{"title":"Horses In History","description":"\u003cp\u003eSaddle up and explore the fascinating role of horses throughout history. From war steeds to farm companions, discover tales of bravery, partnership, and the enduring bond between humans and equines.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"taking-shergar-book-milton-c-toby-9780813176239","title":"Taking Shergar","description":"It was a cold and foggy February night in 1983 when a group of armed thieves crept onto Ballymany Stud, near The Curragh in County Kildare, Ireland, to steal Shergar, one of the Thoroughbred industry's most renowned stallions. Bred and raced by the Aga Khan IV and trained in England by Sir Michael Stoute, Shergar achieved international prominence in 1981 when he won the 202nd Epsom Derby by ten lengths -- the longest winning margin in the race's history. The thieves demanded a hefty ransom for the safe return of one of the most valuable Thoroughbreds in the world, but the ransom was never paid and Shergar's remains have never been found. In Taking Shergar: Thoroughbred Racing's Most Famous Cold Case, Milton C. Toby presents an engaging narrative that is as thrilling as any mystery novel. The book provides new analysis of the body of evidence related to the stallion's disappearance, delves into the conspiracy theories that surround the inconclusive investigation, and presents a profile of the man who might be the last person able to help solve part of the mystery. Toby examines the extensive cast of suspects and their alleged motives, including the Irish Republican Army and their need for new weapons, a French bloodstock agent who died in Central Kentucky, and even the Libyan dictator, Muammar al-Qadhafi. This riveting account of the most notorious unsolved crime in the history of horse racing will captivate serious racing fans and aficionados as well as entertain a new generation of horse racing enthusiasts.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49550496235793,"sku":"GOR011851283","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49800170799377,"sku":"GOR012389614","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51008130580753,"sku":"NIN9780813176239","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0813176239.jpg?v=1750946993"},{"product_id":"dream-derby-book-avalyn-hunter-9780813198040","title":"Dream Derby","description":"On the morning of May 18, 1924, households across America opened their newspapers to the headline: \"Derby Winner Property of Indian Woman.\" The woman in question was Rosa Magnet Hoots, a member of the Oklahoma Osage Nation. The horse, draped in the iconic red roses signifying his victory in the fiftieth running of the Kentucky Derby, was Black Gold. In a sport defined by its exclusivity, the pair's unlikely appearance in the winner's circle set off a firestorm of speculation that would uncover an origin story stranger than fiction. Named for the oil that had been discovered in large quantities in Oklahoma at the time of his birth, Black Gold was born in 1921 to a mare named Useeit. At the start of her hard-knocking racing career, Useeit had been purchased by Al Hoots, for whom she won thirty-two of a staggering 122 races. What the mare lacked in regality, she made up for in gumption, a trait Hoots believed could propel her progeny to the hallowed ground of Churchill Downs.       Hoots himself would never see Black Gold, dying unexpectedly in 1917. But the legend that came to define the horse would begin with him. Languishing in his deathbed, Hoots claimed to have a prophetic dream that a colt born to Useeit would win the Kentucky Derby. He extracted a promise from his wife, Rosa, to breed the mare to the stallion Black Toney. The decision, which came to fruition three years after Hoots's death, would set in motion a story that would forever change Thoroughbred racing.      In Dream Derby: The Myth and Legend of Black Gold, author Avalyn Hunter explores the personalities and histories that surrounded Black Gold. Told against the backdrop of a make-or-break moment for American horse racing and politics at large and framed by the racial violence that rocked Tulsa in the 1920s, Black Gold's victory at the Golden Jubilee stands at the intersection of sport and history. Hunter's work looks behind every stall and tack room door and celebrates the hard work that goes into a great horse and its rivals.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49745484087569,"sku":"NGR9780813198040","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0813198046.jpg?v=1751264623"},{"product_id":"unnatural-ability-book-milton-c-toby-9780813197432","title":"Unnatural Ability","description":"In 2021, horse racing's most recognizable face - Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert - had five horses that failed postrace drug tests, including that year's Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit. While the incident was a major scandal in the Thoroughbred racing world, it was only the latest in a long string of drug-related infractions among high-caliber athletes. Stories about systemic rule-breaking and \"doping culture\" - both human and equine  -have put world-class athletes and their trainers under intense scrutiny. Each newly discovered instance of abuse forces fans to question the participants' integrity, and in the case of horse racing, their humanity.    _In Unnatural Ability: The History of Performance-Enhancing Drugs in Thoroughbred Racing_, Milton C. Toby addresses the historical and contemporary context of the Thoroughbred industry's most pressing issue. While early attempts at boosting racehorses' performance were admittedly crude, widespread legal access to narcotics and stimulants has changed the landscape of horse racing, along with athletic governing bodies' ability to regulate it. With the sport at a critical turning point in terms of doping restrictions and sports betting, Toby delivers a comprehensive account of the practice of using performance-enhancing drugs to influence the outcome of Thoroughbred races since the late nineteenth century. Paying special attention to Thoroughbred racing's purse structure and its reliance on wagering to supplement a horse's winnings, Toby discusses how horse doping poses a unique challenge for gambling sports and what the industry and its players must do to survive the pressure to get ahead.