Graveyard of Champions: Saratoga's Fallen Favorites

By Bill Heller

Book Overview

This book explores the phenomenon of Saratoga Racecourse through the stories of the great horses that have fallen victim there, from Man o' War to Secretariat.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1581500661
• ISBN13: 9781581500660
• Release Date: May 2002
• Publisher: Eclipse Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.0" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A rich and interesting history, heavy on facts and figures

Fabled to be the curse of a great racehorse, and the blessing of a cursed racehorse, Saratoga Springs has a rich racing history dating back to the 1800's. Champions come to Saratoga and leave humbled. This track is not for the faint of heart, and is unpredictable in the best of times. Graveyard of Champions details the many horses who raced on the Saratoga track, and the many races that took place on these grounds. Sharing some of the most unlikely of wins and some of the most heartbreaking losses in Thoroughbred racing history, this book is a treasure trove of information for racehorse aficionados. The horses, trainers, owners, and jockeys mentioned throughout the book are a veritable who's who of the sport. Saratoga has a rich and interesting history to learn about. There are lots of fun tidbits about where a horse's name came from (Busanda got her name from owner Ogden Phipps Navy experiences while serving in the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts during World War II), why a particular horse was bought or sold, etc. With the amount of facts and figures - pedigrees, race records, statistics and more - included, it's not a light read but some of these human (or horse) interest stories lighten it up a bit.