Book review: "The Fireside Book of Horse Racing" · 14.01.08

Finding this in a second-hand book shop almost two years ago was one of the things that re-kindled my interest in horse racing and inspired me to set up this blog. Sub-titled “A thoroughbred treasury”, The Fireside Book of Horse Racing is a collection of short stories, articles, poetry, photography, and artwork celebrating the people, the horses, and the history of the Sport of Kings.

The core of the book is a selection of horse biographies, originally published in the American Race Horses annual in the 1930s and 1940s and almost all written by John Hervey (a.k.a. Salvator). The subjects range from the legendary (Seabiscuit, Count Fleet) to the almost forgotten (the great race-mare Gallorette, and first winner of the Santa Anita Handicap Azucar). Also included are first-hand accounts of Seabiscuit vs. War Admiral; Man o’ War vs. John P. Grier; Zev vs. Papyrus; and the 1938 Kentucky Derby, as recalled by Eddie Arcaro who rode the winner, Lawrin.

The short stories were mostly pleasant surprises, as I had read almost none of them before. The funniest is probably “Eneas Africanus”, a comic story of a search for an old man, an old mare, and an old silver loving cup in the wake of the “unpleasantness” between North and South. Also included are two classics of short fiction: Damon Runyon’s “Little Miss Marker” (“Marky dance!” – sob!), and D.H. Lawrence’s “The Rocking-Horse Winner” (which I remember reading in high school English class).

It is hard to pick a favourite out of such a collection, but if forced to do so I’d point to Ernest Havemann’s “My Big $61,908 Ordeal”, the story of one man’s quest to beat the old “5-10” at Agua Caliente. The way the story is written, you know almost immediately how it will end, but that won’t lessen your interest one bit. Havemann concludes his handicapping epic:

I thought about the next wise guy who will surely ask me some day, “Picking them for 38 years, are you? Are you ahead of them?” There is only one answer to that question, and being able to say it is more precious than gold. I am now.

The Fireside Book of Horse Racing is edited by David F. Woods and published in 1963. It is long out-of-print, but worth tracking down at Amazon, AbeBooks, or your local bookseller.

If you liked this you might like:

What do you think?

Textile Help