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Thoroughbred Champions: Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century
 
 
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Thoroughbred Champions: Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century (Paperback)

~ The Blood-Horse Staff (Author)
3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Of all of the fantastic horses this century has witnessed, it must have been a most difficult task to narrow down which of those were among the very best one hundred. However, the (Blood-Horse) magazine staff accepted the challenge to select the century's best.

Have you ever wondered where to find the race record of Dahlia (ranked 50th) for instance? Where can you find the pedigree for Sunday Silence (ranked 31st)? What great racehorse of the 1910s was sired by the farm's teaser stallion? By the way - the answer to that is Roamer (ranked 99th).

Opinion on "the greatest" will vary considerably, and a case can be made for almost any that are preferred. But within the covers of this book, you are sure to find the one that YOU think was "the greatest". And on his/her page you will also find a four-generation pedigree, tabulated race record, photographs, and a compelling narrative written by the talented editors of the Blood-Horse. You might even learn something you had not previously known, like I did while reading aboutRoamer's parentage.

We, the editorial staff of Thoroughbred Champions (the web site), give our most heart-felt accolades to Thoroughbred Champions (the book). -- ThoroughbredChampions.com, December, 1999



Product Description

Man o' War. Secretariat. Citation. Ruffian. Seattle Slew. The names are revered in the sport of horse racing. These and many other Thoroughbreds have inspired fierce devotion and loyalty from racing enthusiasts through the years. Now, racing fans can revel in the racetrack triumphs of their equine heroes. In Thoroughbred Champions: Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th Century, the stories of these great four-legged athletes are told by the Turf writers and correspondents of The Blood-Horse, the leading weekly Thoroughbred racing magazine. Thoroughbred Champions follows The Blood-Horse's Top 100 list as selected by an esteemed panel of experts, starting with Man o' War in the No. 1 spot to Blue Larkspur at No. 100. Each horse on the list has left a mark on the history of Thoroughbred racing, making the sport that much richer. Whether the reader is revisiting an old favorite, learning about a horse from yesteryear, or discovering something new about a modern-day champion, Thoroughbred Champions pays homage to the grand heritage of the Thoroughbred racehorse and the sport of racing.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 255 pages
  • Publisher: Eclipse Press; 1st edition (October 25, 2000)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1581500246
  • ISBN-13: 978-1581500240
  • Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #185,897 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #68 in  Books > Entertainment > Puzzles & Games > Gambling > Racing
    #100 in  Books > Home & Garden > Animal Care & Pets > Horses > Showing & Training

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Customer Reviews

36 Reviews
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Top 100 Racehorses of the 20th century, April 16, 2001
"Thoroughbred Champions" does a meticulous job of presenting the top one hundred Thoroughbreds who raced in America (at least once) during the 20th century. Each racehorse is pictured with accompanying statistics. Stories flesh out the statistics and try to give us a feeling for the drama inherent in owning, or working with, or following the career of one of these beautiful animals. One of my favorite stories describes Personal Ensign's final race:

"Four lengths were all that separated Personal Ensign from a perfect career. With an eight of a mile to go in the 1988 Breeders' Cup distaff, it seemed an impossible amount of ground for the bay filly to close on the leader, Winning Colors. It took about fourteen seconds for that final eighth to be run, but it seemed like an eternity. Personal Ensign closed the gap relentlessly, inching slowly toward Winning Colors, and at the wire, she thrust a desperate nose in front of her younger rival."

I watched that last race of hers on T.V. I was recovering from abdominal surgery at the time, and I think I must have busted a stitch or two trying to 'help' Personal Ensign down that muddy track and over the finish line ahead of her rival (who had already won the 1988 Kentucky Derby).

Because these equine champions mean so much to some of us, there has been and will be lots of disagreement over the order in which they were placed on the list. Why, for instance does Easy Goer appear ahead of both Ruffian and Personal Ensign, not to mention Busher, Twilight Tear, and Dahlia? Both Busher and Twilight Tear were voted Horse of the Year---an honor that eluded Easy Goer.

Here is the list as compiled by the seven panel members chosen by "The Blood-Horse":

1. Man o'War, 2. Secretariat, 3. Citation, 4. Kelso, 5. Count Fleet, 6. Dr. Fager, 7. Native Dancer, 8. Forego, 9. Seattle Slew, 10. Spectacular Bid, 11. Tom Fool, 12. Affirmed, 13. War Admiral, 14. Buckpasser, 15. Colin, 16. Damascus, 17. Round Table, 18. Cigar, 19. Bold Ruler, 20. Swaps, 21. Equipoise, 22. Phar Lap, 23. John Henry, 24. Nashua, 25. Seabiscuit, 26. Whirlaway, 27. Alydar, 28. Gallant Fox, 29. Exterminator, 30. Sysonby, 31. Sunday Silence, 32. Skip Away, 33. Assault, 34. Easy Goer, 35. Ruffian, 36. Gallant Man, 37. Discovery, 38. Challedon, 39. Armed, 40. Busher, 41. Stymie, 42. Alysheba, 43. Northern Dancer, 44. Ack Ack, 45. Gallorette, 46. Majestic Prince, 47. Coaltown, 48. Personal Ensign, 49. Sir Barton, 50. Dahlia, 51. Susan's Girl, 52. Twenty Grand, 53. Sword Dancer, 54. Grey Lag, 55. Devil Diver, 56. Zev, 57. Riva Ridge, 58. Slew o'Gold, 59. Twilight Tear, 60. Native Diver, 61. Omaha, 62. Cicada, 63. Silver Charm, 64. Holy Bull, 65. Alsab, 66. Top Flight, 67. Arts and Letters, 68. All Along, 69. Noor, 70. Shuvee, 71. Regret, 72. Go for Wand, 73. Johnstown, 74. Bald Eagle, 75. Hill Prince, 76. Lady's Secret, 77. Two Lea, 78. Eight Thirty, 79. Gallant Bloom, 80. Ta Wee, 81. Affectionately, 82. Miesque, 83. Carry Back, 84. Bimelech, 85. Lure, 86. Fort Marcy, 87. Gamely, 88. Old Rosebud, 89. Bewitch, 90. Davona Dale, 91. Genuine Risk, 92. Sarazen, 93. Sun Beau, 94. Artful, 95. Bayakoa, 96. Exceller, 97. Foolish Pleasure, 98. Beldame, 99. Roamer, 100. Blue Larkspur.

