Sometimes a person’s love for a sport cannot be contained within the confines of a season. You probably love watching horse racing on TV and even now might be mourning the fact that the season is approaching its end. There is the upcoming Breeders’ Cup, which serves as a sort of seasonal capstone event. If you are interested in watching or even placing bets on the Breeders’ Cup results, you have a bit of excitement to look forward to with this list of horse racing books.
But soon, that too will pass, and then you’ll be left waiting with an idle itch for horse racing content that cannot be scratched until the spring returns.
Horse racing books are a great way to indulge your hobby at a different level. You’ll learn something about the immense history of the sport and expand your mind in the process. In this article, we take a look at the best books for horse racing enthusiasts.
The Sport of Kings by C.E. Morgan
The Sport of Kings is actually a novel, but it is set in the heart of the American horse racing scene. It follows a family living in the Kentucky region who, as you can imagine, have a natural passion for horses.
The book is all about breeding, the aristocracy of the sport, and the social tension that comes from pursuing anything at the highest possible level. It’s a high-stakes story centered around family ties, and at around five hundred pages, it’s not exactly a quick read, but compact enough that most people with a keen enough interest can approach it without fear. As an added note, this C.E. Morgan modern classic was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize the year it was published. For those not aware, that’s a little like being nominated for an Oscar.
Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon
Here, we have a fictional story that focuses more on the track aspect of horse racing. This is a classic storytelling convention that tracks back all the way to the early twentieth century, when horse racing fiction was very popular and focused largely not on races themselves, but on the community surrounding them.
The track in question here is a small one, sinking slowly into dilapidation. The novel assumes several perspectives, including that of a trainer, a bookmaker, and another character’s significant other. It’s a brisk two hundred ninety-five page book that, when published in 2010, won the National Book Award—again, a very prestigious award comparable to the Oscars.
Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
Arguably the most famous horse racing book to ever be published, Seabiscuit is a nonfiction story written by Laura Hillenbrand. It’s actually one of many books to focus on the Depression-era horse that stole the nation’s heart in 1938. However, this book finds itself at the top of the heap, thanks in large part to the fact that it served as inspiration for the film by the same name.
Seabiscuit has long been a favorite in horse racing lore because it is the ultimate underdog story that happens to be carried out in an age where Americans really needed to believe that anything was possible. Seabiscuit featured unlikely underdogs that competed at the highest possible level.
Laura Hillenbrand’s telling of the story provides rich historical context and is an excellent option for anyone who came to the sport through the movie in particular. Here you’ll find an expanded and more comprehensive version of a story you already know and love.
Barbaro, Smarty Jones, and Ruffian: The People’s Horses by Linda Hanna
This 2008 nonfiction story covers, as you might imagine, the lives of three noted fan-favorite horses: Barbaro, Smarty Jones, and Ruffian.
This is kind of a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to become a winner in the competitive landscape of professional racing.
There’s a bit of tragedy, a bit of heroism, and lots of interesting facts about what goes into this sport. There’s lots of narrative intrigue—it’s a genuinely interesting story, but it’s also a really good way to understand horse racing more intimately.
The animals being covered don’t have the same incredible level of fame and pedigree as Seabiscuit, but they will introduce you to the world of racing in a way you’ve never seen it before.
Kick the Latch by Kathryn Scanlan
The most recent entry on our list, Kick the Latch by Kathryn Scanlan, was published in 2024. It consists of interviews with a Midwestern horse trainer by the name of Sonia, and it actually has fictional aspects described in quick vignette form, accompanied by lots of factual information about the work that goes into the sport.
Take a Look, It’s in a Book
There are many more compelling stories told about horse racing. Some true, some not, all captivating. The story you choose? Well, that will depend on what you are interested in. The animals. The trainers. The tracks themselves.
Every race produces one thousand little stories. There are books out there that lovingly capture each and every one of them.