Thoroughbred Books

Blind Switch is worth the read! A lively book with full blown interesting, and some despicable characters, this book kept me going. McEvoy makes the world of horse breeding and racing a seductive one and one I would like to visit again. He blends the good guys with the bad guys as the story weaves from Chicago to Kentucky and en route we watch the main character grow and ultimately flourish.
A fast and refreshing story!

Blind Switch is a great ride - lots of unusual and goofy characters - some are people you'd like to know, including Jack Doyle, the main character. He starts out in a "blind switch", essentially boxed in by life, though in part by his own doing. He evolves and revolves through the world of thoroughbred horse racing. You will too. Great suspense, life lessons, and peripheral romance. You'll hate the bad guys and enjoy the good guys, with lots of laughs. The Chicago references are fun for us Chicagoans. Ever wonder why horse racing is actually a clean sport? Because the FBI, the mob, and the industry itself need and want it to be. It's a great read! I didn't want it to end. I'm waiting for McEvoy's next move.

When Jack Doyle is downsized from his corporate Chicago job, a friend tells him he can make an easy $25,000 on a horse race. He accepts the job and the fix is totally successful but the FBI has an idea what he did even though they have no evidence to convict. The agents "convince" him to gather evidence that rich and powerful Harvey Rexroth is having his horses killed for the insurance money. One of Rexroth's employees, manager Aldous Bolger reports his suspicions to the FBI

Bolger agrees to help Jack get hired by Rexroth and Doyle but finds he likes and respects the man who loves the horses as if they were his own. The FBI believes the leader of the horse killing ring is former jockey Ronald Montvedt, a stone cold killer who will do anything for money. When Bolger catches him trying to kill a stallion, the ex-jockey maims Bolger. Doyle is now determined to take Montvedt and Rexroth down, no matter what methods he has to use.

Fans of books of the late Dick Francis will thoroughly enjoy BLIND SWITCH, a novel about horses and people who care for them. The protagonist undergoes a metamorphosis as he stays in contact with the beautiful animals and goes from being a shady character to a person who wants to see justice done. John McEvoy has a unique voice that will win him a place with many fans and BLIND SWITCH deserves to win an award for best new talent.

Harriet Klausner

I love books that deal with horses. I especially look forward to those which deal with horse racing. Add to that setting a hero with some serious defects in his character, an interesting scenario which puts him on the side of the angels, several villians whom you will love to hate, some people you will genuinely care about and a generous sprinkling of serious nut cases and you have a very readable, thoroughly enjoyable first novel by John McEvoy. I have read most of the writings of the late, great Dick Francis and in my judgment, references to his writings in comparison to this story is comparing apples to oranges. Both authors have an interesting way of telling their story, but there is little comparison to how they go about it. This is a story that will hold your interest, tickle your funny bone and satisfy your sense of justice. That's a trifecta worth betting on!!

I learned of this book title and author mentioned on the ASAP horse rescue website, and I'm very glad I did. A lot of careful thought goes into the decision to take on the lifelong commitment of adopting a rescued horse. This book brought up many easy to understand details I may not have considered properly before making a decision. Nothing speaks more clearly than experience. With all of the helpful references, it's a very useful and enjoyable read.

This book complies basic information and is layed out well and a good starter book.. One thing I was disappointed is that it didn't really outline how to start up a Horse rescue but then again it didn't state that it did- A overall nice book !

This book is a fantastic read for those interested in the practical side of rescuing horses. It describes the various conditions rescued horses may be suffering from and how to recognize them. I highly recommend this book to anyone who might even consider starting a horse rescue or rescuing a horse from a bad situation.

I found this book extremely informative and an enjoyable read. The author obviously writes from experience and with a desire to encourage responsible horse ownership. She offers helpful advice for first horse owners and outlines the issues involved when taking on a horse in distress. For those of us with soft hearts and a lack of good sense, when it comes to an animal is trouble, this is a handy and humorous guide that will help us do the most good where it is desprately needed.

