Welcome to a world where thundering hooves, unwavering spirit, and sheer grace converge on the track – the captivating realm of horse racing. As we start this gifting season, embark on an exhilarating journey through this carefully curated selection of books about this timeless sport. From legendary horses to the sport’s pioneers, these books encapsulate the enduring allure of the sport we love.

Whether you’re a lifelong fan or have a horsey person in your life, this list is sure to have a captivating story that will make the perfect gift this holiday season.

Heart-pounding Fiction

False Riches: There’s Only One Sure Thing by John Paul Miller

John Paul Miller’s debut novel is a crime story with a touch of romance set at a fictional Texas racetrack. When a tip pays off big for exercise rider Amos Moon, it also lands him in hot water and this horse lover has to find his way out fast. At the same time, private investigator Rixie Ricksland wants to know who is behind a series of doping and race-fixing incidents, determined to find whoever is undermining the safety of the horses before something else happens.

Horse Of The Year: Good Things Come Book 7 by Linda Shantz

Shantz, an artist and author, has created an expansive cast of characters set in the world of Canadian horse racing. Follow the ups and downs of Liv, Nate, Emilie, and more as they move through life on the racetrack and off. Buy an eBook or PDF version directly from the author via the link above or pick up her titles in hard- or softcover via Amazon. You can also revel in and shop Shantz’s glorious artwork on her main page.

The Tough Questions

Unnatural Ability: The History of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Thoroughbred Racing by Milton C. Toby

The late Milt Toby’s final book explores a topic that continues to roil the sport of horse racing: performance-enhancing drugs. As he shares the evolution of ‘dope’ from the late 19th century on, Toby explores what the regulatory forces behind racing have done to catch the cheaters and protect the horses that give their all on the racetrack. This longtime turf writer and lawyer specializing in equine law gives readers an expansive exploration of this side of the sport. A great and necessary read for anyone who loves horses and racing.

Pioneers of the Turf

Isaac Murphy: The Rise and Fall of a Black Jockey by Katherine C. Mooney

Mooney builds on her earlier work exploring how formerly enslaved horsemen dominated and then were pushed out of the sport with her look at Hall of Fame jockey Isaac Murphy. She dives deeper into Murphy’s life starting with his determined mother through the end of his career and his brief life, using the few interviews the famed jock gave plus other contemporary sources to share who this famed rider was. A worthwhile read for those who want to know more about this familiar name.

Lexington: The Extraordinary Life and Turbulent Times of America’s Legendary Racehorse by Kim Wickens

Lexington is not just a city in Kentucky; this famed stallion set records on the racetrack and in the breeding shed, going down in the sport’s history as one of its very best. Kim Wickens spent a decade researching and crafting this exploration of Lexington’s life and legacy and leaves us with the most complete portrait of this prolific sire, whose name appears in the pedigrees of twelve of the thirteen Triple Crown winners.

The First Kentucky Derby: Thirteen Black Jockeys, One Shady Owner, and the Little Red Horse That Wasn’t Supposed to Win by Mark Shrager

You may know the year of the first Kentucky Derby and the name of the horse who won it, but as we count down to the 150th edition, Shrager gives readers a rich portrait of that historic day. His profile of owner H.P. McGrath, the horse who wasn’t supposed to win, and the context of the inaugural Run for the Roses offers a new perspective on America’s most famous race while also addressing the success of and then conspicuous erasure of Black jockeys from the sport. A must-read ahead of next year’s 150th Kentucky Derby.

The Jockey and Her Horse (Once Upon a Horse #2) by Sarah Maslin Nir and Raymond White

In the late 1960s, all young Cheryl White dreamed of doing was becoming a jockey. But her trainer father and the sport she loves don’t think that girls belong in the saddle, especially a Black girl. This big dreamer finds her way to the winner’s circle regardless, her determination and perseverance a reminder of what hard work and belief in yourself can bring. Aimed at middle-grade readers, Nir and White’s book is a love story and an inspiration for all ages.

