Kevin Chong has grand plans. He draws up a to-do list of major milestones that will give him the life he always wanted—and the life that will inspire awe and envy in his friends. Things like settling down and starting a family; learning a foreign language; getting a tattoo. But these grand plans go out the window when Chong makes an unconventional decision: he's going to buy a racehorse. Not the whole thing—he'll become part—owner of the horse. Just don't ask him which part. Thus Chong meets Blackie, the racehorse that will win his heart, even if she doesn't always win on the track. He meets Randi, the cantankerous and foul-mouthed horse trainer with a heart of gold. He meets an assorted array of characters who work, live and drink at the track—and, one by one, the items on his to-do list are crossed out and replaced with horse-related ambitions. His goals are a bit more humble (cussing like a track worker replaces learning a foreign language), but his life has gained new meaning. The story is infused with the noise, excitement and faded glamour of the horse-racing world. It is strewn with fascinating tidbits about the history and tradition of this

Now Dad has got a mohawk -It must be two feet tall!It's scraping on the ceiling!Oh, I don't like this at all.Dad usually looks fairly sensible, so it's a bit surprising when he starts appearing with outlandish new hairstyles! Then things get weirder when he turns up in odd and eccentric clothes! Why can this be? Has he gone mad? No, it's a fancy dress party!

“Brooks’ chronological and cross-disciplinary leaps are thrilling.” —The New York Times Book Review “Horse isn’t just an animal story—it’s a moving narrative about race and art.” —TIME “A thrilling story about humanity in all its ugliness and beauty . . . the evocative voices create a story so powerful, reading it feels like watching a neck-and-neck horse race, galloping to its conclusion—you just can’t look away.” —Oprah Daily Winner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award · Finalist for the Chautauqua Prize · A Massachusetts Book Award Honor Book A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union. On a perilous night, he reunites with the stallion and his groom, very far from the glamor of any racetrack. New York City, 1954. Martha Jackson, a gallery owner celebrated for taking risks on edgy contemporary painters, becomes obsessed with a nineteenth-century equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance. Washington, DC, 2019. Jess, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia, and Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse—one studying the stallion’s bones for clues to his power and endurance, the other uncovering the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success. Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism.

The third book in Clare Balding's brilliant series! Noble Warrior has certainly earned his name: he won the Derby against all odds and bested a bunch of nasty kidnappers. But now Noddy is facing his greatest challenge yet . . . Charlie's best friend Polly is still recovering from an accident that left her almost paralysed. But Polly has a real talent with horses - and she and Charlie are determined not to let it go to waste. Can the two best friends find a way to make Polly's equestrian dreams come true, and forge a new path for the racehorse who wouldn't gallop?

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jane Smiley draws upon her first-hand knowledge to examine the horse on all levels - practical, theoretical and emotional. Drawing on the wisdom of trainers, vets, jockeys and a real-life horse whisperer, Smiley adds an element of drama and suspense as two of her own horses begin their careers at the racetrack. As the horses get closer to the winner's circle, we are enchanted, enthralled and informed about what it's really like to own, train and root for a racehorse.

Charlie Bass is a horse-mad ten-year-old who dreams of owning her own pony. So when she accidentally manages to buy a racehorse, Charlie is thrilled. The horse she buys, Noble Warrior, looks the part: strong, fit and healthy. There's just one problem - he won't gallop. In fact, he won't even leave his stable without his best friend, a naughty palomino pony called Percy. Charlie is convinced that Noble Warrior has what it takes to be a champion. But can she prove it? Derby Day is fast approaching and only a win can save the family farm from being repossessed. The stakes couldn't be higher for the Basses. Can Charlie turn her chaotic family into a top training team? Can Noble Warrior overcome his nerves? Will Percy the pony ever stop farting? Find out in this classic, funny animal story, perfect for fans of Dick King-Smith and Gerald Durrell.

A Harvard dropout’s memoir of playing the horses—a great read for handicappers or those who enjoyed Ben Mezrich’s Bringing Down the House. In 1977, before he was known as the creator of “The Beyer Speed Figure,” Andrew Beyer set out on a gambling odyssey, determined to prove himself as a horseplayer. He would marshal all his handicapping skills for assaults on four racetracks: Gulfstream Park, Pimlico, Saratoga, and the Barrington Fair. The then thirty-three-year-old Harvard dropout had the credentials for this undertaking: two years earlier, his book Picking Winners had won a claim from bettors and critics alike. But the theory of handicapping and the practice of it are two very different things, and Beyer did all he could to prepare himself for this new challenge. He consulted with other professional horseplayers. He undertook detailed analyses of trainers and their methods. He refined his speed-handicapping techniques. He developed a revolutionary method for evaluating horses shipped from one track to another. He formulated a bold betting strategy. During the year, he experienced the dizzying thrill of winning more than $10,000 in an afternoon, and agonizing frustration that drove him to bash a hole in the wall of the Gulfstream Park press box. When it was over, Beyer had amassed a profit of $50,664. His account of the year offers a rare, unromanticized look at the world of professional gambling. For horseplayers who have dreamed of beating the races, he proves that the dream is, sometimes, attainable. And he explains, in specific detail, how it can be done. There are no gimmicks in My $50,000 Year at the Races. Instead, there is a proven method of beating the races—and Andrew Beyer’s marvelously entertaining story of how he put it in practice.

Ron is a shy, Gulf War Air Force veteran. Metro Meteor is a feisty, bad-kneed two-year-old Thoroughbred racehorse destined for the slaughterhouse. An unlikely pairing, the two bonded through art: creating stunning abstract paintings to be exact. Each painting brought much needed strength and hope, plus a new lease on life to both man and horse. For Metro, painting became an escape from a death sentence; for Ron it meant overcoming his extreme introversion.

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 the age of nine, when he was voted Horse of the Year for the second time. He retired as all-time leading money earner in 1984 with more than $6 million and today lives a life of luxury at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

The complete guide to the world of horse racing, covering all the main races and most famous horses from the United States, Europe, and Asia Written by a bestselling equestrian author, this is the ultimate guide to the multi-billion dollar world of horse racing, including flat racing, steeplechasing, and harness racing. The extraordinary history of the sport is brought to life with stories and images of the world's greatest racehorses, from three foundation sires that led to the development of the "racing machine," the British Thoroughbred; to the phenomenal Eclipse and such modern horse heroes as Nijinsky, Red Rum, and Desert Orchid. It discusses the world's most spectacular racecourses?such as the English Derby at Epsom and the classic Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba, and the contributions of the great jockeys are also explored, including living legend and nine-time derby winner Lestor Piggot and racing superstar Frankie Dettori.