This book has A very touching story. The author mixed in many different modes. He used some comic relief when needed. The book is very touching. This book can be read by anyone who loves horses. The photos speak for themselves.It can teach to see a whole different veiw of horses. That is why I gave it five stars

This book has A very touching story. The author mixed in many different modes. He used some comic relief when needed. The book is very touching. This book can be read by anyone who loves horses. The photos speak for themselves.It can teach to see a whole different veiw of horses. That is why I gave it five stars

This book touches the heart. If you love books this is a must. This will be one of the best books you can ever read

This book has A very touching story. The author mixed in many different modes. He used some comic relief when needed. The book is very touching. This book can be read by anyone who loves horses. The photos speak for themselves.It can teach to see a whole different veiw of horses. That is why I gave it five stars

THIS BOOK IS MOST ENJOYABLE READING, BUT EVEN MORE SO TO VIEW THOSE PAINTINGS BY REEVES SHOWING THESE GREAT RACE HORSES. AND THE STORIES BEHIEND HIS PAINTINGS.

"George Stubbs, a Briton was the 18th century's great painter of horses. In the 20th century it is Richard Stone Reeves (RSR), an American " - The New York Times.

Take a look at the prices for RSR's signed prints on one of the online auctions--Sports artist Leroy Neiman doesn't even come close! You could get a Secretariat bobble-head doll for less than half of what you would pay for an RSR print of the same horse.

As befits royalty, most of the oil paintings in this book show the Thoroughbred classically posed, head up, one leg slightly in advance of the other. Swaps is walking away from the viewer, and Damascus and Forego are in full flight in their respective paintings, but most of the subjects stand regally still--either because RSR doesn't like to work from photographs, or because that's what the owner commissioned.

Aside from some commentary on each painting and its subject by RSR, renowned 'Derbyologist' Jim Bolus (who unfortunately died of a heart attack in 1997) provides most of the text about the Thoroughbreds whose portraits are included in this book. They range from the incomparable Man o'War, Citation, Secretariat, and Ruffian (to mention a few) through the not-quite-so-famous Hansel, Fly So Free, and Tabasco Cat, who are still standing at stud. A few English and European Thoroughbreds are also added to the mix. Bolus narrates the history and some interesting anecdotes about each of these fifty beautiful race horses. There are also black-and-white photographs of each horse, a three-generation pedigree, and (more occasionally) a line drawing.

"Royal Blood" comes in a slip-case and Irish linen cover and would make a beautiful gift for your resident horse-lover (that's how I got mine). Hurry though--the price is bound to go up as it has for all of RSR's books.

Richard Stone Reeves is one of the best equine artists of all time with a career that has spanned five decades and hundreds of great horses. His beautiful portraits truly capture the indominable spirit of these champion runners.

Collected in this volume are portraits of many of the best horses he has painted in his long career. Many of these portraits hang in private collections and are reproduced for the first time in this book. Also included are sketches and photographs used in the process of creating the portraits and Mr. Reeves' own comments about the horses and people involved.

Although the gorgeous portraits would be enough to make you want this book, you also get complete historical profiles and pedigree information about each horse from the award winning turf writer Jim Bolus who passed away in May 1997. Considered by most to have been the foremost expert on the Kentucky Derby, Mr. Bolus' commentary provides an excellent addition to the artwork.

This book is a must-have for any racing fan and a valuable reference on the champions of the sport.

As always, Reeves' paintings and sketches of the finest Thoroughbreds are stunning. The background information and behind-the-scenes stories make this the perfect book for any Thoroughbred or racing enthusiast.

Sean Clancy's Saratoga Days is a must read for horse people, and anyone interested in the beauty and history of Saratoga Race Course and Saratoga Springs, New York. Sean takes the reader into the rewarding and unpredictable world of horse racing, as well as the magical town that is so difficult to describe. Sean does this extremely well. The book is truly insightful, realistic and an absolute pleasure to read. Sean, please document additional years.

Sean Clancy cites Red Smith as one of his literary heroes. Well, if writing were a horse race, Mr. Smith would have to look out. Sean Clancy's Saratoga Days is one of the most informative, engagingly written, literate, and absorbing books ever written on racing. Himself a steeplechase jockey, Clancy shows us the world of Saratoga as we've never before been shown in -- it's like having a private guided tour with a funny, humane, intelligent tour guide. There are stars here -- Beautiful Pleasure, More Than Ready, Lemon Drop Kid -- as well as names not known to the casual follower of racing -- Amarettitorun, Bourbon Belle, and of course, the great Succeed. Their stories are the fabric of Saratoga, and this book IS Saratoga in August.