The Glorious Ones

Broken: The Suspicious Death of Alydar and the End of Horse Racing’s Golden Age by Fred M. Kray

Alydar’s serious injury and subsequent death in 1990 shocked the world. As the details and circumstances around that fateful night became clear, more and more questions arose about the how and why behind the stallion’s final hours. Kray, a long-time racing fan and attorney specializing in animal rights law, shares Alydar’s great racing career and also takes on the evidence connected to the case in search of more answers about that fateful night.

Dream Derby: The Myth and Legend of Black Gold by Avalyn Hunter

Marguerite Henry’s Black Gold told the story of young Jaydee and the black colt that he dreamed of riding, a story that has captivated young readers for decades. Avalyn Hunter takes on the true story behind the titular colt, from the prophecy behind his birth to the sport still recovering from its near-death experience to the racial tensions of his era. As we celebrate a century since his Kentucky Derby victory, learn more about how this black colt became a legend.

No Snail by David Owen

In the 1970s, Red Rum dominated England’s steeplechase scene, winning three Grand Nationals and finishing second in two others. The Irish-bred and American-owned L’Escargot was one of those who defeated the legendary jumper during that epic run, defying his name and the odds to take the 1975 Grand National and two Cheltenham Gold Cups. Owen gives us a long overdue look at this champion steeplechaser who was a winner on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Foxes of Belair: Gallant Fox, Omaha, and the Quest for the Triple Crown by Jennifer S. Kelly

William Woodward had a dream: to win the Epsom Derby. Using his passion for the sport and his considerable wealth, the banker turned breeder and owner built his Belair Stud into a prolific breeding and racing stable. As he pursued classic wins in England, the master of Belair pursued the same in his own country and dominated a decade with two Triple Crown winners in Gallant Fox and Omaha and classic winners in Johnstown, Granville, and Faireno. A decade after Sir Barton’s pioneering achievement, Gallant Fox’s and Omaha’s Triple Crowns pushed the three races to a new level, helping to make winning all three the most elite achievement in the sport of horse racing.

50 Years of Secretariat

The Turcottes: The Remarkable Story of a Horse Racing Dynasty by Curtis Stock

Famous for piloting Secretariat to his record-breaking Triple Crown win in 1973, Ron Turcotte’s famed career in the saddle inspired four of his brothers — Yves, Noel, Roger, and Rudy — to pursue glory and riches of their own. The challenges of life in the saddle, though, take their toll on each brother as Curtis Stock documents here. From their beginnings in rural New Brunswick to the bright lights of the sport’s biggest stages, The Turcottes capture the lives of each brother in rich detail. A recommended read for anyone who loves racing.

Secretariat’s Legacy: The Sons, Daughters, and Descendants Who Keep His Legend Alive by Patricia McQueen

This full-color coffee table book is a must for any Secretariat fan. Patricia McQueen spent years keeping track of Big Red’s sons and daughters and compiled his very best in this gorgeous book. Replete with stories and photos of names like Terlingua, Lady’s Secret, and more, Secretariat’s Legacy is a magnum opus and the perfect gift for any fan of the ninth Triple Crown winner. I got my copy earlier this year and discover something new each time I flip through it.

More Titles from 2023 Authors

Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown by Jennifer S. Kelly

Before Gallant Fox, Count Fleet, and Secretariat came a golden chestnut colt that surprised everyone by breaking his maiden in the 1919 Kentucky Derby and then made history with wins in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. Learn more about the horse whose record-breaking performances made him the right horse to challenge Man o ‘War and whose pioneering victories changed the sport forever.

