Kentucky Derby Dreams
The Making of Thoroughbred Champions
-
-
3.1 • 10 Ratings
-
-
- $11.99
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
In Kentucky Derby Dreams, Susan Nusser takes readers inside the excitement and suspense at one of Kentucky's biggest breeding farms.
Every year, two hundred broodmares in the farm's barns give birth to the next generation of racehorses. In the eighteen months following their births, those foals will meet the world's most skilled and knowledgeable horsemen—from grooms to veterinary orthopedists—who will shape them in to the kinds of yearlings that attract the attention of the sheikhs, moguls, and magnates who prowl the yearling sales, hunting for their next Derby winner.
From the carefully calculated birth of the new crop of foals to the horses' debut at the world's premier yearling sale in Lexington, Kentucky, this is a rare behind-the-scenes look at the vets, the surgeries, the long hours, and the hard work that it takes to breed a Derby hopeful. Kentucky Derby Dreams follows the lives of foals born during the 2009 foaling season and uncovers the inside drama and heartache that accompany these potential champions from the foaling barn to the sales ring.
Compelling, fascinating, and fast-paced, this is a must read for anyone who's ever watched the Kentucky Derby.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Nusser's meticulously researched, if occasionally arcane, newest (after In Service to the Horse), the author follows seven Thoroughbred horses born during the 2009 "foaling season" on the Taylor Made farm, "Kentucky's leading consignor of Thoroughbred yearlings" for the last sixteen years. In an industry long-ruled by bluebloods, the Taylors are "upstarts and outsiders--" a charming brood of Irish Catholic brothers who, as one puts it, simply "have to pay the bills." And boy do they manage to pay the bills: Taylor Made farm has "grossed over a billion dollars in sales sold three hundred graded stakes winners, including twelve Breeders' Cup champions." Details of horse-care are relayed in unrelenting detail, from elaborate breeding procedures (e.g., the ovulation cycles of "broodmares" are predicted and regulated with hormones, valuable stallions are scheduled for breeding down to the half-day, ultrasounds and a panoply of diagnostics are performed, and so on) to readying the horses for the big annual yearling sale in Lexington. The book is jam-packed with the nitty-gritty, which unfortunately derails a larger compelling narrative. This, along with lengthy discussions of hoof-size and unexplained jargon ("a touch parrot-mouthed?"), risks alienating amateurs, though equestrians and equine enthusiasts will likely feel right at home.
Customer Reviews
Meandering
Very interesting subject, but very meandering. Has a lot of story lines that just kind of wander and intermix aimlessly. The author throws in a ton of irrelevant details that really just don't add anything to the story.