97
Here renowned trainer Mark Rashid introduces us to his revolutionary method for training horses. His sensitive, thoughtful approach emphasizes the importance of balance, and has led some to refer to him as a real-life horse whisperer.

“It has always been my contention that working with horses is, or at least should be, a delicate balancing act between finding how much or how little direction it will take to help the horse we are working with understand whatever it is we are trying to teach. Too little direction and our efforts might become ineffective. Too much direction and...
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98
In Beyond the Homestretch, Lynn Reardon shares an unlikely story. In 2002, she quit her Washington DC–area office job and moved to rural Texas to open the racehorse adoption ranch LOPE (LoneStar Outreach to Place Ex-Racers).

Since then, LOPE has helped transition more than 725 thoroughbreds into new homes. Though now the director of this high-profile organization, Reardon didn’t learn to ride until she was an adult. Here she presents a vivid inside look into the world of horse racing, complete with colorful horses, jockeys, trainers, and gallop girls, depicting the insights...
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99
The highest stakes of all . . .

Wonder's Pride is ready to race again. Samantha McLean, the colt's groom, and Ashleigh Griffen, his jockey, are thrilled that he has recovered so well from an injury. But not everyone wants Pride back at the racetrack. Brad Townsend, Pride's owner's son, and his wife, Lavinia, want Pride out of the way so their own horse can reach the winner's circle. When the horses are pitted against each other in a big stakes race, Samantha knows Lavinia will stop at nothing to make Pride lose. With Ashleigh busy planning her wedding, it's up to Samantha alone to...
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100

In this completely revised and updated version of Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s EAT TO LIVE: THE AMAZING NUTRIENT RICH PROGRAM FOR FAST AND SUSTAINED WEIGHT LOSS, Dr. Fuhrman offers his healthy, effective and scientifically proven plan for shedding radical amounts of weight quickly and keeping it off.

The EAT TO LIVE vook offers even more insight from Dr. Fuhrman with 13 videos in which he works with patients on losing weight and improving their lives by reversing disease and adopting healthier eating habits. Dr. Fuhrman takes us into his own kitchen to prepare his favorite high-nutrient foods...

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Recommended by Dr. Monali Y. Desai, and 1 others.

Dr. Monali Y. DesaiI get most of my information about nutrition from medical studies. I haven’t read any books about nutrition that I agree with 100%. These are a few nutrition related books that I’ve read recently that I thought were interesting: Eat to Live (Joel Fuhrman), Why We Get Fat (Gary Taubes), and The 4-Hour Body (Tim Ferris). (Source)

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