Some of horse racing's most respected authorities looked at feats of greatness, world records, legendary rivalries, and innovations to rank the sport's top 100 moments. They weighed individual accomplishments against industry initiatives, innovations against lucky breaks to come up with the definitive list. They pondered Secretariat's 31-length Belmont Stakes victory, Smarty Jones' elusive Triple Crown, the creation of the Breeders' Cup, and advancements in equine surgery. Racing's top 100 list will generate debate for years to come, just as did the ranking of Man o' War over Secretariat as Horse of the Century. Richly illustrated with historic and modern photos, Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments also contains comprehensive lists of leading earners, fastest times, highest prices, and most races won.
A beautiful production and a great idea. BUT, how does the 1980 Kentucky Derby win of filly Genuine Risk NOT make the list, or Seattle Slew's Triple Crown as the first undefeated winner? How about Tiznow's consecutive Breeders Cup Classics, YET the 1955 shooting of Nashua's owner William Woodward Jr. by his wife makes the list as a top moment, albeit at 98 or 99. How was that society, crime and later literary tragedy rank as a horse racing greatest moment? Overall a good read, and great pics-catch Afleet Alex, his jockey and the peppermint in the closing pages. Some choices may be to provoke discussion/argument, but some are simply puzzling.
I thought this book would include horse racing's top 100 *moments*. Instead it includes technological innovations, social justice events, fires, and shootings. Certainly these had an effect upon horse racing, but it's only with difficulty that these can be defined as moments in *horse racing*.
All the top horses up to that point in horse racing are featured, good resource for data not easy to find all in one place, great reference piece with nice photos that complement the publication.
These are not always good moments--sometimes they're terrible things like fires. But once you take that into consideration, it's a very reasonable list.
Another good read for any horse racing fan, and a good documentation of some of its most important occurrences.