The Bottom Line
- An interesting look at the last 100 years of racing history
- Few could argue with the choices made by the panel of experts
- Moments include racing events, innovations, and tragedies
- Excellent articles by some of racing's best writers
- Many photographs are included to help the reader visualize the moment
- Too U.S. focused -- foreign racing moments were very few
Description
- Here is a sampling of some of the top moments included in the book:
- John Henry wins the inaugural Arlington Million in 1981 over The Bart by a nose
- Ex-jockey Clay Puett invents the modern starting gate, first used at Exhibition Park in Vancouver
- Go For Wand breaks down in the 1990 Breeders' Cup Distaff while in a duel with Bayakoa
- Secretariat wins the 1973 Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths, completing the Triple Crown sweep
- Woodbine and Fort Erie in Canada introduce the first intertrack simulcast wagering system in 1982
- Calumet Farm stallion Alydar dies under suspicious circumstances
- Kelso wins the Horse of the Year title five years in a row
- Lorenzo Del Riccio invents the first strip camera, the forerunner to the photo finish camera
- Autotote software engineer Chris Harn masterminds the Breeders' Cup Pick 6 scam in 2002
Guide Review - Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments
The writers tell the reader about events which led to the moment happening, and explain the significance the moment had on racing to this day. For example, the first Washington D.C. International ushered in the current era of horses shipping around the world for major races, while the Pick 6 scandal led to changes to the North American tote system. The best photographs of the moment available were included, allowing the reader to go back in time and visualize when it happened.
An appendix is included, which sorts out the moments by decade, and by category (breeding, auctions, innovations, oddities, and racing), with a separate list of moments involving Kentucky Derby winners. As well, the appendix lists moments 101-125 which just missed the cut.