If you want to get a sense of the place that is Saratoga, you need to read this book. You'll learn so much about the place and racing in general. As a porofessional jockey/journalist Sean writes with a perspective that most racing writers would kill for. This is my favorite book about racing since William Murray's THE WRONG HORSE.

Ever been to Saratoga? Well, even if you haven't, Sean Clancy's Saratoga Days will not only transport you there and give you a feel for the place, but it will also give you a guided tour from the perspective of a professional rider and writer.

The Saratoga Race Course meet may have ended Labor Day Weekend, but the spirit of the meet and the town lives on in the hearts of racing fans everywhere. Saratoga Days is the kind of book that can take you back to those magical August days at any time of the year. Read it after the meet to get that nostalgic feeling - then read it again come this spring to prepare yourself for next summer's adventures.

If you enjoy the intrigue of Sherlock Holmes, you are in for a real treat listening to David Davies vibrant and incredible rendition. Looking forward to future "readings" by D. Davies. You will too, once you've experience this exciting reading.

Dave Davies dramatic rendition of this Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes classic tale is well worth a listen. Dave's obvious talent for dramatic reading comes through beautifully and the production quality is excellent. Hopefully David will not stop with just this one but will continue right through the entire cannon. If you like listening to "a good read" Silver Blaze is highly recommended.

SILVER BLAZE is a great story by Arthur Conan Doyle and may have been considered one of his favorites. A brilliant horse which was a favorite with the racing public goes missing and the worse is feared. Where was the first favorite for the Wessex cup? Coupled with the beloved horse's unknown whereabouts was evidence of a drugged stable boy and a murdered trainer. What happened to the horse, how did the stable boy get drugged and who killed the trainer?

This is a great story and is delivered admirably. Holmes even shows humility in this story which is certainly not a quality that he was well known for. He says to Watson: "Because I made a blunder, my dear Watson - which is, I am afraid, a more common occurrence than anyone would think who only knew me through your memoirs."

This story also shows Holmes to have his own moral compass and has him playing a "Robin Hood" of sorts in determining who should be exonerated and given amnesty. We see Holmes has his own unique sense of right from wrong!

As Kyle Freeman wrote in his Introduction to Volume I of the Sherlock Holmes anthology, " The first in the series, "Silver Blaze," pleased Conan Doyle so much that he bet his wife a shilling she couldn't solve the mystery. The story has some of the most brilliant writing in the Holmes Canon, particularly what is probably
the most famous of all Holmes's deductions: "the curious incident of the dog in the night-time", which has come to be known by the prosaic phrase "the dog that didn't bark." In polls of various Holmes Societies around the world, it regularly rates as one of the top ten stories."

I recommend this story highly.

Rating: B+

Bentley/2008
Silver Blaze and Other Stories (Macmillan Reader)Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes (Large Print Edition): includes Silver Blaze The yellow face The stock-broker's clerk The "Gloria Scott" The Musgrave ritual ... The naval treaty The final problemCases Of Sherlock Holmes No. 12 Mar "The Adventure of Silver Blaze"Stories of Sherlock Holmes Silver Blaze (Swc 1240)Silver Blazes and Other Stories: Elementary Level (Heinemann Guided Readers)Sherlock Holmes : The Norwood Builder / Disappearance of Silver BlazeSherlock Holmes: Silver BlazeThe Return of Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 4 - The Devil's Foot / Silver Blaze / The Bruce Partington PlansSign of the Four & Silver Blaze; Sherlock Holmes Double FeatureThe Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

"To call this CD only a 'reading' of the classic Sherlock Holmes story of 'Silver Blaze' would be to devalue the beauty of this performance. Although you may have heard recordings of the Sherlock Holmes work read before with distance and haughty affectation, none of that is present in Mr. Davies storytelling performance. This CD features one man, many voices and a hefty portion of talent. This performance is fresh, approachable and inviting." -Storyteller.net Reviews

I have read all 17 books currently available in the Thoroughbred Legends series and have been telling myself to write a review of the Sunday Silence volume as I believe it is the best in the series. The recent passing of this unique horse has finally given me an incentive to write about it.

