Jennifer S. Kelly's Blog, page 5

Tools of the Trade: More on Interlibrary Loan

You might be a frequent patron of your local library, but have you ever taken advantage of their interlibrary loan services? NO? If you haven’t, my earliest post on ILL can help you learn more about this essential service. I have several ILL books sitting on my desk at the moment as I work on my next project and, in order to share more on this important service, I thought I would ask my local ILL librarian, Misty Perkins, about her job at the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library. Go for it, Misty!

Tell us about the process of interlibrary loan once you receive a request from a patron.

Once I receive a request, I will go to the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC)’s website and log into the WorldShare Interlibrary Loan service. From there I usually search for an item by title, title and author, or by ISBN. I find the correct item, click on the title, and look for supplying libraries nearby. I start looking in state first and then if I cannot find what I am looking for I expand outwards to surrounding states. I can select different libraries from different states; this creates what is called a lender string. For example, if Birmingham Public Library had the item, but their patron had the book checked out, they would select “no” to the request and it would go to the next library in the string. I wait for a library to select “yes” or “no” or “conditional” to the request. When a supplying library selects “Yes”, the item moves to the “in transit” tab. This process in receiving the material can take as little as 5 days or up to 3 months. Upon the book’s arrival, I open the packaging and inspect the book. Sometimes, if the request was really challenging, I rejoice. Most of the time, I’m just happy the item made it to HMCPL safely. Plus, opening mail packages every day is like having my own personal library birthday every day. I combine my paperwork with paperwork from the supplying library along with a thank you slip. Then I have to add the item to the catalog. I do this by creating a unique barcode for the item. I determine the due date from the paperwork sent by the supplying library. I catalog all this information into our catalog. I bring up the patron’s account, charge their account for the ILL item, check the item out to them, and then I contact the patron via email or phone to let them know the item has arrived.

What is your typical day like?

BUSY! I’m usually at the Information and Business Center and I bounce from reference questions to cataloging serials to processing ILL items, to fixing a computer problem and then submitting an ILL request. It is a fast paced, multifaceted job. I wear many hats at the library.

What is your favorite part of your job?

Helping people. I love helping people. Whether it is answering a reference question, finally ordering a newspaper multiple patrons ask for, or getting that rare book a patron requested- it is all rewarding to me. My goal is to help the patron connect to or find the information they seek.

In your time with ILL, what has surprised you most?

The lack of open-source material and the fees associated with information. Librarians are guardians of the repositories of knowledge, and I believe information should be free. However, many universities that are suppliers of books charge fees and I’m always disappointed when I have to inform a patron that the item they requested is going to cost more than the fee we charge.

Another interesting thing is how I can have two patrons who do not know each other, working on completely different projects, yet request the same thing at the same time. It is bizarre when it happens, but it happens at least once or twice a year.

What would you like your patrons to know about your area of the library?

This process is slow and can take time. I can’t guarantee I will always be able to obtain the item requested, but if you are seeking something that the library does not have, please submit a request. I will be more than happy to see if we can get it through Interlibrary Loan services.

Thank you, Misty, for answering my questions and for being such an integral part of my job! If you haven’t taken advantage of this service at your local library, I highly recommend that you give it a try. Many thanks to all librarians out there for being the guardians of knowledge for all patrons in their communities.

 

Tools of the Trade: More on the Keeneland Library

The Keeneland Library is a valuable resource for anyone who works in the sport of horse racing in literally any capacity. For writers, it is the home of the richest collection of publications, photographs, and other resources that one would need to create any book on the sport. For anyone working on breeding or a fan who wants to find more on their favorite horses, the Library will help any patron find the information necessary to answer nearly any question out there. As a follow-up to my post on the Library, I wanted to find out more about the Library experience from Roda Ferraro, the head librarian at the Keeneland Library. Read on!

The Keeneland Library houses the largest collection of materials on horse racing in the country! What is your typical day at this unique library like?

There really isn’t a typical day here. I come in each morning with goals and expectations, but there is no way to predict who may walk through our doors or reach out through email or phone. We field several hundred research requests each month, and I spend much of my day meeting those requests.

When I am not consulting with patrons or doing research, my time is spread across other efforts, including preservation projects, strategic planning, collections management, and developing library exhibits, programs, and events. I index our incoming print journals and magazines so future researchers can tap into today’s stories. I also collaborate with other library staff to build our research files, selecting articles that cover the trends and events most likely to be used by researchers in 10 or 50 years. Last year, we added roughly 5,000 articles to that repository.

