Horse Racing's Holy Grail: The Epic Quest for the Kentucky Derby by Steve HaskinMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
When I see the title of this book - "Horse Racing's Holy Grail: The Epic Quest for the Kentucky Derby" - I expect a serious kind of a history lesson on horse racing. That's not what this book provides. Instead, author Steve Haskin provides a good natured take into mostly recent history of the Derby, mostly the years he has been covering it. He mostly discusses the different "rules of thumb" that people use to handicap the race, ideas like choosing an experienced trainer, and a similar jockey, and dosage factors. He relates stories about each of the rules that he mentions, mostly with humorous anecdotes, many personally witnessed. This came across more like a Patrick McManus story from Outdoor Life than a typical horse race writer. The book's print is large and sparse on the page, and there are many photos inline in the text, so this is a very quick read. If this is the kind of thing you are looking for, great. If you are looking for more of a history lesson, look elsewhere. I enjoyed the amusing interlude.
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