Great Horse Racing Mysteries: True Tales from the Track [Paperback]

John McEvoy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2004

Examines several unsolved mysteries of the racing world-- murder...suicide...arson...fraud....Definitely some of horse racing's strangest, most fascinating tales.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Did the IRA steal Shergar, Europe's most famous racehorse? Is he dead, or living a life of quiet obscurity in the Irish countryside? Did jockey Ron Hansen accused but never found guilty of race fixing jump off the San Mateo bridge, or was he pushed to his death? In Great Horse Racing Mysteries: True Tales from the Track, horse racing reporter John McEvoy explores 12 of the sport's weirder tales, including the poisoning death of legendary Australian racehorse Phar Lap. The book features some shady characters, among them William McCandless, who stole the valuable broodmare Fanfreluche, and more than two decades later, in 1998, was accused of "sponging" horses (inserting sponges in their nostrils to stop their breathing). Racing enthusiasts should love this book, but even those who can barely tell the Kentucky Derby from a hat should find this book an engaging look at a bizarre international subculture.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

Titillating and informative. Well-researched and well written. What more could a reader want? -- Ann Hagedorn Auerbach, author of Wild Ride: The Rise and Tragic Fall of Calumet Farm, Inc., America's Premier Racing Dynasty --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Eclipse Press (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 158150103X
• ISBN-13: 978-1581501032
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #878,015 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Horse Racing Mysteries, October 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Great Horse Racing Mysteries: True Tales from the Track (Hardcover)

Wow! You can tell this author was a newspaperman, yet this book reads like fiction. You don't have to be a racing fan to love this book, though if you are, you will enjoy the constant stream of racing stats - stuff you always wanted to know or stuff you forgot. It makes you want to take McEvoy out for dinner and pick his brain about all things racing. Each chapter is a roller coaster ride - you might not solve the mystery, but it's a wild ride. See the Woodward chapter. It makes Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio's marriage look like a walk in the park! The story unfolds like a movie in your mind. All the chapters are told with juicy details and multiple perspectives. Pray for a follow up book.

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read, October 10, 2000

By 

Chris Roberts (Woodstock, Vt. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Horse Racing Mysteries: True Tales from the Track (Hardcover)

I have been a Thoroughbred racing fan for 35 years, and have been reading about racing almost as long. "Great Horse Racing Mysteries" ranks as one of the most enjoyable and informative books I have read on the subject. It combines the reportorial depth of "Wild Ride" with the breezy reading ease of Jane Smiley's "Horse Heaven" with the comforting sense of authenticity and historical perspective that Dick Francis provides. McEvoy clearly knows his sport, and respects it for what it is--a whacky, wonderdful, delightfully seedy, heart-tugging world unto its own. I highly recommend this effort to anyone who loves racing.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Luridly revealing the worst in human nature, June 8, 2004

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Great Horse Racing Mysteries: True Tales from the Track (Paperback)

Great Horse Racing Mysteries: True Tales From The Track presents true stories of crime, unsolved puzzles, and cases that remain debated to the present day concerning the world of horse racing. Tales of murder, suicide, arson, fraud, and animal kidnapping reveal the dark side of this popular sport. Luridly revealing the worst in human nature in the racing and racehorse raising profession and keeps a tight grip on the reader's attention and does not let go.