New Books
Recently read …
“Horseplayers: Life at the Track” is a delightful memoir of the year Chicago writer and aspiring professional handicapper Ted McClelland spent playing the horses, and a funny, honest account of what it means to devote one’s life to beating the races. McClelland details his transformation from casual fan to obsessed racing geek with humor, as when he tells the story of calling his father to let him know he’d be visiting Dubai World Cup weekend — “That’s also Easter weekend,” says his father. “Is it? I didn’t see anything about that in the Racing Form,” replies McClelland — and captures the handicapper’s daily grind with equal parts wit and exasperation. Very little comes easily to McClelland or most of the other players he meets during the year — none have the preternatural discipline of one of the author’s mentors, the handicapper Scott McMannis — but among the losses, there’s an occasional big score, and eventually, an epiphany:
That’s one of the most useful statements anyone has ever made about the game, even if it is a little bleak.
Racegoers who want to know more about predicting equine behavior though and profiting off of it would do well to pick up a copy of “Insider’s Guide to Horseracing,” by New York trainer T.A. Landers. This highly readable racing primer is reminiscent of “Ainslie’s Complete Guide to Thoroughbred Racing” with its clear, concise, and intelligent approach to giving curious fans information on everything from equipment, shoes, and bandages, to training principles, track conditions, and reading past performances. Landers fills in the gaps left by many handicapping books, making this one an essential for the reference shelf.
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And coming out soon …
Suffolk Downs is the focus of a new book featuring more than 200 images of the track compiled by Suffolk director of public relations Christian Teja. “Suffolk Downs” is part of the Arcadia “Images of Sports” series and will be published on June 29. Teja talks to Boston Globe racing writer Ron Indrisano about the photos he chose and putting the book together.