So each day really is a mixed bag, and I am fortunate enough to work with a small, but dedicated team to take on the range of work.

What is your favorite part of the Library?

This is tough. The depth of our collections impresses me every day, but I would have to say our patrons are my favorite part of the Library. I have worked in libraries, museums, and universities for more than 15 years, and there are no patrons more passionate about their research than ours. I enjoy connecting them to the right information resources, and it is especially gratifying to watch them take a shared research effort and publish a new piece of the industry record.

What about your job surprises you the most?

The variety of research topics. From bloodlines and equine diseases to farm and track history, and from legislation and public perception to the biography of horses and people; if you can dream up a question remotely related to racing, we get it. I’m not sure I will ever stop being surprised by the range of inquiry.

Who is the most famous person you’ve helped?

Well, I can’t name specific people (librarian/patron confidentiality). As for working with esteemed patrons, I have worked with Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, international news agencies, Hall of Famers, Media Eclipse Award winners, and various industry publication award recipients.

Talk a little about what the Keeneland Library can do for writers like me and what you can do for the average fan.

There is a wealth of industry information and databases freely available online, but we can help broker access to 1) information that predates online content and 2) print resources that greatly outnumber online resources. Patrons often share they are frustrated they can’t find their answers online, despite considerable searches. That’s where we come in. From the 1700s to the present, no other repository approaches the scope of our industry print resources. They prove valuable every day to both writers and racing fans. Additionally, I have access to newspaper and journal databases not available to the public.

The majority of our research requests come from folks from all over the world who are either facing a tight deadline or can’t make it to visit us here in Lexington. We do our best to connect them to relevant, vetted information to meet their varied needs.

We are also the repository for roughly one million photo negatives and prints. We grant permission to use thousands of images each year to support online and print publications, museum exhibitions, and personal research projects.

We don’t find the answers every time. And we don’t always have the book, journal issue, or photograph someone may need. But we strive to be a responsive, freely available resource for all of our patrons.

Thank you, Roda, for answering my questions and being part of the blog. Roda was instrumental in helping me prepare the book for publication, including the vast majority of the photographs you will find in the book. If you have a chance to visit Keeneland, please stop by the library and say hi to all of the wonderful staff there!

Tools of the Trade: More on the Daily Racing Form Archive

Becky Ryder, director of the Keeneland Library, supervised the creation of the Daily Racing Form archive in 2007, overseeing everything from scanning the fragile pages of more than a century’s worth of the DRF to creating the digital archive for anyone to use. To follow up my earlier post on this important tool, I wanted to find out more about the archive and its creation from Ms. Ryder. Read on to learn more about this important repository of racing history!

How did you become involved with this project to archive the Daily Racing Form?

When the Daily Racing Form, Inc. placed the massive archive dating back to 1896 at Keeneland in 2000, I was the Head of Preservations Services at the University of Kentucky Libraries where my department specialized in the preservation of newspapers.  Cathy Schenck, Head Librarian at that time, contacted me for advice on how to stabilize and preserve the over 3,000 bound volumes of fragile newsprint and how to make them more accessible to patrons.  Eventually, this led to an invitation to write a proposal to do a pilot project focusing on Triple Crown coverage from 1896 to 1990.  Keeneland accepted UK’s proposal and “Partnering to Preserve Racing’s Rich History” was born.

Tell us about the process of archiving one issue of the DRF.

When most people think of the Daily Racing Form, they visualize the tabloid newspaper they purchased at the track and probably discarded after the races. Keeneland’s DRF archive comprises large bound volumes usually including all the issues for anywhere from 1 week to 6 months depending on the size of the paper.  Based on experience, I knew these large volumes would need to be taken apart and separated into single pages.  And before you take them apart, you have to know exactly what you have so that you can keep everything in order.  So, the first step is what we call “collation,” a page-by-page inspection to determine the number of pages and the “look and feel” of bound volumes.  Once we’ve recorded that information, we take the volumes apart, first in sections, then into separate pages.  Once pages are separated, they are placed in archival folders, and the folders go into custom-sized archival boxes.  Now they are ready for image capture.  At UK, we used a “hybrid” methodology employing microfilm and digital imaging.  The Forms were filmed on reels, then the reels were fed through a film scanner to create the digital images.  Since Keeneland’s DRF archive is probably the most complete copy of the Form in the world, we felt the redundancy of microfilm and digital was a hedge against potential disasters.  After the digital images were created, a number steps, some automated and some manual, were employed to make the newspaper text searchable.  When the “package” of images, searchable text, and other identifying information were complete, the package was loaded into a repository where images are both preserved and made accessible to you, the patron.

