The Gambler and the Bug Boy: 1939 Los Angeles and the Untold Story of a Horse Racing Fix

Christgau unveils the dark underbelly of late 1930s horse racing in this melancholy, occasionally meandering history. Early on we meet Albert Siler, aka ""Prince Albert,"" an 18-year-old with stars in his eyes and a stunning horse racing debut: the first day he rode a thoroughbred, he ""won five races that afternoon."" Professional horse racing takes him to a California racetrack where he runs into Barney ""Big"" Mooney, a flamboyant professional gambler in ""fancy suits and a fedora,"" who combines the lure of easy money with strong-armed tactics to enlist Al and other young jockeys in a race-fixing scheme. The result was the ""worst scandal in racing in 50 years,"" what one attorney called ""the contamination of the sport of kings."" Christgau is skilled at making memorable characters from his subjects, so much so that he wastes significant space developing characters with little bearing on the story, and an abrupt, pat ending will leave readers scratching their heads. Though inconsistent, history-minded handicappers will find much to appreciate.