The power and grace of a thoroughbred racehorse is unmistakable, undeniable. Even those who have watched these remarkable animals for what seems like more than a lifetime never lose the thrill and tingle that a champion can evoke as he glides over the track with an ease that can only come from above. For that is indeed what draws us to the sport, keeps us with the sport, and sees to it that we are lifers. But it all just doesn't happen with that dramatic charge down the homestretch. The journey begins long before that.
In the pages that follow, we hope to introduce you to exactly where that journey begins. And while the animals themselves are truly magnificent and beautiful, the world in which they live and the people that come to love them carry a beauty, too. From the image of the single horse galloping into view out of the morning fog to the solitary saddle hanging and waiting, each picture carries a very small piece of the story that is the backstretch of the racetrack. The place where the thoroughbred lives, eats and sleeps before strutting to the paddock ready to test his mettle.
What the average racing fan witnesses on race day is only a very small part of a much larger picture. Those few seconds of fame and adulation that come from gathering for a winners' circle picture is simply the culmination of the thoughts and efforts of many who never get their name in a racing program or are the subject of an in-depth spread in a famous publication.
In the pictorial work that follows you will meet the people whose life is the backstretch as well as the world in which they live. While the faces are particular to Philadelphia Park Racetrack, faces like theirs can be seen on the backstretch of any racetrack across the country: of the exercise rider enjoying a moment of solitude while returning from a morning gallop.
-Keith Jones
Philadelphia Race Track Announcer
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It's a winner!,
This review is from: A Backstretch Journey (A Backstretch Journey: Life Behind The Scenes At a Race Track) (Hardcover)
This book is about people, not only horses; an insider's view of a self-contained community little known to most of us. This is an informative, enlightening, candid exposure to the bonds between the workers and their families who RESIDE at the racetrack with each other and with the horses to which they dedicate their lives. The photographer evokes empathy from the reader because of his unusual sensitivity and stirring photos. It is a treat to enter and savor this special place.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
a horse lovers dream,
This review is from: A Backstretch Journey (A Backstretch Journey: Life Behind The Scenes At a Race Track) (Hardcover)
I found the book to be entertaining as well as informative. It's like watching the making of a movie with spectacular photos of every aspect. The imagery evokes emotions from my childhood when I would go to the track with my father. I would recommend this to anybody who has ever felt a love for the sport of horseracing or just wanted to know more about it. You won't be disappointed.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning!,
This review is from: A Backstretch Journey (A Backstretch Journey: Life Behind The Scenes At a Race Track) (Hardcover)
This book is a tour de force. The photographs perfectly capture the magnificence of the horses and the special relationship they have with those who care for them--a relationship that's rarely seen or appreciated by even the most avid racing fans. Sklar shows us a world few of us know (the backstretch), and it's almost uncanny how well he does it. I look forward to more work by this fine photographer. Highly recommended.
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