What about this project surprised you most?

Probably the large number of racetracks operating in the early 20th century.  More than half of them no longer exist.  That means the coverage provided by the  Daily Racing Form about those venues is very important for researchers.

What response have you received from people both inside and outside of horse racing?

Very, very positive.   People continue to ask us for more content.  The online archive serves the needs of equine industry researchers like you, and it also serves the needs of family researchers and other historians who want to know about their relatives, or who study advertising trends, or track fashion trends, or other social history topics.  The DRF’s companion newspaper, The Morning Telegraph touts itself as “America’s Oldest Authority on Motion Pictures, Theatre, and the Turf.”  There is a wealth of social history research to be gleaned from the Telegraph. 

What’s next for the DRF archive?

I would like to secure funding to ramp up the project again.  When that is lined up, we will systematically, chronologically add to the online archive ensuring that the oldest, most fragile DRFs are converted first.  We would also like to begin the conversion process for The Morning Telegraph.

Many thanks to Becky for her work on this project as well as her help each time I have visited the Keeneland Library. Thank you for being a part of the blog, Becky!

Tools of the Trade: The Keeneland Library

[image error]As a reader, a student, and now as a writer, I have spent my share of days in a library. As a child, I searched for books on horse racing and other interests, the shelves and shelves of tomes on all sorts of subjects my sole source of research in the pre-Internet days. My days of writing research papers from high school to graduate school meant that I spent hours pouring over shelves and through journals, seeking the right sources for whatever argument I was making. Writing this book on Sir Barton meant that I needed to seek THE library in this country that contains 99.9% of what an author like me would need: the Keeneland Library, the single greatest collection of books, photographs, and publications about horse racing in the country.

[image error]Located on the grounds of Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, KY, the Library is a beautiful tribute to the history of horse racing. Its soaring ceilings lit by beautiful bowl lights welcome you into this quiet cathedral celebrating everything Thoroughbred. Its walnut cabinets are stately homes to the vast array of sources necessary to tell the stories you seek. Their wide tables and comfy chairs allow you to spread out the books and bound volumes of Daily Racing Form or the Thoroughbred Record. Rare books that might cost hundreds or thousands of dollars to acquire rest on their shelves, available to any member of the public who wishes to peruse them. I spent many hours in the quiet there, seeking the bits of information I would need to tell Sir Barton’s story in full.

[image error]The Library does not circulate its holdings; patrons can read while they’re present in the library, but cannot check out any of its items. The staff of professional librarians is happy to answer any question you may have, whether you are looking for something about Man o’ War or asking about 18th-century horsemanship. Its holdings include Charles Cook’s extensive collection of photographs from the early 1900s; every volume of the American Stud Book, dating back to 1896; and extensive collections of the Daily Racing Form, The Blood-Horse, and the Thoroughbred Record. The Library’s collections are so extensive that it would take you years to go through every nook and cranny to find all of the gems housed there.

For me, my favorite part of my time there was simply being there. Chatting with the librarians. Ticking needed items off my list. Combing through volumes of print sources that were a century old, looking for Sir Barton’s name. The Library is a special place for anyone who loves racing and the horses that have touched us, years of Kentucky Derbies and Triple Crowns and the personalities that have made those experiences memorable. If you’re ever in Lexington, visit the Keeneland Library. Spend an hour or two in quiet tribute to the Thoroughbred and find that photograph or article that encapsulates a moment you treasure. (Interested? You can search their online catalog as well.)

The Keeneland Library Lecture Series

[image error]The Keeneland Library renewed its lecture series in October with a visit from Milt Toby, author of Taking Shergar, the first book published in the University Press of Kentucky’s Horses in History imprint. In May, I will be appearing at the Library in support of Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown, the second book in the Horses in History imprint. On May 14th at 6:30 pm, please join me and the staff of the Library for a special presentation on Sir Barton. Afterward, the Library will host a reception and a book signing, with a limited number of books available to purchase. The event is free and open to the public. I hope you will join me for this special evening!

