I had remarkably good luck while researching this book. Let me illustrate. I wanted to experience a day in the life of a groom at Woodbine Race Track, so I called up an old friend, Jayne Huddleston, who is well connected in the horse world. Jayne just happened to have been a neighbor of trainer Sherrie-Lee Hawley. Hawley led me to groom Roger Broomes, who just happened to have worked next door to Eddie Sweat at Woodbine for almost a year. A rider friend in Connecticut put me on to Lexington equine nutritionist Amy Gill, who, it transpired, was once married to Ted McClain, Lucien Laurin’s barn foreman and a great admirer of Eddie’s. I found Charlie Davis, Secretariat’s old exercise rider, through a tip from Carole Fletcher, and I only know Carole because we worked together on her memoir. Carole is pals with starter Danny Jenkins, whose pal is trainer Gus Gray, in turn, fast friend to Charlie Davis. The dominoes fell ever so neatly. I would never have found Marvin Moorer, Eddie’s son, without first talking to the sculptor Ed Bogucki. (Marvin had seen Ed’s bronze of Secretariat on the Internet and contacted him.) You could say that the world of horse racing is a small world and that I shouldn’t be surprised by all this serendipity. I prefer to believe that all these dots were somehow already connected, and that once I chanced across the first dot the rest would light up and I would find them, as if it were meant to be.
Many people talked to me, wrote to me, told me their stories. Not everyone made it into these pages, but I owe them all a great deal. I feel especially indebted to Marvin Moorer, the son of Eddie Sweat, to Geraldine Holman, Eddie’s sister, and to everyone in Eddie’s family who shared their memories.
My agent, Jackie Kaiser, is, quite simply, the best. She, too, had a hand in shaping The Horse God Built.
My son, Kurt, and my wife, Ulrike, are the real rocks in my life, and I thank them for their good humor and for reminding me that there is life beyond horses—even great horses.
Sources
EPIGRAPH
Hotaling, Edward. The Great Black Jockeys: The Lives and Times of the Men Who Dominated America’s First National Sport. New York: Three Rivers Press, 1999.
PROLOGUE
Nack, William. Big Red of Meadow Stable. New York: A. Fields Books, 1975.
Pollitzer, William S. The Gullah People and Their African Heritage. University of Georgia Press, Athens, Georgia, and London: 1999.
Squires, Jim. Horse of a Different Color: A Tale of Breeding Geniuses, Dominant Females, and the Fastest Derby Winner Since Secretariat. New York: Public Affairs, 2002.
CHAPTER 1
Smiley, Jane. A Year at the Races: Reflections on Horses, Humans, Love, Money, and Luck. New York: Knopf, 2004.
Woolfe, Raymond G., Jr. Secretariat. Lanham, Maryland, and New York: Derrydale Press, 2001.
CHAPTER 2
Sullivan, John Jeremiah. Blood Horses: Notes of a Sportswriter’s Son. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004.
The editors of Daily Racing Form. Champions: The Lives, Times, and Past Performances of the 20th Century’s Greatest Thoroughbreds. New York: Daily Racing Form Press, 2000.
CHAPTER 3
Mearns, Dan. Seattle Slew. Lexington: Eclipse Press, 2000.
Nusser, Susan. In Service to the Horse: Chronicles of a Labor of Love. New York: Little, Brown, 2004.
Kane, Jeanne, and Lisa Waltman. The Event Groom’s Handbook: Care of Horse and Rider. London: Event Books International, 1983.
Rivas, Mim Eichler. Beautiful Jim Key: The Lost History of a Horse and a Man Who Changed the World. New York: William Morrow, 2005.
Scanlan, Lawrence. Wild About Horses: Our Timeless Passion for the Horse. New York: HarperCollins, 1998.
CHAPTER 4
Heller, Bill, with Ron Turcotte. The Will to Win: Ron Turcotte’s Ride to Glory. Saskatoon, Canada: Fifth House, 1992.
CHAPTER 5
Haskin, Steve. John Henry. Lexington: Eclipse Press, 2001.
CHAPTER 6
Barich, Bill. Laughing in the Hills. New York: Penguin, 1981.
CHAPTER 8
Durkis, Deirdre. Where They Sleep: Burial Sites of Thoroughbreds in the Bluegrass Country of Kentucky. Louisville: Kentucky Derby Museum, 1998.
Zeh, Lucy. Etched in Stone: Thoroughbred Memorials. Lexington: The Blood-Horse, Inc., 2000.