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49746982797585,"sku":"NGR9780813197432","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0813197430.jpg?v=1751201410"},{"product_id":"sky-watch-book-emma-hudelson-9780813199108","title":"Sky Watch","description":"Horse shows used to draw crowds by the thousands to state fairs and venues like Madison Square Garden. And in the 1980s, no performance horse filled more arena seats than the American Saddlebred Sky Watch. He pushed the saddle seat industry to a peak that hasn't been seen since. An athlete through and through, the stallion dominated the sport with the same power and intensity as a Kentucky Derby winner. With unmatched talent, his career was one for the history books, earning four World Grand Championships and twelve World titles overall. Years after he finished competing, videos of Sky Watch's legacy in the ring captured the heart of author and lifelong horsewoman Emma Hudelson. Her fascination with the unstoppable stallion sent her on a journey to discover how a horse becomes a legend, convinced that if she can capture the magic behind the greatest show horse of all time, maybe she can understand her own obsession with Saddlebreds.    Sky Watch: Chasing an American Saddlebred Story is not only the tale of a remarkable horse, but of the American Saddlebred breed and the way these horses carried one rider back to herself. Tracking the path of Sky Watch's success, Hudelson's book is a deeply personal homage to one of the sport's greatest show horses and the indelible impression he left on the breed and in the hearts of those who loved him.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49754420674833,"sku":"NGR9780813199108","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51008155320593,"sku":"NIN9780813199108","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0813199107.jpg?v=1751233446"},{"product_id":"kentucky-oaks-book-avalyn-hunter-9781985900349","title":"The Kentucky Oaks","description":"No Thoroughbred race in the state of Kentucky holds a more hallowed place in the national and international consciousness than the Kentucky Derby.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49754472218897,"sku":"NGR9781985900349","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":50994703302929,"sku":"NIN9781985900349","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1985900343.jpg?v=1751427854"},{"product_id":"sir-barton-and-the-making-of-the-triple-crown-book-jennifer-s-kelly-9780813177168","title":"Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown","description":"He was always destined to be a champion. Royally bred, with English and American classic winners in his pedigree, Sir Barton shone from birth, dubbed the \"king of them all.\" But after a winless two-year-old season and a near-fatal illness, uncertainty clouded the start of Sir Barton's three-year-old season. Then his surprise victory in America's signature race, the Kentucky Derby, started him on the road to history, where he would go on to dominate the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, completing America's first Triple Crown.  His wins inspired the ultimate chase for greatness in American horse racing and established an elite group that would grow to include legends like Citation, Secretariat, and American Pharoah. After a series of dynamic wins in 1920, popular opinion tapped Sir Barton as the best challenger for the wonder horse Man o' War, and demanded a match race to settle once and for all which horse was the greatest. That duel would cement the reputation of one horse for all time and diminish the reputation of the other for the next century -- until now.  Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown is the first book to focus on Sir Barton, his career, and his historic impact on horse racing. Author Jennifer S. Kelly uses extensive research and historical sources to examine this champion's life and achievements. Kelly charts how Sir Barton broke track records, scored victories over other champions, and sparked the yearly pursuit of Triple Crown glory. This book reveals the legacy of Sir Barton and his seminal contributions to Thoroughbred racing one hundred years after his pioneering achievement.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49992453390609,"sku":"CIN0813177162G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0813177162.jpg?v=1750703172"},{"product_id":"spectacular-bid-book-peter-lee-9780813177809","title":"Spectacular Bid","description":"A safety pin was all that kept Spectacular Bid from becoming the eleventh Thoroughbred to take the Triple Crown. This work examines Spectacular Bid from his humble beginnings -- he was born in a mud puddle on a horse farm in Versailles, Kentucky -- to his recognition as one of the greatest American racehorses.  On the morning of the 1979 Belmont Stakes, Spectacular Bid stepped on a safety pin in his stall, injuring his foot. He had impressively won the first two races -- the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness -- but finished third in the Belmont, most likely due to his injury, making him one win shy of becoming the sport's third straight Triple Crown champion.  But that loss did not prevent him from becoming one of horse racing's greatest competitors. After taking two months to recover, the battleship gray colt would go on to win 26 of 30 races during his career, with two second-place finishes and one third. He was voted the tenth greatest Thoroughbred of the twentieth century according to  Blood-Horse magazine, and  A Century of Champions places him ninth in the world and third among North American horses -- even ahead of the renowned Man o' War. This horse biography tells the story of the honest and not-so-glamorous colorful characters surrounding the champion -- including Bud Delp, the brash and cocky trainer who was distrustful of the Kentucky establishment, and Ron Franklin, the nineteen-year-old jockey who buckled under the stress and pressure associated with fame -- and how they witnessed firsthand the splendor and triumphs of Spectacular Bid. Including contemporary newspaper accounts of Bid's exploits and interviews with key players in his story, this is an encompassing look into the legacy of one of horse racing's true champions.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50229037072657,"sku":"CIN0813177804G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51008051544337,"sku":"NIN9780813177809","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0813177804.jpg?v=1751329226"},{"product_id":"racing-for-america-book-james-c-nicholson-9780813180649","title":"Racing for America","description":"Remembers a blockbuster event and its legacy for American racing.