The Great Sweepstakes of 1877: A True Story of Southern Grit, Gilded Age Tycoons, and a Race That Galvanized the Nation by Mark Shrager

Mark Shrager’s first book examines the horse race so big that it stopped the American government for a day. On October 24, 1877, Parole, Tom Ochiltree, and Ten Broeck met at Pimlico for a match race of East versus West and North versus South, one so famous that a statue of it adorns the racetrack to this day. This was more than a horse race: it was a microcosm of the country still reeling from the Civil War. Shrager’s study of the Great Sweepstakes draws readers into racing in the late 19th century and introduces us all to historic names and places in the process.

Diane Crump: A Horse-Racing Pioneer’s Life in the Saddle by Mark Shrager

Diane Crump just wanted to ride. In the 1960s, as women struggled to overcome sexism to pursue their dreams, Crump earned her license to ride and persevered despite the resistance of a culture reluctant to change. She made history again when she rode Fathom in the 1970 Kentucky Derby. Shrager captures Crump’s story through contemporary sources and interviews with the major players, giving readers a complete look at this pioneering life in the saddle.

Race Horse Men: How Slavery and Freedom Were Made at the Racetrack by Katherine C. Mooney

Venerated for their skills training and riding horses, enslaved Black persons dominated the sport of horse racing for their white owners and then used their expertise to craft careers of their own after emancipation. The introduction of Jim Crow laws and other efforts by the broader American culture forced Black horsemen out of the sport so swiftly and completely that they are virtually erased from the record — until now. Mooney’s first book is another important addition to the canon of racing’s history.

Dancer’s Image:: The Forgotten Story of the 1968 Kentucky Derby by Milton C. Toby

Watching his gray colt Dancer’s Image win the 1968 Derby was supposed to be one of the happiest days of Peter Fulller’s life. Instead, only days after standing in the winner’s circle, Fuller’s colt was disqualified, a post-race urine test showing that the colt had a banned substance in his system at the time. Denying all of it, the owner spent years trying to restore his colt’s win, alleging that the system for collecting post-race samples and testing them was flawed and that the motive behind the disqualification went beyond that urine sample. Toby takes on the story of Dancer’s Image, analyzing the process that brought one Derby winner down and Fuller’s multi-year pursuit for the truth.

Taking Shergar: Thoroughbred Racing’s Most Famous Cold Case by Milton C. Toby

On a cold February night at Ballymany Stud in Ireland, masked men knocked on James Fitzgerald’s door, forcing the groom down the road to the stallion barn where Epsom and Irish Derby winner Shergar lived. In a crime that shocked racing and prompted heightened security at breeding farms around the world, the stallion was loaded on a van and driven off into the cold night, never to be seen again. Toby takes us through what happened that fateful night at Ballymany, the investigation that followed, and the lengths that authorities went to in search of the prized Thoroughbred. Taking Shergar is a must-read for any racing fan, exploring racing’s most famous cold case and keeping readers enthralled from the first word to the last.

Canonero II: The Rags to Riches Story of the Kentucky Derby’s Most Improbable Winner by Milton C. Toby

Speaking only Spanish, trainer Juan Arias brought his unlikely Kentucky Derby contender to Louisville for the 1971 Kentucky Derby and blew them all away. The Venezuelan team behind the Canonero II made the trip around the Triple Crown classics their own, one that almost had a storybook ending. Meet this forgotten sensation and the people behind him and follow along as Toby recounts this unexpected moment in racing history.

Noor: A Champion Thoroughbred’s Unlikely Journey from California to Kentucky by Milton C. Toby

Noor was a fair racehorse in England, but in America, he became a superstar. Purchased by Charles Howard, most famous for owning Seabiscuit, the son of Nasrullah came to California and beat the likes of Citation, Assault, and Hill Prince, setting track and world records in the process. When a real estate development threatened the Hall of Famer’s grave, Charlotte Farmer led the effort to bring the champion to Kentucky, where he was reburied at the famous Old Friends Equine Sanctuary. Toby’s book shares the story of this forgotten champion and the fight to find him an eternal resting place worthy of this superstar.