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
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... more
Walt Disney Studios is scheduled to release the still untitled movie based on the book in October... more
--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... more
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... more
Writer John Kendall travels to England to interview a racehorse trainer with something to hide-a secret that could threaten Kendall's life. less
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)
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. less
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,...
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,... more
"The best thriller writer going."
ATLANTIC MONTHLY less
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... more
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.
The feeling for horses, horse breeding and training, and horse racing is masterfully handled. Thrilling, highly recommended."--(starred) "School Library Journal. less
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... more
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.... less
On location in Newmarket, Thomas is troubled by the old man's secret. Seeking to understand this puzzling revelation, he uncovers a... more
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.
Twelve years pass, and Ben has since abandoned his dream of making a career on the racetrack. Like...
more"The best thriller writer going."
THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY less
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... more
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. less
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... more
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... more
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.
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. less
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... more
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... more
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.
But there's another reason for the stifling tension at Kauri House Stables: Josephine is being blackmailed for a hefty sum every... more
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... more
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.
This invaluable book on wagering includes a new preface by the author, focusing... more
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... more
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... more
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.
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... more
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... more
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... more
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... more
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.
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... more
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... more
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,... more
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... more
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.
... more
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.
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... more
Edgar Prado, a native of Peru and one of the world's top jockeys, rode Barbaro to glory and then stood... more
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... more
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... more
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.
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...
more“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... more
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... more
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... more
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...
moreDr. 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)
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.