Racing Days

Both the photos, by Rhode Island School of Design faculty member Horenstein, and the text, by syndicated columnist Boyd (The Great American Baseball Card Book), are exceptionally fine. The camera is focused principally on race track habitues from grooms, clockers and trainers to vendors of tout sheets, jockeys and, above all, bettorsthe affluent ready to walk to the $50 window and the not-so-affluent standing in line to plunk down $2. The text presents details of what each task at the track involves, from the exercise boys who take the horses out early in the morning to the valets who put away the jockeys' silks after the day's card is over and the stoopers who pick up discarded tickets hoping to find a winning ticket inadvertently thrown away. The book will please any fan of the sport of kings. First serial to American Photographer. (December 30)