Horse Racing Coast to Coast: The Traveler's Guide to the Sport of Kings (Coast to Coast series) [Turtleback]

Michael Walmsley (Author), Marlene Smith-Baranzini (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 30, 2006

Win, Place and Go! Go to the races with Horse Racing Coast to Coast, a new series that takes readers on an exhilarating behind-the-scenes ride through the grandest racetracks across North America along with must-see sights for each region so travelers can transform a day at the races into a vacation! Along the way, racing aficionados introduce you to champion Thoroughbreds, such as Funny Cide, fearless jockeys, including Bill "The Shoe" Shoemaker, and other horse racing greats!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Advance Praise for Horse Racing Coast to Coast:

"A beautifully written travelogue that makes me want to visit every racetrack in the country. The authors capture the unique character of each track, its history, and its surrounding community. The research and attention to detail are impeccable. If you love traveling and racing, this is the perfect book. If you love just one of those, it's still the perfect book."—Mark Simon, editor of Thoroughbred Times

"Horse Racing Coast to Coast is both informative and entertaining. It is a must-have for the adventurous traveler and the Thoroughbred racing fan. It is an invaluable companion if you decide to go ‘racing coast to coast.’ "—JoAnn Guidry, contributing editor to Florida Horse Magazine and freelance turf writer

"This book is a wonderful example of a great idea that is well executed. It is an engaging invitation to enjoy some of the country's best racing venues. Read the book, take the trips and have a fabulous time."—Nick Nicholson, president and CEO, Keeneland Association

"This book is an encyclopedia for racetrack locations, their importance, history, and legends. But it’s only the beginning! It becomes a travel guide for everything of interest for the area visited and the life and atmosphere for that segment of America. A big step in a new direction." —Tom Gilcoyne, emeritus volunteer, National Museum of Racing and avid race attendee since 1923

About the Author

Michael Walmsley, popular northwest bon vivant and founder of Sir Barton Press, is an avid, thirty-year veteran of Thoroughbred horse racing. From Aintree in Great Britain to Saratoga in New York to Happy Valley in Hong Kong, he has traveled the world to experience the Sport of Kings. Michael’s stables have raced up and down the east and west coasts, and he has been known to wager a shilling or two on the nose of a longshot.

As a leading freelance photographer with more than 30 years in the business, his focus includes architectural, commercial, and advertising photography. In addition to Racing Across America: A Player’s Guide to the Sport of Kings (forthcoming from BowTie Press), his photographs have appeared in Architectural Digest, American Estates, and Fine Homes magazines. His special assignments for Greenpoint Tech and New York ad agencies have taken him across Europe for fashion shoots, and into the magnificent Tuscan countryside to produce a gourmet cookbook. He also shoots assignments for more than 20 leading US corporations.

A Pacific Northwest native, Walmsley was born and raised in Seattle and educated at the University of Washington, where he ran track and graduated with a fine arts degree, specializing in film making. He established Michael Walmsley Photography in 1975.

Marlene Smith-Baranzini saddled her first horse at the age of eleven. Professional writing and editing came later. As managing editor of Sir Barton Press, she is co-author of Racing Across America: A Player’s Guide to the Sport of Kings. Before joining Sir Barton, from 1989 until 2002 she was the associate editor of California History, the quarterly magazine of the California Historical Society. Among her other published works are the Gold Rush classic, The Shirley Letters from the California Mines, 1851-1852 (edited for Heyday Books, 1998, 2002); the five-volume children’s history series, USKids History (Little, Brown, 1993-1997); and short features for Thoroughbred Times. Smith-Baranzini, a California native since 1982, holds master’s degrees in writing and psychology.

Product Details

• Turtleback: 328 pages
• Publisher: BowTie Press (March 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931993521
• ISBN-13: 978-1931993524
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,467,947 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unparalleled in its scope, September 23, 2006

By 

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

This review is from: Horse Racing Coast to Coast: The Traveler's Guide to the Sport of Kings (Coast to Coast series) (Turtleback)

If you're a horse racing fan, don't miss the racetrack profiles, extensive tips on where to stay and how best to enjoy, and interviews which pair with history in HORSE RACING COAST TO COAST: THE TRAVELER'S GUIDE TO THE SPORT OF KINGS. This book's loaded with everything the horse race buff needs to know; from hotels and recommended eateries to trackside statistics. Unparalleled in its scope, it's a horse racing fan's travel 'bible'.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Horse Racing Coast to Coast, January 23, 2009

By 

Ronald J. Walerowicz (Chicago, Illinois. USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Horse Racing Coast to Coast: The Traveler's Guide to the Sport of Kings (Coast to Coast series) (Turtleback)

A MUST for EVERY horse player who likes traveling throughout the United States!!! Wonderfully written with track information PLUS places on where to dine and stay near the track. I was so impressed with the book that I purchased extra copies and gave them as Christmas presents and "stocking stuffers" to ALL of my fellow horse players!!

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disqualified, November 24, 2009

By 

Marshall S. Berdan - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Horse Racing Coast to Coast: The Traveler's Guide to the Sport of Kings (Coast to Coast series) (Turtleback)

I wish I could rate this item, but the fact of the matter is that I still haven't received it even though I was told via e-mail confirmation that it was shipped over a month ago. According to recent reviews of the seller from whom I ordered it, this particular individual, truthwarrior out of California, has a very distinquished record of never delivering the goods. With so many complaints about non-delivery, I have to wonder why Amazon is still doing business with her.