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Wink: The Incredible Life and Epic Journey of Jimmy Winkfield

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It is surprising that Jimmy Winkfield's name is not more well known, in light of all the amazing things he accomplished during his long lifetime. Winkfield was the youngest of seventeen children, born in Kentucky in 1880. His parents died while he was young, and he had to support himself at an early age. From modest jobs like shoeshining and carriage driving, the five-foot-tall black boy made the transition to riding racehorses, a career which would shape his entire life and take him on an amazing journey. When he began riding, a fare share of Winkfield's fellow jockeys were black, but over time they began to disappear. The jealousy and racism of their rival white riders drove many out of the profession. Others moved abroad to try their luck elsewhere. Winkfield, who loved horses and is quoted as having said he would die if they were taken away from him, chose the latter option, but not before winning back-to-back Kentucky Derbies in 1901 and 1902.

Leaving America, Winkfield traveled first to Poland, and then to Russia, where he was known as the "black maestro" and enjoyed even more success than he had had at home. In fact, he would become "the winningest jockey in the czar's Russia" (pg. 228). Among his accomplishments there is the capture of no less than four runnings of the All-Russian Derby, as well as the Emperor's Purse and two runnings of the Moscow Derby. While there was still racism to be found in Europe, the situation was less sinister and Winkfield was seen more as a curiosity at first, and later a hero, causing racegoers to cast their bets on the jockey rather than the horses he rode. And with good reason: Winkfield had a knack for finding the "race" in a racehorse and getting it out, and his win record was over 50% at this point in his career - a seemingly impossible accomplishment.

When the situation in Russia began to decline with the Revolution of 1905, Winkfield moved on. His career took him through Germany, Austria, and Hungary, in all of which he enjoyed further success, and at last to France, where he won the prestigious Prix du President de la Republique. In the late 1920s, as Winkfield moved into middle-age, he began to taper off his riding career in favor of training, and quit riding altogether at the age of fifty in 1930. The author points out: "He retired at twice the age most riders did. By his estimate, he had ridden more than 2,300 winners" (pg. 227). He established a training operation in Maisons-Laffitte and saddled quite a number of winners.

But with the emergence of Adolf Hitler and the beginning of World War II, Winkfield would face a whole new set of challenges. His farm was confiscated by the Germans, and Winkfield returned to America in 1941 with only $9 to his name. The former star jockey and successful trainer was reduced to working a jackhammer on the streets of New York at the age of sixty-one. After the war, however, Winkfield was able to return to France and rebuild his farm at Maisons-Laffitte. After a life filled with unprecedented adventure, and establishing himself first as the last great African American jockey and an international champion, and next as a successful trainer, Jimmy Winkfield died in his sleep in 1974, at the age of ninety-four. He is one of only three black jockeys that have been inducted into the horse racing Hall of Fame.

"Wink: The Incredible Life and Epic Journey of Jimmy Winkfield" was a fascinating read. I must admit I had never heard of Jimmy Winkfield before I came across this book, and I suspect there are many more like myself, but as author Ed Hotaling (who admits to not having any idea who Winkfield was when he saw the man in person in Paris) says, "after reading his story, you will never forget him" (pg. x). The prose flows easily and does this amazing jockey all the justice he deserves.

My only criticism of Hotaling's book, actually, is that in some places Hotaling goes a little overboard in his praise. Winkfield was certainly worthy of all the good things said of his career, but whenever the author discusses Winkfield in his role as a less-than-perfect family man - he cheated on his first wife, abandoned his second, cheated repeatedly on his third, fathered several children with his mistresses (and refused to help support these children financially), and treated his nephew, with whose care he had been entrusted, as something of a male Cinderella, leaving him home to do chores while the rest of the family went on outings to see movies - Hotaling comes across as being eager to gloss over these shortcomings and find excuses for Winkfield's behavior. The book would have been a bit more effective if the author had simply documented these facts and let them be, rather than trying to prettify things and lay the blame on others as he does.

Overall, however, I did enjoy the book very much. In addition to relating the many adventures of Winkfield's own life, Hotaling provides a wealth of background information that paints a vivid picture of life in both Europe and America at each stage of Winkfield's career. We learn much about the history of racing and of black jockeys, as well as gaining insight into broader historical events such as the Russo-Japanese War, the Revolution of 1905 in Russia, World War I, the Russian Revolution, and World War II, all of which impacted Winkfield's life and career. There is also plenty of interesting material on how racing and life in general in each of the countries where Winkfield rode compared to one another. The story is both impressive and inspiring. This is certainly a book I'd recommend to anyone with an interest in horse racing and its history.

Like a couple of the other reviewers here already said, this is a great book. I really don't care much for racing but Ed Hotaling really brought the story of Jimmy Winkfield to life for me. What an amazing life and what a fine book.

Still, like the reviewer below noted, Hotaling glosses over the less-than-wonderful aspects of our hero's behavior, particularly towards his family. And given that this is probably the only book we're going to see on him for a while, it is a bit frustrating about all the information he leaves out. He never tells us where Winkfield is buried, nor does he go into any particular detail about what happened with his children or grandchildren. It's a somewhat slim book - 300 pages without the end notes - and I get the feeling that it was violently trimmed down in the editing.

