Tying her experiences with the sport's long and colorful history, she pays homage to such luminaries as breeder Federico Tesio, Derby promoter Matt Winn, jockeys Angel Cordero and Donna Barton, and trainers Bob Baffert and Jenine Sahadi. She salutes others very strongly involved in the game, such as a groom named Cleevie, a full-time gambler named Albert, and an up-and-coming photographer named Brandon Benson. People who aren't in the spotlight but whose role in the sport should not be ignored. Benson's photos appear at the beginning of most of the chapters, and also appear on this site.

Mooney also shows an editorial side, commenting on where the sport is going. "Change at the track is unceasing, like water through the fingers," she writes. She expresses disappointment but resignation that the new Emerald Downs is not like the Longacres of her childhood. She shows us that women have made inroads in the sport, as jockeys, trainers, and veterinarians, and have come a long way since a suffragette committed suicide at the Epsom Derby. She disagrees with the rampant use of drugs. And finally she compares Magna chairman Frank Stronach with Matt Winn, in a surprisingly positive light.