Tools of the Trade: Interlibrary Loan

Libraries are the greatest resources any society can create for itself: a repository of books, documents, visual media, and more that anyone can access either for free or for minimal cost. When we were kids, our school libraries were fun places to find books that sated our thirst for knowledge or imagination. In high school and college, libraries became the source of necessary information for expanding on our ideas, to prove or disprove any argument that we needed to make for that all-important research paper. For this writer and for you guys, my readers, the library provides another amazing resource: Interlibrary Loan.

What is Interlibrary Loan?

Interlibrary loan is a service where a patron of one library can request materials owned by another library. If you haven’t used this resource before, ILL is a great way to access books, articles, visual media, etc. that your library or library system may not own. The service is available to any library patron: as long as you have a library card, you can use ILL. Once you make a request, your librarians will search a database of participating libraries to see who has the item and what their terms are for lending it. Want to find an article in a magazine that your library doesn’t carry? ILL. Want to read a book that your library doesn’t currently own? ILL. Want to check out a movie that you can’t find in your area? ILL. For a small fee, you can have access to nearly any resource your library may not have in their collection; your time with that item will vary based on the terms the lending library sets. For example, I wanted to read a book on the Hillsborough disaster after watching a documentary on an inquiry into that event. None of the libraries nearby owned the book so I made an ILL request; within two weeks, I had the book in my hands, from the library at Quantico. Amazing!

For my book on Sir Barton, I relied on interlibrary loan to help me access books that I suspected might be useful, but either were too rare to be purchased affordably or only had a small section that I wanted to read. ILL allowed me to access those resources for a small fee and, within a few days or weeks, I had them in my hands. Some of those books I ended up purchasing because I saw that I would need them for more time than the ILL period allowed; others I would copy the pages I needed and then return them.

[image error]This stack encompasses most of the books I used while researching Sir Barton’s story. A few were already in my library; Boots and Saddles was an essential purchase that I made early. The rest were all books that I have checked out through ILL and then subsequently purchased in order to have these as permanent parts of my library for this book and for any subsequent research. Without access to a service like ILL, I would have had to purchase all of these books sight unseen, which not always a wise use of resources.

Have a book you’re interested in but not sure you’re ready to purchase? Visit your local library and see if they have it on hand. If they don’t, consider using interlibrary loan to find that precious resource. Libraries provide so many services that benefit researchers and writers like me, but, more importantly, for you as a reader and a citizen. I hope you’ll pay yours a visit and discover all of their bounty again.

Tools of the Trade: Daily Racing Form Archive

When I started researching Sir Barton’s career, I knew I had to start with the individual races themselves before I worked to connect the dots between them. The best place to find all of the details of his starts was the Daily Racing Form, the source of form charts and articles about the previous day’s races and other news going back to 1894. The only problem? The Keeneland Library is five hours away! Yikes! How was I going to do this research? Cue the Daily Racing Form archive.

[image error]The archive houses digital scans of the DRF, a collection of 78,000 pages and 305,000 articles going all the way back to issues from late March 1896. You can look at issues by date or use the search to find a specific horse or human. Once you find what you need, you can even download the article and save it as a PDF. The best part? It’s FREE! As long as you have access to the internet, you can read about everything from Colin or Sysonby’s dominant careers in the early part of the 20th century to Exterminator’s surprise Kentucky Derby victory in 1918 to all 31 of Sir Barton’s starts from 1918-1920. The archive also has pages collecting the form charts and articles for the Triple Crown races covering nearly 60 years of racing history.

For me, the archive was the starting point for writing the first draft of Sir Barton’s story. I was able to write about each of his races with the form charts and articles from the archive and then understand where the gaps in my information were so that I could continue my research. As a writer, this resource is invaluable: it allowed me to conduct searches for information on Sir Barton and his connections from the comfort of my home. I was able to save every article I needed and return over and over to find more.

Now, for racing fans, this resource opens up the past, giving anyone the chance to find out more about their favorite racehorse. So far, the archive covers most of the first part of the 20th century, so if you want to find Man o’ War’s form charts, they’re all there; if you want to find Secretariat’s, those issues have yet to be scanned.

Take a deep dive into the history of racing through the Daily Racing Form archive. Marvel at the writing of Exile and other storied turf writers as you hunt for more on the horses you love. Let me know what gems you find buried deep in the archives.