INDEX
The index that appeared in the print version of this title was intentionally removed from the eBook. Please use the search function on your eReading device to search for terms of interest. For your reference, the terms that appear in the print index are listed below.
abattoir
Aces Are Wild
Adams, Larry
Affirmed
“Alone on the Wall” (Patci)
Alydar
Alysheba
American Horse Council
American Racing Manual
Anderson, Bobby
Anderson, Chic
Anderson, Dave
Angle Light
Aqueduct
Secretariat Day at
Secretariat’s races at
Arlington International Racecourse
Arlington Invitational, Secretariat’s win at
“Athlete of the Year,” Secretariat as
Attili, Renee
Back to Africa bill
“The Backstretch: Some Call It Home” (Schefstad)
backstretch housing
at Arlington International Racecourse, at Saratoga
backstretch society
backstretch workers, See also exercise rider(s); groom(s); hot walker(s)
migrant workers as
trainers’ relationships with
The Backstretch
Bailes, Meredith
Bailey, Jerry
Bailey, Terri M.
Barich, Bill
Beautiful Jim Key (Rivas)
Belmont Futurity
Belmont Park
Secretariat’s disqualification at
Secretariat’s races at
Belmont Stakes
Secretariat v. Sham in
Secretariat’s 1973 win at
Belmont’s Woodward Stakes
Big Ben
horse colic in
Patterson’s relationship with
Big Red. See Secretariat
Big Red of Meadow Stable (Nack)
Bilbo, Theodore
Billy Silver
Black Beauty (Sewell)
black jockeys
The Black Stallion (Farley)
Blood Horses: Notes of a Sportswriter’s Son (Sullivan)
Blood, Vickie
The Blood-Horse
Blue Chip Dan
Bogucki, Ed
Secretariat bronze statue by
Sweat’s image in sculpture of
Sweat’s relationship with
Bold Ruler
earnings/victories of
as Secretariat’s sire
breeding horses
breezing horses
Breyer Horse models
Brooks, Clem
Broomes, Roger
Brothers, Donna
Broun, Heywood Hale
Burton, Samantha
Calumet Farm
Canadian Horse
Canadian Horseman
Canadian International Championship
Cannonade
Carpenter, David
cemeteries
Champagne Stakes
Chenery, Christopher T.
Chenery, Penny
background of
Phipps’ horses and
on Secretariat’s Belmont win
on Secretariat’s death
Secretariat’s relationship with
Sweat’s relationship with
Chief Bearheart
Chief’s Crown
Churchill Downs
Secretariat’s race at
Cigar
Cinderella horse. See Snowman
Claiborne Farm
description of
Hancock’s ownership of
Secretariat’s g
rave site at
Clay, Charles
colic, horse death from
Cooke, Bill
Cooksey, P. J.
Cordero, Angel, Jr.
Corini, Nick
cortisone
Council, Mary Lee
Courier-Journal
Crandall, Angela
Curtis, Austin
Daily Racing Form
on Secretariat
on Secretariat’s Belmont win
Secretariat’s Derby win in
Secretariat’s Preakness win in
Sham’s Derby loss in
on Sweat’s later years
Danielis, Robert
Davis, Blondella
Davis, Charlie
Laurin, Lucien, relationship with
Secretariat’s relationship with
Sweat’s relationship with
Turcotte’s relationship with
DellaRocco, Jean
Double Diamond Farm
Dressage Today
Drymon, Ira
Durkis, Deirdre
Duval Town
Eagle, Dean
Ebony
Eclipse Award
Eddie Sweat Place
equestrian camp horses
Equine Images
equine nutritionist
Equus
Etched in Stone: Thoroughbred Memorials (Zeh)
eventing
The Event Groom’s Handbook: Care of Horse and Rider (Kane and Waltman)
exercise rider(s) See also Davis, Charlie; Gaffney, Jimmy
outrider’s relationship to
owner/trainer relationship to
of Secretariat
Fancy Wish
Faraway Farm
Farley, Walter
Feliciano, Paul
Fletcher, Carole
Forego
Funny Cide
Gaffney, Jimmy
Belmont Park photo from
Laurin, Lucien, relationship with
Secretariat’s relationship with
Gaffney, Jimmy (continued)
Sweat’s relationship with
on Wood Memorial loss
Garden State, Secretariat’s races at
Geechee, language
Gentry, Howard
Getz, George
ghost horse
Gill, Amy
Gilman, Manuel
Gold Bag
Gotham Mile
government corruption
Graham, R. B. Cunninghame
grandstand noise
grass horses
grave markers
Gray, Gus
Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation
The Great Black Jockeys (Hotaling)
Gregory, Howard
groom(s) See also Broomes, Roger; Gray, Gus; human-horse connection; Patterson, Sandi; Sweat, Edward (“Shorty”); Wade, Tom
artwork depiction of
black fraternity of
dedication to horse of
good v. great in
horses’ connections to
as horse’s spokesperson
housing facilities for
jockeys’ relationships with
lifestyle of
nicknames of
outside interference to
owners’ relationships with
salary and benefits of
tools used by
trainer’s relationship with
wage decline of
work requirements of
grooming, horse
Gullah, language
Gus Gray Handicap
gyp trainers
Hall of Fame
Ham, Elizabeth
Hamburg Place cemetery
notable horses buried in
Hancock, Arthur Boyd (“Bull”)
Hancock, Seth
handicapper
Harbut, Will
Haskin, Steve
Hatton, Charles
on Secretariat
Hawley, Sherrie-Lee
Hayse, Helen
Healed by Horses (Fletcher)
hero worship, of Secretariat
hip book
Hoeffner, Henry
Hoge, L. J.