The Sunday Silence book is probably the longest of the books dealing with a single horse (the Affirmed and Alydar book is longer, but is that way because it deals with the lives of both horses). Author Ray Paulick has thoroghly researched the life of Sunday Silence and has used interviews to tell a great tale about a horse nobody wanted who went on to win two-thirds of the Triple Crown, including a victory in what is arguably the greatest race of all time, the 1989 Preakness, where he went nose-to-nose with his arch-rival Easy Goer in an exciting stretch duel.

Sunday Silence's rags to riches story is told alongside the story of his breeder, Arthur Hancock, who was passed over in the succession of his father at the great Claiborne Farms (his younger brother was chosen instead), but who went on to develop his own farm successfully. Also intertwined is the story of his jockey Pat Valenzuela, a talented jockey whose career was later stunted by substance abuse (he is making a comeback and doing well, I understand).

The book also tells of Sunday Silence's breeding career in Japan, where he became a superstar sire and a nation's hero. Reading this part of the book might let you understand why his Japanese owners elected not to euthanize Sunday Silence when he came down with laminitis in August 2002, letting nature eventually take him on her own. He was loved so much in Japan, they obviously didn't want to let him go.

Many of the Legends books were written by people who obviously didn't do much but look at old newspaper and horse racing trade articles to write their stoies. Paulick made an effort, with interviews, and it shows. I believe this is the only book he has written in the series, but I hope to see more from him in future books. There are still many great horses who haven't been written about (Secretariat, Kelso, Count Fleet) who could use the Paulick treatment.

Sunday Silence's story takes on a fairy-tale quality: the cow-hocked, sickly little black foal versus the royally-bred, strikingly beautiful bright chestnut Easy Goer, who became the darling of the Eastern press establishment. Easy Goer could do no wrong. Sunday Silence, racing out west, under the radar of the Eastern press, made no impression at all as a two-year-old.

While the paths of the now-three-year-old Sunday Silence and Easy Goer would not officially cross until the Kentucky Derby, ABC Sports telecast two of their derby prep races on April 8, 1989.

"Easy Goer was simply brilliant in his race, the Gotham Stakes from New York's Aqueduct racetrack....he [bounded] away from the field to win by thirteen lengths. His final time of 1:32 2/5 was just one-fifth of a second off the world record for a mile, set in 1968 by the great champion Dr. Fager."

Sunday Silence ran a good race, too, winning the Santa Anita Derby by eleven lengths and coming within three-fifths of a second of the stakes record set by Lucky Debonair in 1965.

Easy Goer's trainer, Shug McGaughey wasn't so much worried about the cow-hocked black's running style as he was about Sunday Silence's trainer: the ex-marine, hall-of-fame trainer, Charlie Wittingham, the Bald Eagle. "I sure wish somebody else besides Charlie Whittingham was training that horse," McGaughey said.

He was right to be worried. The Bald Eagle was a master at bringing a horse up to a classic race.

Easy Goer was the favorite to win both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, but Sunday Silence was all alone at the wire for the Derby. He went on to win the Preakness by a nose, and was finally made the favorite for the third race in the Triple Crown series: the Belmont. The bettors were wrong, again. Easy Goer was on his home track and he relished the mile-and-a-half distance, winning the Belmont by eight lengths. The two rivals would race together one more time in 1989 to determine who was going to be Horse of the Year.

Luckily, the Breeders' Cup races weren't held at Belmont that year, or things might have turned out differently. The Gulfstream track had relatively tight turns, favoring a nimble horse like Sunday Silence over the long-striding, slow-to-turn Easy Goer. Once again, Easy Goer was hammered down to 1-2 favoritism by the bettors (he was a beautiful horse). Once again, Sunday Silence outmaneuvered his rival on the track and won by a desperate neck.

Sunday Silence was voted Horse of the Year.

Both horses were expected to renew their rivalry as four-year-olds, but both sustained injuries and had to be retired to stud. Easy Goer was bedded down in the same stall at Claiborne where Secretariat had held court, and he attracted the cream of the regally bred mares. Unfortunately, he only produced four crops of foals before his premature death, with only three grade one winners among them.