In any event, though, these are just minor gripes. Even if you aren't a big sports fan, this is a gripping read for anyone who loves books.

Thank you Mr. Hotaling for sharing Jimmy's story. His biography takes us to an important time in American history and takes us to far off places in the early 20th Century. Jimmy's passion for the sport and his circumstances brought him to Warsaw, controlled by the Russians in 1904. I can't imagine taking this risk, it tells us so much about Jimmy's confidence, his sense of self worth and passion for racing. He watched other jockeys leave America and found a way to participate in racing overseas. His story takes him through difficult times in Europe where he died at the age of 94.

What I liked most about the book is that it is a human interest story that shows Jimmy Winkfield's courage, gives us insight into early 20th century horse racing in America and what circumstances moved American jockeys overseas to ride. The story is told in the context of 20th Century history, which increases our understanding of the times in which Jimmy lived and the career decisions he made.

A must read for those who love horse racing, history and a good human-interest story.

I learned of the book when I heard its author being interviewed on NPR. I have no interest in horse racing, but bought the book on the theory that a life this compelling must result in a book equally so. I was, in large part, correct. The writing style leaves a little to be desired, but this is a fast, and gripping, read. In the end, one is left with a real sense for what Winkfield's life must have been like.

You don't even have to like horseracing to love Ed Hotaling's brilliantly researched and engaging histories with a racetrack theme.

As he did in his other two memorable and important books on the subject, Hotaling's WINK unearths the forgotten magic of the past and brings it to life, vivid, and sparkling.

WINK is a major contender to win a National Book Award or Pulitzer for biography. It is just terrific.

What a breathtaking book for any reader that loves thoroughbred horses! Jimmie Winkfield stands before a great curtain of racism, assassinations, prejudice, and person danger. But through it all it was the horses that he understood and loved. This gifted rider a mere, 4'11" lived his life with great persistance and bravery. If anyone loves stories of thoroughbred racing they will find "Wink" a true revelation. Hotaling not only told the story of a black jockey but he wove the story in and around events in history. If you are looking for this book to be of the same flavor as "Seabiscuit" you will be grossly disappointed. Hotaling is a writer that does not rely on the "Hollywood" view of how to write a book, rather he writes an intellectual adventure of a great person in historical thoroughbred racing.

YOU HEAR STORYS ABOUT JOSH GIBSON MORE HOME RUNS THAN BABE RUTH, JACKIE ROBINSON, ARTHUR ASHE, ETC..
ALL OF THESE GUYS WHO HAD TO BREAK A COLOR BARRIER. WHO CARES? JIMMY WINKFIELD, SOUP PERKINS, IKE MURPHY,
AND A LONGER LIST OF JOCKEYS STARTED A TREND. THERE WAS NO BARRIER. THEY TOOK BEING IN SLAVERY, TRAIN THERE HORSES,
WON, BOUGHT THERE FREEDOM AND MOVED ON. BLACK JOCKEYS WERE THE FIRST PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, AND NOTHING
COMPARES TO THE FIRST. THIS IS THE BEST SPORTS STORY EVER FOR ALL RACES IN ALL COUNTRY'S. IF THERE IS STORY THAT COMPARES
PLEASE LET ME KNOW, THERES NO BOXER, BASEBALL, BBALL, FBALL, TENNIS, GOLF, ATHLETE WHO HAD TO OVERCOME WHAT THESE JOCKEYS
OVERCAME. PERIOD. THIS IS A GREAT READ, ED HOTALING YOU DID A GREAT JOB, I'M LOOKING FOR OTHER BOOKS BY YOU NEXT!!!

Wink,I have enjoyed reading this book. Lots of history, fantastic, interesting, the mans life is amazing, i wish i could meet him. it is terrible to think of him trying to get a job with a jack hammer, his hands should never be on such a tool. they were for gently guiding thoroughbreds. Ed Hotaling is a wonderful author to read turning each page is like opening up a new surprise.
LOVED THE BOOK

I picked this up because it had a Thoroughbred on the cover and I love horse-racing. I read it because it was an incredible story. Jimmy Winkfield is probably the most famous jockey you've never heard about, and his life story is a true-life Forrest Gump tale.

The book tells the story of Winkfield's life, starting when he was a child, growing up in Central Kentucky, riding horses. It follows him through his early American racing career, where he was a star who knew how to get the best from his mounts. When racism drives him from America, he goes to Russia and Poland, where he becomes a superstar and barely escapes the Bolsheviks, then onward to triumphs in France, where he becomes a trainer, only to have the Nazis take his horses. It tells the story of how he overcame the racism of the day to become a part of racing history and to start a family.

What I enjoyed most about the book was that the author didn't skimp on the details of the world surrounding Winkfield's tracks. We learn about the prevalence of black jockeys in the early years of American racing and then the factors that led to their decline. We are taken along on the incredible escape from the Bolsheviks, where Winkfield and his racing associates travel overland on the prime horses of the Russian racing establishment in an attempt to save them. We are taken into the jockey's sometimes turbulent family life to see another side of him.

The book's only flaw is that we are constantly reminded of how great a jockey Winkfield is, but even that adds to the heroic feel of the novel. If you're a fan of horse-racing, African American history, world social history, there is something to be found to suit you in this wild ride of a book!