cover image Thoroughbred: A Celebration of the Breed

Thoroughbred: A Celebration of the Breed

Billy Reed, John D. Ashley. Simon & Schuster, $50 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-671-66440-4

This is an attractive, large-format volume of 137 color photographs of thoroughbred horses, the tracks they run, the farms on which they are bred and the crowds they thrill. A breezy text mixes racing trivia and gossip with behind-the-scenes views of breeders and auctions and takes the reader on a mini-tour of the season's races around the U.S., culminating with a look at, and a short history of, the Triple Crown sites. Along the way Reed, who writes for Sports Illustrated and the Louisville Courier Journal , highlights some of the imposing impresarios of the sport, as well as the big winners--Secretariat et al. The book covers only this country, with token mention of the sport abroad. Freelance photographer Ashley's virtually uncaptioned photos competently portray peacefully grazing roans, gamboling colts, a moss-strewn stud ranch, racetrack pomp, cheering crowds, flying hooves. Racing fans will love the pictures. (June)