On the other hand, no one was interested in breeding to a cow-hocked son of Halo, no matter how well he had run, so Arthur Hancock sold Sunday Silence to Zenya Yoshida of the Shadai Stables in Japan. Sunday Silence has been doing extremely well at stud in Japan, breeding champion after champion. This spring, a contingent of his yearlings sold for an average of more than $700,000 apiece in Australia.

Handsome is as handsome does, as my grandmother used to say.

Ray Paulick also tells the interesting story of how Arthur Hancock, who was written out of his father's will as owner of Claibourne Farm, picked himself back up and made his own Stone Farm an outstanding success.

Another story related to the success of Sunday Silence is that of his jockey Pat Valenzuela, a gifted athlete whose career was side-tracked on numerous occasions because of drugs. He is making what is hopefully his final comeback from drugs in 2002, and has already won a few stakes for the trainers who still put their trust in him.

Sunday Silence went on to Japan and became a leading sire of the horses in that country.

However, his record speaks for itself on the racetrack !

What makes a horse special and famous is who he ran against, which races he won, and how fast he went.

During the campaign of Sunday Silence, a superhorse was also being raced on the east coast named Easy Goer.

Easy Goer would have been a secretariat in his time if not for Sunday Silence.

Both horses ran on opposite coasts, and it helped foster the east/west rivalry that we see in some years but not many.

Coming into the Kentucky Derby, everyone was talking about Easy Goer. He was exceptionally well bred, and he was huge in stature. He has destroyed fields in NY and the east on his way to Kentucky.

Sunday Silence had done well in california, but no one really thought of him as a real threat.

Well we had a Derby and a Preakness go to Sunday Silence and it looked as if we would have a Triple Crown sweep by him.

The large striding Easy Goer came home to the Belmont Stakes and despite the crowd now favoring Sunday Silence, everyone in the know and the art of handicapping knew Belmont Park was Easy Goer's home field.

Turning for home, Easy Goer had extra gears to handle the distance and surface, and he opened up daylight turning for home. It was a hard defeat for Silence and his connections who (if you read the book) had a rivalry with the connections of Easy Goer.

Well lets say it was 2-1 in favor o Sunday Silence, but everyone who loved Easy Goer, and that was a large audience of people, felt that Goer had stamped himself the better of the two.

We had a showdown that year in the B.Cup Classic, and get the book to find out who won !

It was dark and raining, and not a single person left the track on that day. This book covers the story, enjoy it it was well done.

Best Regards to all, MC - TheStickRules.Com

A fine treatment of 1989 Triple Crown hopeful. This volume contains a good number of photos and is overall a classy looking book, as are all of the Thoroughbred Legends series. The text does a great job of covering the rivalry between Sunday Silence and Belmont Stakes spoiler Easy Goer.

If you are just starting out in this business, you should read this book. Preston Burch gives you a simple, direct and enlightening understanding of thoroughbred horses. This book may have been published almost 50 years ago but in every advancement man has made we constantly find ourselves going back to old knowledge and wisdom.

If every owner had a trainer like Preston Burch, there would be a lot more owners.

This is a cornerstone book for a racing library. There is a large amount of fundamental training information in this simply written little book.

The sections on conditioning schedules are invaluable. The degree of conditioning Burch afforded his horses is probably unmatched today.

Read this book, and then end it to your trainer (if he can read).

Impossible that present day horses would beat any horse trained by Preston Burch. Just read the exercise prescriptions in this book and be blown away. I certainly was. Here is carefully controlled training by a trainer understanding that his horses are participating in an athletic event. This is a book about conditioning equine athletes and also contains every other aspect of training and caring for thoroughbred race horses in a well written book by an individual who apparently understood the great care required. I held off reading this fearing it was dated, but what a pleasant surprise to find the extreme if succinct comprehensiveness here, every aspect is covered by a fellow who tried to do everything correctly. This is Ivers before Ivers, and one does wonder whatever happened to trainers like Max Hirsch and Preston Burch.

