Eclipse: The Horse That Changed Racing History Forever

In this colorful history, British journalist Clee (Don’t Sweat the Aubergine) argues that Eclipse “is the most influential stallion in the history of the Thoroughbred,” pointing out that “all but three of the Kentucky Derby winners of the past fifty years” are his descendants. He covers the horse’s undefeated racing career, from 1769 to 1771, and his days as a stud, which extended nearly to his death in 1789. Since no horse ever came close to defeating Eclipse, Clee focuses on the people whose lives were intertwined with Eclipse’s, like Prince William, duke of Cumberland, Eclipse’s original owner, whose death sent the horse to auction, where it was bought under unusual circumstances by a butcher named William Wildman. But the real star is gambler and roughneck Dennis O’Kelly, who along with his companion, Charlotte Hayes, the madam of England’s foremost brothel, owned Eclipse for most of the horse’s life. By combining stories of royals and commoners; sex and breeding lines; art and debauchery; fortunes lost and purses won, Clee creates a portrait of 18th-century England that is, at times, Dickensian. Solidly written, this work will give horse racing fans a glimpse of one of history’s great horses as well as the colorful heritage of their favorite present-day steeds. (Apr.)