Tools of the Trade: Daily Racing Form archive

When I started researching Sir Barton’s career, I knew I had to start with the individual races themselves before I worked to connect the dots between them. The best place to find all of the details of his starts was the Daily Racing Form, the source of form charts and articles about the previous day’s races and other news going back to 1894. The only problem? The Keeneland Library is five hours away! Yikes! How was I going to do this research? Cue the Daily Racing Form archive.

[image error]Located here, the archive houses digital scans of the DRF going all the way back to issues from late March 1896, a collection of 78,000 pages and 305,000 articles. You can look at issues by date or use the search to find a specific horse or human. Once you find what you need, you can even download the article and save it as a PDF. The best part? It’s FREE! As long as you have access to the internet, you can read about everything from Colin or Sysonby’s dominant careers in the early part of the 20th century to Exterminator’s surprise Kentucky Derby victory in 1918 to all 31 of Sir Barton’s starts from 1918-1920. The archive also has pages collecting the form charts and articles for the Triple Crown races covering nearly 60 years of racing history.

For me, the archive was the starting point for writing the first draft of Sir Barton’s story. I was able to write about each of his races with the form charts and articles from the archive and then understand where the gaps in my information were so that I could continue my research. As a writer, this resource is invaluable: it allowed me to conduct searches for information on Sir Barton and his connections from the comfort of my home. I was able to save every article I needed and return over and over to find more.

Now, for racing fans, this resource opens up the past, giving anyone the chance to find out more about their favorite racehorse. So far, the archive covers most of the first part of the 20th century, so if you want to find Man o’ War’s form charts, they’re all there; if you want to find Secretariat’s, those issues have yet to be scanned.

Take a deep dive into the history of racing through the Daily Racing Form archive. Marvel at the writing of Exile and other storied turf writers as you hunt for more on the horses you love. Let me know what gems you find buried deep in the archives.

Commander Ross Tries Again

One of the perils of writing is the inevitable cuts that one has to make in order to meet a word count. Commander Ross’s purchase of the filly Constancy is one of those interesting moments that occurred during Sir Barton’s career, but, since Sir Barton himself is not part of this story, this tidbit had to go. However, I wanted to share this with you here on the blog as Constancy became one of the first mares Sir Barton covered when he retired to stud duty at Audley Farm in Virginia. 

One of the features of Saratoga’s August meet was the showcasing of juvenile talent; Man o’ War was the flashiest and most dominant of the juveniles, but other stables had their own hopefuls on display as well. Ross’s juveniles included colts King Thrush, Trench Mortar, Irish Dancer, and Royal Jester as well as fillies His Choice and Bryngar. King Thrush was the first of the Ross juveniles to run at Saratoga, finishing third in the Flash Stakes on August 1st and then faced Man o’ War in the Grand Union Hotel Stakes, finishing fourth behind the big red colt. With the exception of Bryngar and His Choice, none of Ross’s other two-year-olds ran at Saratoga, leaving the stable light on horses to challenge the big red colt – until Ross made a deal with Arthur B. Hancock that brought the filly Constancy into the fold.

So dominant was Man o’ War that each sparkling performance by another two-year-old made that horse the leading candidate to beat the Riddle colt. Looking for a horse that could challenge Big Red led Commander Ross to Hancock’s Claiborne Farm. While in England, Hancock had spotted the mare Simena’s Daughter at a bloodstock sale and bought her and the filly who became Constancy for 700 guineas (~US $50,000 today). He imported them both back to the United States, where Simena’s Daughter became part of Claiborne’s breeding stock and Constancy part of their racing stable. Ross spotted the filly at Aqueduct, where she made her first two starts, finishing out of the money. However, Hancock had assured the Commander that her private trials had demonstrated that Constancy possessed speed. For an undisclosed sum, Ross brought the filly into his stable and noticed that she resembled Milkmaid, information that Bedwell and Ross put to good use later as she approached her first start in Ross colors.

Ross’s reputation as the consummate sportsman made his interest in thoroughbred racing similar to his love for sailing: he enjoyed the sport for the sake of the sport, rather than for profit. However, as the beneficiary of his father James Ross’s sizable estate, Commander Ross was able to enjoy another pastime with his wealth: gambling. Whereas his father might have eschewed that part of racing, Jack Ross enjoyed the wagering side of sports almost as much as he enjoyed the sports themselves. His bet with Arnold Rothstein prior to the 1919 Kentucky Derby netted him a cool $50,000 in addition to the first and second place monies that Sir Barton and Billy Kelly received.