The author writes from legendary experience as a thoroughbred trainer. Of course with any knowledge presented it can not possibly include every little detail regarding the subject but certain it can only enhance the experience one can acquire as a trainer.

Be that as it may, my motive behind purchasing this material was not that of becoming a trainer, but rather to become an outstanding horseplayer. To me, the more a horseplayer can learn about the horses including important details about how thoroughbreds are trained, the better.

This book offers exactly the information desired about training. I truly recommend others reviewing this material and also let me know what you think about the information, perhaps we can dialogue about the sport of training thoroughbreds. All the best! --- Stanley Pall

I have been a fan of Thoroughbred racing since I was 4 years old in 1969, and have owned many fine reference books on the sport over the years. I used to have every single American Racing Manual from 1936 until 1994, then decided to sell them. I regretted it at the time, but now that I have the Abstract Primer of Thorougbred Racing, I dont regret selling the ARMS :) What a magnificent book. Very well written, great details and plenty of info makes me literally not want to put it down. A real GREAT read

The best that you can hope for in a book is that it will not only make you think, but keep you coming back for more. Richard Sowers' recent compendium, "The Abstract Primer of Thoroughbred Racing;Separating Myth From Fact to Identify the Genuine Gems & Dandies 1946-2003" has done this and so much more.
This 500-plus page labor of love seems a daunting task, but Sowers leaves the reader as satiated as a trip to a five-star restaurant, eagerly awaiting his or her return sojourn. In this case, it's as easy as going to your coffee table and perusing the table of contents or the appendix. Nuggets abound.
Also, how can you not identify with the heart of a person who dedicates his massive work to the memories of Ferdinand and Exceller, two champions who met untimely ends in lonely slaughterhouses across the world - and all our departed friends and heroes of the animal kingdom who have enriched our lives?
Sowers'effort is a marathon in terms of research, but the beauty for the reader is that he or she can take it a furlong at a time. The price is like paying for a claiming horse but getting a Classic winner. What a great way to spend the winter.
Paul R. Daley
Racing Writer, Lowell Sun Newspaper

The Abstract Primer Of Thoroughbred Racing: Separating Myth From Fact To Identify The Genuine Gems & Dandies 1946-2003 by thoroughbred racing expert and journalist Richard Soers is an immense reference of raw data to aid the reader in identifying the best race horses in almost every category. Only a small portion of The Abstract Primer Of Thoroughbred Racing is devoted to informative essays concerning such matters as significant trends in generations of breeding and racing. Most of The Abstract Primer Of Thoroughbred Racing presents pure information - equestrian ancestry trees, and staggering lists of race standings, victories, horses, and jockies. An index in back allows for quick and easy lookup of the performance of a particular steed or person. A must-have for any dedicated follower of races seeking to trace conclusions directly from solid information.

About the book- Ashleigh Griffen is excited that she gets to visit her cousin Kaitlin out west in the mountains of Nevada. She and Kait make plans about riding and Kaitlin's horse, a thoroughbred racer named Ranger. Ranger hasnt been training well at all, and his maiden race is coming up. Ashleigh makes the mistake of challenging Shelby, the rodeo queen, to any event she wants. Now Ashleigh must take on a new style of riding, and different western events. And to top it off, Ashleigh finds out her mare, Stardust, is pregnant with a foal by Edgardale's stallion, Royal Renegade.

My opinion: Great book! It was quite a change from the previous books. The only thing i dont like is the fact that Stardust is about 3 months along in this book, but in the next book she is near foaling (11 months). Ashleigh only stayed in Nevada for like 3 or 6 weeks (i forget which it was). So the time fram was off by a couple months.

This is a great book. I ride western, so it was a good change. I would love to see real, wild, mustangs. Ashleigh shouldn't of even thought about going home over Stardust's foal, when Stardust is barely pregnant. HORSE LOVERS- READ THIS BOOK!!!

When Ashleigh Griffen goes out west to Nevada to visit her cousins, she sees rodeos, competes in gymkhanas, and even sees wild mustangs. There are even small races out there, but her cousin's racehorse is not doing very well. She is devastated that her parents tell her that the colt won't be racing anymore, so Ashleigh tries to help. Will she be able to do it? You also find out in this book, that Ashleigh's mare is in foal!