summer reading

Whether you're an old pro in the business or recently new to racing, there are a few books that I would suggest as must-haves for anyone interested in learning its ups, downs and nuances.

Bill Nack's Secretariat: The Making of a Champion is not only on THE book on Secretariat, but also represents some of the finest writing ever on racing. It takes you through his entire career, pedigree and the humans lucky enough to have had him in their lives. Originally published in 1975, it remains an absolute treat and I fully expect that my public praise will be detailed on the jacket of the next edition.

Horsetrader, written by Patrick Robinson and a bit tricky to find (I think you can put an order request in through Amazon), tells the story of British owner Robert Sangster and his run with the Boys of Ballydoyle (including Vincent O'Brien, perhaps the greatest trainer of all time). It details their rise and fall, exploits at the sales and thrilling days at the track with greats like Sadler's Wells, Golden Fleece, The Minstrel, Royal Academy and others. The research put in is impressive and it reads really well. You'll never look at a sweet-talking Irish guy or cowboy from Kentucky the same way again.

Bill Surface's The Track takes the reader on a behind the scenes tour of the backside, expertly detailing the ins and outs of the industry's heartbeat through a look at the day in the life on the backside of Belmont Park. He sheds light on the good, bad and sometimes ugly that goes down and shares well-crafted anecdotes highlighted by characters that one could only find at the track. It's from back in the 1970s, but time tends to stand still on the backside, so it reads as true as ever today. Allen Jerkens, who is in the book, was considered old even back then, which is pretty funny.