While Commander Ross’ son JKM Ross insists that his father’s wagers were not so sizable when his fortune in 1919 was taken into account, it was common knowledge that the Commander was fond of a good-sized bet. However, his stable’s winning ways made it harder and harder to get a good price on his horses; with shorter odds, the profit was smaller, a less-than-ideal circumstance for a gambling man. When Arthur Hancock brought Constancy to their attention, he sold Ross on the bay filly through a six-furlong workout that saw the filly run the distance in the same time that Upset would in beating Man o’ War in the Sanford, 1:11 1/5. Now part of the Ross Stable, Constancy was entered in the Spinaway Stakes along with stablemate His Choice.

Because she had started only twice, both in July and both at Aqueduct, Constancy was relatively unknown to most, which presented Commander Ross with an opportunity to get long odds and a sizable payout on one of his horses – as long as she remained under the bookmakers’ radar. Just before the Spinaway, though, Bedwell knew that the filly needed a good breeze to get her ready for her next start. In an effort to keep Constancy’s speed outside the notice of those around Saratoga, Ross and Bedwell, accompanied by young JKM, brought the filly out for an early morning workout under the cover of pre-dawn darkness. Their third-string jockey Tom Nolan rode the filly in her half-mile breeze of 44 3/5 seconds, an impressive time especially for a two-year-old. When the group went to breakfast, one of the bookmaker’s scouts stopped them to comment on the workout. “’Well, Commander, you nearly got away with it […] It’s easy to see that Milkmaid is certainly fit.’” With Constancy mistaken for Milkmaid and thus her potential speed kept under wraps, Ross was able to keep the filly at high odds leading into the Spinaway.

He entered his newest acquisition with His Choice, and, in his continued efforts to keep his odds on Constancy higher, he tapped Nolan to ride her in the race and put Johnny Loftus, the best jockey in the country, on His Choice. Since His Choice had a mixed record coming in and Constancy herself was still a maiden, the odds that both Ross men got for their entry were 15-1. Once the elder Ross had placed his bets, most of which were sizable, the younger Ross handed his slip to the bookmakers, who saw the amount and knew that something was afoot. By the time the field went to the post, the odds on Constancy and His Choice were down to 4-1, but everyone in the Ross contingent – even the family’s chauffeur, George Clacy – had placed bets on the fillies at the higher odds and thus were guaranteed a happy payout if the fillies came home in front.

Constancy fulfilled her morning promises with a wire-to-wire win in the Spinaway, setting a stakes record of 1:05 3/5 for five-and-a-half furlongs. Not only did she run away with the race and a purse of $7,500, but she also netted everyone a hefty profit. Even George Clacy came away with $1,000 from his wager. Arthur Hancock profited from the win as well, coming away with a rumored $25,000 for the filly, her purchase predicated on whether or not she could win the Spinaway.

Never one to shirk a challenge, Ross’s purchase of Constancy also gave him a second horse to challenge Big Red. The first, King Thrush, was the stable’s main hope for the next year’s classics, had finished behind Man o’ War in their meetings. That left Constancy to carry the torch for the Ross Stable in the Hopeful Stakes on the last day of the Saratoga meet.

Seven others went to the post with Man o’ War for the Hopeful, including his erstwhile conqueror, Upset. Constancy carried 124 pounds while Man o’ War was again at 130 pounds and Upset at 125; her win in the Spinaway earned her the higher weight, but she held an advantage over Man o’ War – in theory – with the six-pound advantage. She stood in the fifth post position with Red just to her left at post position three. Upset stood just to her right, but she got a jump on him and Man o’ War when the barrier flew up. She flew out to the lead, one of the few horses to get ahead of Man o’ War in his dominant career, and held on to that lead until the field came out of the turn and started down the stretch. Loftus then moved on Man o’ War, passing Constancy at his leisure and pulling out to a four-length win in the six-furlong Hopeful. Constancy’s fast fractions on a slow track had her fading at race’s end, finishing third behind another filly, Cleopatra. No matter what anyone, even Commander Ross with his deep pockets, threw at him, Man o’ War continued to win and all the rest of the racing world could do was try to find another Upset.

What do you think about the story of Constancy? Her mating with Sir Barton produced a filly named Fiducia, who raced for Commander Ross with limited success.

