Thoroughbred: A Celebration of the Breed

Shows and describes thoroughbred racing and looks at how racehorses are bred, raised, trained, sold and raced

This is an attractive, large-format volume of 137 color photographs of thoroughbred horses, the tracks they run, the farms on which they are bred and the crowds they thrill. A breezy text mixes racing trivia and gossip with behind-the-scenes views of breeders and auctions and takes the reader on a mini-tour of the season's races around the U.S., culminating with a look at, and a short history of, the Triple Crown sites. Along the way Reed, who writes for Sports Illustrated and the Louisville Courier Journal , highlights some of the imposing impresarios of the sport, as well as the big winners--Secretariat et al. The book covers only this country, with token mention of the sport abroad. Freelance photographer Ashley's virtually uncaptioned photos competently portray peacefully grazing roans, gamboling colts, a moss-strewn stud ranch, racetrack pomp, cheering crowds, flying hooves. Racing fans will love the pictures.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The compelling excitement of horse racing is almost palpable in this colorful photographic essay on the throughbred horse. The brief text is well written and captures the atmosphere of the racing world so well that even the uninitiated reader will feel temporarily part of the horsey scene. Color photographs portray the horse through the four seasons and chronicle activities on the thoroughbred farm. Ashley's photographs are a good blend of still portraits and action shots, depicting the thoroughbred in all its various roles. This is a truly beautiful book, but one to browse through, not to be used as an information source. Public libraries in areas where horse racing reigns supreme will want to own this volume; others will need to weigh its price against its usefulness.
- Deborah Emerson, Monroe Com munity Coll. Lib., Rochester, N.Y.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.