The Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World's Greatest Racehorse

The Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World's Greatest Racehorse
by Lawrence Scanlan

The Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World's Greatest Racehorse
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Book Summary Information

Author: Lawrence Scanlan
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-06-10
ISBN: 0312382251
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Book Reviews of The Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World's Greatest Racehorse

Book Review: A Story That Had To Be Told
Summary: 5 Stars

Lawrence Scanlan approaches the life & times of Secretariat and covers a wealth of angles in an industry that has yet to live up to the legendary accomplishments of this iconic champion.

From the shooting-star fame of Big Red's groom, Eddie Sweat, the final minutes in the life of the champion - who apparently was treated like a pauper and not comforted like a king - to the destruction through neglect of the farm that was Secretariat's home and the plight of the runners who never perform at the highest levels of the sport, Scanlan covers much turf, but does it with style and class.

There are more straight-forward biographies of Secretariat, but none roar down the stretch to bring the legend to life - and uncover the missed potential in "The Sport of Kings" - the way Scanlan's poignant reporting and timely tackling of current issues ultimately accomplishes through several strong surges to the wire, many lengths in front of the pack.

Summary of The Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World's Greatest Racehorse

"For anybody who loves horses, and for all of those who are thrilled by horse racing and the behind-the-scenes drama of the track, The Horse That God Built is must reading."
--Michael Korda, author of Horse People

Most of us know the legend of Secretariat, the tall, handsome chestnut racehorse whose string of honors runs long and rich: the only two-year-old ever to win Horse of the Year, in 1972; winner in 1973 of the Triple Crown, his times in all three races still unsurpassed; featured on the cover of Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated; the only horse listed on ESPN's top fifty athletes of the twentieth century (ahead of Mickey Mantle). His final race at Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack is a touchstone memory for horse lovers everywhere. Yet while Secretariat will be remembered forever, one man, Eddie "Shorty" Sweat, who was pivotal to the great horse's success, has been all but forgotten---until now.


In The Horse God Built, bestselling equestrian writer Lawrence Scanlan has written a tribute to an exceptional man that is also a backroads journey to a corner of the racing world rarely visited. As a young black man growing up in South Carolina, Eddie Sweat struggled at several occupations before settling on the job he was born for---groom to North America's finest racehorses. As Secretariat's groom, loyal friend, and protector, Eddie understood the horse far better than anyone else. A wildly generous man who could read a horse with his eyes, he shared in little of the financial success or glamour of Secretariat's wins on the track, but won the heart of Big Red with his soft words and relentless devotion.

In Scanlan's rich narrative, we get a groom's-eye view of the racing world and the vantage of a man who spent every possible moment with the horse he loved, yet who often basked in the horse's glory from the sidelines. More than anything else, The Horse God Built is a moving portrait of the powerful bond between human and horse.

Praise for The Horse God Built:

"Scanlan's scope is encyclopedic."

--Publishers Weekly

"The author's tribute is heartfelt..."

--Kirkus

"...detailed in all its equine awesomeness."

--Maxim

"...will satisfy those who can't get enough of Secretariat."
--The New York Times

".an informative read that hardboots and novices alike can enjoy."
--The Lexington Herald Leader (Kentucky)

"Eddie Sweat's story represents the last great untold chapter in the Secretariat saga. Larry Scanlan has honoured both groom and horse by giving it to us at last.
--John Jeremiah Sullivan, author of Blood Horses: Notes of a Sportswriter's Son

"This well-researched book is a must for readers who are fans of the horse, but if you just want a good read, you're going to love this animal/human interest story."
--Monty Roberts, author of The Man Who Listens to Horses

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