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":50763171594513,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50763173724433,"sku":"CIN0813180643G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0813180643.jpg?v=1751170391"},{"product_id":"astride-book-eliza-mcgraw-9781985901285","title":"Astride","description":"On March 3, 1913, a quarter of a million people gathered in Washington, DC, to watch five thousand female suffragists march down Pennsylvania Avenue, headed by a cohort of equestrians in breeches and plumed hats. From atop a white horse, wearing long white boots and a cloak emblazoned with a Maltese cross, Inez Milholland rallied her compatriots against hecklers. Channeling Joan of Arc, Milholland appeared strong and fearless as she sat astride her horse._x000D_ The latter half of the 1800s ushered in a golden age of the horse that found more American women riding—both aside and astride—as they commanded presence in the public sphere. Reporters filed riding-craze stories about Manhattan socialites shopping on horseback, women who exercised on hobby horses, and women who worked as horsebreakers, cattle rustlers, or jockeys. In Astride: Horses, Women, and a Partnership That Shaped America, Eliza McGraw weaves together stories of women who pioneered in worlds such as Thoroughbred breeding, the circus, and horse rescue at a time when American women in general internalized the lessons of horsewomen: take chances, take up more space, and learn to get back on._x000D_ From tamers to caretakers and performers to teachers, all worked with horses to buck the status quo. Expressing the idea of femininity with athleticism and authority, these trailblazers changed the way America understood women. Richly illustrated with period photographs, Astride demonstrates that even small changes can advance the fight for progress.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51384833868049,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51384835571985,"sku":"NIN9781985901285","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":51940612145425,"sku":"NGR9781985901285","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53118181409041,"sku":"CIN1985901285G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1985901285.jpg?v=1751985745"},{"product_id":"landaluce-book-mary-perdue-9781985901919","title":"Landaluce","description":"When Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew retired from racing in 1978 to stand at stud at Spendthrift Farm, no one could be certain he would be a successful sire. But just four years later, his dark bay daughter Landaluce won the Hollywood Lassie Stakes by twenty-one lengths—a margin of victory that remains the largest ever in any race by a two-year-old at Hollywood Park. California horse racing had a new superstar, and Slew was launched on a stud career that would make him one of the most influential sires in North America. Like her father, Landaluce soon became a national celebrity, and was poised to become the next American super-horse. But those dreams ended when the two-year-old died in her stall at Santa Anita four months later, the victim of a swift and mysterious illness. Today, with her \"I Love Luce\" bumper stickers long gone, the filly has been largely forgotten._x000D_ In Landaluce: The Story of Seattle Slew's First Champion, Mary Perdue tells the story of a horse whose short but meteoric career could have changed racing history forever. Sparking comparisons to Ruffian, Landaluce helped elevate California horse racing to the national stage and could have been the first filly to ever win the Triple Crown. Perdue explores the lives and careers of Landaluce's breeders, owners, and trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, as well as her famous sire, Seattle Slew—and shows not only how one filly captured the imagination of racing fans across the country, but also set the stage for another filly turned super-horse, Zenyatta, in the decades to come._x000D_ Find out more at landalucebook.com","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51680219758865,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51680219955473,"sku":"NIN9781985901919","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":51940621025553,"sku":"NGR9781985901919","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1985901919.jpg?v=1751986679"},{"product_id":"racing-s-return-from-the-brink-book-james-c-nicholson-9781985902503","title":"Racing's Return from the Brink","description":"At the dawn of the twentieth century, American horse racing clung to a precarious existence. A wave of antigambling legislation threatened to destroy the industry until one extraordinary Thoroughbred gelding, dubbed the \"Miracle Horse\" by the media, helped steer it away from extinction._x000D_ In Racing's Return from the Brink, James C. Nicholson tells the story of Old Rosebud within the context of the volatile cultural and political environment of the early 1900s. Named for a brand of bourbon produced by his owners' family distillery, Old Rosebud set a track record when he won the 1914 Kentucky Derby by eight lengths. After sustaining an injury in his next race, Old Rosebud was sidelined for years before returning to the track, ultimately recording forty wins in a career that lasted until 1922. Meanwhile, opportune promotion from certain pillars of the Thoroughbred racing community sold policymakers and the public on the notion that horse racing was vital to US security at a time when the Mexican Revolution and World War I were still fresh in Americans' minds._x000D_ Though his fame has since faded, Old Rosebud was one of the most talented racehorses of his era and was once among the most recognizable names in US sports. Racing's Return from the Brink is the first book to examine this critical period in American Thoroughbred racing history and one of the sport's forgotten superstars.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51706461421841,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":51706461454609,"sku":"NIN9781985902503","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":51940619944209,"sku":"NGR9781985902503","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ LIKE_NEW \/ SBYB","offer_id":52879504736529,"sku":"CIN1985902508LN","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1985902508.jpg?v=1772035655"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/horses-in-history-book-series.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}