This title is the winner of the 2008 Castleton Lyons-Thoroughbred Times Book Award for works published in 2007.The Hard-Luck Horse Track of the title is Suffolk Downs; the season is 2000, the year Running Stag won the Mass Cap. But really, it could be any track, and darn near any time since thoroughbred
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This title is the winner of the 2008 Castleton Lyons-Thoroughbred Times Book Award for works published in 2007.The Hard-Luck Horse Track of the title is Suffolk Downs; the season is 2000, the year Running Stag won the Mass Cap. But really, it could be any track, and darn near any time since thoroughbred racing's popularity took a dive. Concern about the sport's future, race fixing, callous owners are depicted "warts-and-all" with an insider's familiarity. But the book radiates a genuine fondness for the track's characters - both human and equine - that reminds the reader of those basic elements -- the horses, the jockeys, the trainers, the owners -- that bind racing so strongly to its tradition-filled past, and are so worth saving for its future.While Thornton's behind-the-scenes description of the business side of the track are fascinating, while his of depiction of the Mass Cap is exhilarating, while his retelling of Suffolk's storied history is fascinating, there's more to this book than fading glory. While his portrait of injured jockey Rudy Baez is moving and his revelations of unscrupulous owner Michael Gill are disturbing, there's more to this book than trackside tragedy. And yes, his affectionate chronicle of the career of the gray gelding, Saratoga Ridge, and his amusing account of the maiden Ypres are charming, but there's more here than charm. Throughout, there's an awareness of and a respect for the essence of the track that rings true, no matter who the runners and connections.
