I know almost nothing about horse-racing. I had a bit of first-hand experience through a distant relative years ago, but in the big scheme of things, I know nothing about the sport.
Our middle granddaughter gave me this book for my birthday last month. I'm finally getting around to reading it.
Lexington: The Extraordinary Life And Turbulent Times of America's Legendary Racehorse, Kim Wickens, c. 2023
Highly recommended for anyone who has a passing interest in horse racing but knows nothing about the sport.
Like all books like this, the bigger story -- the history of horse racing -- is carried on the back of a lesser story, the story of a most-remarkable horse, and perhaps, even more so, the most remarkable man who discovered Darley, renamed him, and the rest is history.
From another blog:
We're nearing the end. [Later: completed, September 29, 2023 -- 44 pages of notes; 13 pages of bibliography; and, 15 pages of index.]
Lexington was born March 17, 1850.
Retired / last race: April 14, 1855.
By 1865, his owner was worried about over-breeding and began offering Lexington on a limited basis only -- at staggering prices.
His most fertile year had been in 1859, when, as a result off servicing eighty-three mares, he got fifty-two foals.
But amazingly, at the late age of sixteen in 1866, having survived the Civil War -- another story in itself -- he covered forty-nine mares with a resulting thirty-seven live births. His potency remained high thereafter.
Of those foals born post-Civil War, nearly all would race to success, earning Lexington recognition as America's leading sire year after year.
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