They're Off!: Horse Racing at Saratoga [Hardcover]

Edward Hotaling (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The first thoroughbred race in the U.S. was held at Saratoga Springs in 1847, and the first national thoroughbred race took place there during the Civil War, when the upstate New York town began to establish itself as the country's prime resort. Throughout the Gilded Age, Saratoga lured Astors, Vanderbilts, Belmonts and other millionaires and became known for its huge and lavish hotels, its gambling houses and, very incidentally, its restorative waters. Its 42-day season was short, but it still lured the top horses for flat and harness racing and even steeplechasing. Among the great mounts that raced there for the Travers Stakes, begun in 1864, or the Saratoga Cup, started a year later, were Longfellow, probably the best thoroughbred of the 19th century, Man o' War, who suffered his only loss there, Whirlaway and Secretariat. Saratoga's two-legged visitors included presidents and gangsters, writers and movie stars. Television director and scriptwriter Hotaling tells its exciting story well, and the 95 illustrations are worthy of the text.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Built in 1864 as the nation's first horse racing facility, Saratoga (New York) race course is one of the sport's hallowed sites. Each summer, many of the finest thoroughbreds compete there in a setting steeped with history and social splendor. Hotaling, a television writer and producer, uses an extensive array of resources to document the track's history and highlight many of its memorable races, fabled equines, and human stars. Simultaneously, he details the development and social history of Saratoga the resort, historically a magnet for the wealthy and famous. Important inclusions are frequent references to the roles of African Americans and women both on and off the track. There is a vast amount of detail here, supported by an expansive notes and bibliography section. The narrative style makes for fluid reading, and the breadth of material makes the book a useful resource for a number of topics. A solid recommendation for academic and public libraries.
David Van de Streek, Pennsylvania State Univ. Libs., York
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Syracuse Univ Pr (Sd); 1st edition (August 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815603509
• ISBN-13: 978-0815603504
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 7.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,642,349 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful tapestry of the history of Saratoga, February 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: They're Off: Horse Racing at Saratoga (Paperback)

A beautiful history of the oldest sports venue in the United States. Reading it made me long to have experienced the spa in years gone by. If you are into the history of horse racing, this book is a must read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Runaway Winner, October 7, 2006

By 

Bicycle Day - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: They're Off!: Horse Racing at Saratoga (Hardcover)

Saratoga Race Course is the definition in sports on how time can stand still. It is a throwback in an era of throwaway.

For about a month in the summer, the focus of the Thoroughbred racing world is directed at a facility older than Wrigley Field, with tradition well-versed in blue-bloods, rogues and immortal runners who may have charged to the winner's circle or suffered legendary defeats in the "Graveyard of Champions." And that may apply to the blue-bloods and rogues as much as the runners!

Edward Hotaling pens the definitive book on racing at Saratoga. The oversize paperback also tells the history through ample photographs of the personalities and racers that makes the track a living hall of fame.

They're Off is a gate-to-wire champion.