JC / Railbird

Books Archive

The Solace of Books

I should have been writing, or at least handicapping this Saturday’s Derby preps, but the unusual spring-like weather we had in the Boston area this afternoon lured me outside for a long walk that ended at one of my favorite used bookstores — Robin Bledsoe, Bookseller — where I contemplated buying a copy of the 1991 edition of the gorgeously illustrated “Secretariat” by Raymond Woolfe and admired a first edition of Joe Palmer’s “Names in Pedigrees.” Robin specializes in equine books and knows racing, and hanging out in her cozy Cambridge shop was a nice antidote to the mid-winter no-horses funk that’s been hanging over me lately. After nearly an hour of happy browsing and conversation, I left with a copy of Avalyn Hunter’s now out-of-print “American Classic Pedigrees” and a short list of books to look forward to in coming months, including a new biography of Man O’War by Dorothy Ours, a history of the great match race between Eclipse and Henry in 1823 by John Eisenberg, and a coast-to-coast guide to American racetracks (not written by McChump). There may be no live racing in Boston until May, but at least I won’t lack for reading material about my beloved sport until then.

Posted in Books on January 13, 2006

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.

Posted in Books on June 24, 2005

Six Secrets of Successful Bettors

The “Six Secrets of Successful Bettors” are hardly secrets at all, but a more apt title — like “Six Characteristics of Successful Bettors” — for the new book by Frank Scatoni and Pete Fornatale wouldn’t sound as snappy. Interviewing more than two dozen top players, the pair distilled handicapping success into these principles: treat betting as a business, make good use of available resources, only bet when you have an edge, manage your money to maximize your advantage, know how to handicap yourself, and control your emotions. Anyone who’s approached handicapping seriously, or thought about trying to do it professionally, has probably hit upon most of these ideas intuitively. Still, it’s kind of nice to have these commensense recommendations condensed into one book, with each principle illustrated through quotes from the likes of Steven Crist and Andy Serling.

Posted in Books on April 14, 2005