You can always buy the book, then cut and paste the list so that your favorite champions are more correctly placed.

Several authors were involved in telling the stories of the top one hundred Thoroughbred champions.. Its stories pay tribute to a remarkable breed of athletes, and if you were fortunate to watch Secretariat win the Belmont or Personal Ensign win the Breeders' Cup Distaff, this book will mean all that more to you.

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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Reference Book for Racing Fans, June 6, 2000
By Susan Nunes (Reno, NV United States) - See all my reviews
While this book will provoke arguments among racing fans as to which horses merit the "greatest" label, this is indispensible to anyone who loves thoroughbred racing. While most of the horses were and are familiar names to racing fans, some are not so well-known. Each horse is described in brief yet highly detailed biographies, and there are photographs galore.

As I said, there will be arguments as to which horses were the best, and the authors note how low the fillies, especially Ruffian, arguably a top 10 horse, ended up on the list. There was also some controversy over Secretariat's ranking, as one of the seven experts did not even list him in the top 10, thus he managed to finish only number two on the list, behind Man O' War (this immediately calls into question the "expertise" of the unidentified panelist).

But that's what these lists are for, to provoke discussion and even argument. I found this book endlessly fascinating.

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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars An Encyclopedia of Great Thoroughbred Champions, May 17, 2000
That should have been the title of this book. I just received my copy and have been so deeply absorbed in it that the afternoon just flew by on golden hoofs. I've been an enthusiast of thoroughbred racing since, at a very tender age, my dad brought me to the stables at Belmont Park to see a friend who works there. They showed me a huge gray horse and I was so small I looked up into that massive animal's face, felt his warm breath on my face...and fell totally in love. The horse was Native Dancer, the love affair continues though I am now getting closer to retirement age. This wonderful book will take you from one champ to the next and all I could say was "I agree, I agree" as I moved down the list of the top 100. Though I knew most, there were some I did not know and those interested me the most. The list, together with pictures, pedigree and a small writeup on each makes this book a keeper! an encyclopedia of the 100 greatest thoroughbreds!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars thorughbred champions
i thought it was a wonderful book with so much info about horses i love. everything was in this book . i would buy again from amazon.
Published 17 months ago by Mary J. Bruno

1.0 out of 5 stars Secretariat is #1
Secretariat is #1. Period. This book's voting process was a "sham", as has been well documented. The majority of voters had Secretariat #1... Read more
Published 17 months ago by T. Neese

5.0 out of 5 stars very helpful
I thought this book was very helpful. I used it for a report that I had to do last week, and I got an A. Not only is it helpful, but also fun to read. The pictures are great!
Published on September 30, 2007

1.0 out of 5 stars Racing Industry Killed Its Brightest Star; Then Commits Suicide for Next 32 Years
What a joke--Ruffian ranked number 35! Whitely stated she was the best ever and he had Forgo in his stable. Laurin said she was greater than Secretariat. Read more
Published on July 16, 2007 by Linda J. Cutshaw

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Debate Topic
A kindly rebuttal of the Secretariat bashing taking place by some reviewers. 16 victories in 21 career starts, record time in all three Triple Crown Races (his Preakness time was... Read more
Published on May 18, 2007 by M. D. Imholt

5.0 out of 5 stars Dark Tiger
I loved this book. Man O' War is indeed the greatest. There was one thing wrong though. Ruffian is ten times greater then Secretariat! She should be number two!!!! Read more
Published on February 25, 2007 by Steven P. Carlisle

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Thorough Enough
In my view it is ridiculous to choose a horse to be numero uno if none of the staff ever saw him run. Read more
Published on January 6, 2007 by B. J Robbins

4.0 out of 5 stars Top 100 Champions
I've been a racing fan for a long time. I will neither agree nor will I disagree with the book. Something that not too many people know is that Excellor and Ferdinand both ended... Read more
Published on September 24, 2006 by Terri L. Russell

4.0 out of 5 stars Great list
Sure there will be some who disagree with some of the rankings, but it's all subjective and those with a differing opinion should realize that. Read more
Published on January 6, 2006 by David Bridgforth

3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but...
You guys really need to get your act together. This book is solid opinion, and I understand that, but you really need to use your brains. Read more
Published on December 3, 2005 by kali

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