Author Answers: Phil Dandrea

[image error]Recently, I had the joy of reading and writing about Phil Dandrea’s book Sham: Great Was Second Best here on the blog. Sham had a great career of his own, winning races like the Santa Anita Derby, but happened to be born in the same year as the second-best horse of the 20th century. Now, let’s hear from the author himself and find out a little bit more about writing this book on the horse that pushed Secretariat during his 1973 Triple Crown run.

Sham had a great career of his own, but he also happened to be running alongside Secretariat. What made you want to look deeper at Sham and his career?

I remembered Secretariat from when I was a boy. His name was everywhere during the Triple Crown races. When ESPN did a show listing him among the greatest athletes of the 20th century, it sounded like no horse could get near him on the track. Then they mentioned his rival, Sham, and how he challenged Secretariat. Originally, I wanted to find a book about Sham. I looked on-line, back around 2000, 2001, but I didn’t come up with much. What little I did find I used in a column I wrote for a course in graduate school. After lots of research and interviews and road trips, the column became the manuscript for my graduate thesis project, which (after more research) evolved into the book.

So many racing fans know Secretariat, but may not know Sham at all beyond any mention in the 1973 Triple Crown race calls. What did Sham’s presence in those races do for how the classics played out that year?

When Secretariat won the Triple Crown, he had to break a few records in order to beat Sham.  I don’t think Secretariat would have run the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in record times if there were no need for Ron Turcotte to keep clear of Sham. The third-place horse in both races was Our Native. He finished 11 lengths behind Secretariat both times, not close enough to threaten Secretariat. And if Sham hadn’t challenged Secretariat for the early lead in the Belmont Stakes, Secretariat might not have run opening fractions so quickly and wouldn’t have run such an incredible race.

Sham raced over forty years ago so younger fans may not know his name. Whenever you talk about him, what contemporary horse do you compare him to? 

I don’t really make comparisons with contemporary horses. When I talk about Sham, I usually say he ran the Kentucky Derby faster than any horse in almost 100 years. Unfortunately, Secretariat ran a little faster.

Though if comparing circumstance, I do remember Bodemeister had some tough-luck finishes in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness in 2012. He led both races until deep into the stretch (with a lightning pace in the Derby) only to be nipped at the finish by I’ll Have Another both times. I confess, I didn’t feel bad for Bodemesiter, though. I’d bet on I’ll Have Another for the Derby.

You spend time in your book discussing Sham’s pedigree, making parallels with other horses of his time, like Secretariat. What aspect of his pedigree did you feel was the most important to understanding the impact of Sham’s career? 

My first thought is Princequillo (Sham’s grandsire). But I also have to consider the dams in his line. Conventional wisdom with some breeders may be to get the best sire and let the dam’s side take care of itself. But I would put more emphasis on the dam and look toward a decent sire (one with stamina and a strong finish). Let the sire’s side take care of itself.

In your research on Sham and his connections, what did you learn that surprised you the most? How did that change your perspective on this wonderful horse? 

I would say my biggest surprise didn’t come from the research (though I really liked finding little odds and ends in the research, for example from old press releases I got from the Belmont Park Press Office), but from talking with people at events like book signings and the Secretariat Festival. When I started writing the book, I thought Sham was fairly unknown. But I met many people who remembered and appreciated him. I was surprised by the size of his fan base. I thought Sham’s story deserved to be told, and if I was going to presume to speak for him, I’d better do a good job of it. I’m happy with how the book turned out, but if I hadn’t written it, I think Sham’s legacy would be in good hands with his fans.

Thank you, Mr. Dandrea, for your contribution to the Sir Barton Project! We hope you’ve enjoyed reading more about Sham; look for Dandrea’s book at your favorite bookseller, including the Secretariat store. Visit the book’s website to learn more!

It’s Official! Pre-order Your Copy of Sir Barton’s Story!

[image error]He was always destined to be a champion.

Finally, 100 years after his Triple Crown triumph, the full story of Sir Barton, America’s first Triple Crown winner, comes to you from myself and the University Press of Kentucky. You can pre-order Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown now ahead of the book’s official publication in early May.

Stay tuned to the blog and my Twitter feed for information on promotions, appearances, and more as we count down to the 100th anniversary of America’s first Triple Crown and celebrate the life of Sir Barton, the champion who brought us the ultimate chase for greatness in American horse racing.

Want to pre-order Sir Barton and the Making of the Triple Crown? Order your copy today from any of these retailers!

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