Customer Reviews

The Wrong Horse: An Odyssey Through the American Racing Scene

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

William Murray is, like many of us, hopelessly addicted to the track -- not to betting (although he does that often and, despite the modesty displayed in this book, probably very well), but to all the sights, smells, experiences, highs and lows of the race track. His tales of the track (from the highs of DelMar to the lows of the fair circuit) are sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious, always with an edge. If you wondered whether the characters that inhabit the Shifty books are real, read this. They are all here. And if you wanted to learn a little more about William Murray, then read this. Though essentially a private man, he does share with his readers some wonderful stories on himself -- my favorite is the cribbing horse -- and also lets us know (if we didn't already) that he thinks Del Mar is all the heaven there ever needs to be.

I am not a writer or a reviewer, just your average run of the mill horse raceing fan. This is not a review like the ones above but a recommendation, I really enjoyed this book and will loan it to all my horse raceing buddies. Any other books written by Mr. Murray I will purchase with no hesitation. I couldn't put it down and enjoyed each and every paragraph.

The Wrong Horse, by William Murray, is not just a tour through the grand stands and backsides of race tracks or of the breeding farms throughout the country, but is a poignant and humorous memoir of one who has participated in horse racing as bettor and owner for over four decades in the second half of the 20th century. During those 45 years, from 1945 through the early '90s, Murray saw and reported on all of the foibles, triumphs, and failings of the whole hosts of characters, both human and equine, who make up the American racing scene, and he brings it to you, up close and personal, with all the grace and literary style (and with his perceptive appreciation of the human condition) that made him an award winning author and writer for The New Yorker for many years.

Anyone who can read this collection of essays without doubling up in laughter, and without wiping away a few tears, should check himself or herself for a personality disorder.