Legacies of the Turf

Delve into both the human and equine accomplishments of America's greatest twentieth-century breeders in this first volume of Legacies of the Turf.

Some of Thoroughbred racing's greatest champions--horses such as Man o' War, Citation, and Native Dancer--are the handiwork of a remarkable parade of individuals, ranging from full-time horsemen to daring capitalists to philanthropists. In Legacies of the Turf, Volume 1, renowned racing historian Edward L. Bowen tells the stories of some of the powerhouse racing dynasties that dominated the sport in the early to mid-twentieth century--the Whitneys, Vanderbilts, Wideners, Phippses, and Hancocks, as well as the upstarts such as the wily horse trader John E. Madden and the flamboyant Westerner James R. Keene.

Women also made their mark as owners and breeders of champion Thoroughbreds. Isabel Dodge Sloane of Brookmeade Stables campaigned the great Sword Dancer, while Gladys Mills Phipps of Wheatley Stable bred and raced the immortal Bold Ruler among her thirteen champions and Helen Hay Whitney of Greentree Stable raced the great Twenty Grand.

As horses were bought, sold, and traded, these breeders found success with some of the same bloodlines, as certain sires and dams proved their dominance in the breed. And like the bloodlines of some of their best horses, the lives of many of these great breeders were connected. Given their station in life, some families intermarried, combining racing and breeding interests and making for many interesting stories. August Belmont II and William Collins Whitney were rivals in business before becoming allies on the racetrack. John E. Madden was a mentor for a young Harry Payne Whitney when he first ventured into racing. Here are their stories too.