Review
On the cover of this 225-page hardcover book about horse racing is a portrait of Secretariat, painted by LeRoy Neiman and filled with vibrant colors. On the inside, the color is not as resonant.
Bert Sugar, who is more readily identified with boxing, and co-author Cornell Richardson, a noted documentary producer, touch on the many facets of horse racing. But they might try to cover too much, and thus only skim the surface.
What's particularly disappointing, at least from a Southern California perspective, is that these East Coast authors give only cursory mentions to Santa Anita, Hollywood Park and Del Mar. Something else missing is artwork. Although there are charts throughout, there are only a few black-and-white photographs.
Laura Hillenbrand's "Seabiscuit," the excellent book on which the just-released movie is based, is getting a lot of attention these days. "Horse Sense" is no "Seabiscuit." Nor is it comparable to the recently published "Hollywood Park: From Seabiscuit to Pincay," Biff Lowry's outstanding, detail-filled historical look at Hollywood Park. Lowry's book, for one thing, offers more than 100 photographs.
But "Horse Sense" is a decent read that the ardent fan and casual fan of horse racing should find fairly informative and entertaining. There are little nuggets throughout, such as this quote from the late Jim Murray:
"You have to be half-man, half-animal to be a jockey. You have to, in a sense, be able to think like a horse. You have to sense his mood, gauge his courage, cajole him into giving his best."
The book offers chapters on tracks, owners, trainers, jockeys, bettors and the future.
Maybe the best chapter is the one on bettors. In writing about the fate of those who seek tips "from any and all," the authors cite omens such as "dire predictions about their fates, like the title of Damon Runyon's book 'All Horse Players Die Broke.' " Touts are called "dishonest ventriloquists who deal out substantial slabs of silver lining at a price." There are some lessons here. —Larry Stewart (
Los Angeles Times, July 28, 2003)
"...it is entertainment—a frolicsome compilation of fast-moving facts, Runyonesque quips and colorful quotes..." (Barron's, September 1, 2003)
From the Inside Flap
Thought of by many as quaint and old-fashioned, horse racing is in reality a high-tech, $100-billion industry, with more money wagered on Triple Crown races than on the Super Bowl or the NCAA basketball tournament.
Now, legendary sportswriter and commentator Bert Sugar, with his writing stablemate Cornell Richardson, goes behind the scenes to look at the inner workings of the world of horse racing–its beauty and excitement, its action and colorful characters. Packed with rich insight and equally rich anecdotes, Horse Sense offers a top-to-bottom examination of the pastime so many find fascinating and addictive–from the owners who bet massive sums on the promise of future victories to jockeys who risk life and limb to cross the finish line first; from the breeding of thousands of potential winners to the actual crowning of a few champions; and from the two-dollar windows to the millionaires’ winner’s circles.
From its birth in England to its modern status, Sugar and Richardson follow the same trail of money and prestige that has attracted millions of men and women to racing. They reveal the astronomical sums paid for the stallions and mares with a winning ancestry and uncover the role of breeders who make their fortunes after legendary horses run their last race.
A world in which animals worth millions go by ridiculous names and owners soothe damaged egos over mint juleps–there’s nothing quite like horse racing. In Horse Sense, Sugar and Richardson explain why the sport tempts millions to invest their hearts and pocketbooks in four-legged "athletes"–with a wit and wisdom that show why horse racing is not only "the Sport of Kings," but also "the King of Sports."