Holly Hill
Sweat families in
Sweat’s grave site in
Holly Hill Farm
Holly Hill Training Center
“Holly Hill gang” of
Sweat’s funeral and
Holly Valley Thoroughbreds
Holman, Geraldine
on brother Eddie’s funeral
on Secretariat’s death
Honerkamp, Rosemary
Hooper, Fred
HOPE Fair Housing Center
Hopeful Stakes
horse(s). See also Thoroughbred horse(s)
ailments of
beauty of
breakdown of
burying of
cannon bone fragility in
certification of
colic as killer of
communication of
equestrian camp fate of
grave markers of
grooming importance to
laminitis in
rehabilitation of
shaking off dust of
slaughtering for meat of
speed v. stay of
at starting gate
sudden deaths of
United States number of
horse cemeteries
grave markers in
in Kentucky
horse crazies
Horse of a Different Color (Squires)
“Horse of the Year”
Ferdinand as
John Henry as
Nashua as
Secretariat as
horse racing
greed in
light/dark sides of
horse whisperer
horse-human connection
groom’s special type of
of John Henry
“Horseman Pass By” (Sullivan)
horseman’s success
horsemanship
Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association
hot walker(s)
owner/trainer relationship to
wages of
Hotaling, Edward
Hughes, Holly
Humane Society of Canada
human-horse connection
groom’s special type of
of John Henry
Jacobs, Dave
Jenkins, Danny
Jenkins, Randy
Jet
Jim Key, educated horse
jockey(s) See also black jockeys; The Great Black Jockeys (Hotaling)
groom’s relationship with
Maple as
paralysis of
for Secretariat
Turcotte’s life as
work requirements of
Jockey Club
Jockey Club Foundation
Jockey Club Gold Cup
John Henry
as “Horse of the Year,”
human-horse connections of
personality of
physical characteristics of
John Henry (Haskin)
Johnson, Kirsten
KESMARC clinic and
on racing’s light/dark sides
on Thoroughbred breed
Jones, Judy
Claiborne visits of
horse artist of
Jones, Sandra
Jones, Whitney
Kane, Jeanne
Keeneland Library
Keeneland Race Track
Kelso
Kennedy Road
Kentucky Derby
See also Churchill Downs
preparing Secretariat for
racetrack distractions at
Kentucky Derby winners
Kentucky Horse Park
Bogucki sculpture at
Hall of Champions in
International Museum in
Picavet’s oil painting a
t
Reno’s bronze at
Secretariat Day at
Secretariat v. Man o’ War in
Stone’s watercolors at
“Thoroughbreds of the Century” show at
KESMARC clinic
horse rehabilitation at
hyperbaric oxygen chamber at
Key, William
Koch, Gus
laminitis
Landry, Bob
Lang, Chick
Laughing in the Hills (Barich)
Laurel, Secretariat’s races at
Laurin, Lucien
background of
Davis, Charlie, relationship with
Gaffney’s relationship with
McClain’s relationship with
Secretariat’s relationship with
on Secretariat’s Triple Crown
Sweat’s relationship with
as “Trainer of the Year,”
trainer’s expertise of
Turcotte’s relationship with
wages of
Laurin, Roger
Sweat’s relationship with
Lawrence, Cameron
Lexington Herald-Leader
de Leyer, Harry
Linda’s Chief
Louisville Courier-Journal
Lowe, Christian
Madden, John
Madden, Preston
Man o’ War
funeral of
Harbut’s relationship with
Hayse’s paintings of
Secretariat v.
Man o’ War Stakes
Maple, Eddie
Secretariat’s Woodbine win with
mare reproductive loss syndrome. See MRLS
Marlboro Cup Handicap
Secretariat’s win of
Martin, Frank (“Pancho”)
McAnally, Ron
McCann, Pete
McClain, Ted
background of
Laurin, Lucien, relationship with
Secretariat’s relationship with
McClain, Ted (continued)
Sweat’s relationship with
on Sweat-Secretariat bond
Meadow Stable
wages paid at
Meadow Stud
Secretariat’s birthplace of
Secretariat’s ghost at
medical insurance
Mercado, Jose
Messer, Nat
Millar Brooke farm
Millar, Ian
Mines, Bannie
mint juleps
moneymaking schemes
Moorer, Laverne
Moorer, Marvin (son), Sweat’s bond with
MRLS (mare reproductive loss syndrome)
My Lucky Gem
Nack, Bill
on Belmont disqualification
groom’s life description by
Secretariat by
on Sweat’s horse skills
on Sweat’s poverty
on Sweat-Secretariat bond
on Thoroughbreds’ injuries
The Horse God Built Page 30
