Kentucky Derby Dreams: The Making of Thoroughbred Champions

In Nusser's meticulously researched, if occasionally arcane, newest (after In Service to the Horse), the author follows seven Thoroughbred horses born during the 2009 "foaling season" on the Taylor Made farm, "Kentucky's leading consignor of Thoroughbred yearlings" for the last sixteen years. In an industry long-ruled by bluebloods, the Taylors are "upstarts and outsiders--" a charming brood of Irish Catholic brothers who, as one puts it, simply "have to pay the bills." And boy do they manage to pay the bills: Taylor Made farm has "grossed over a billion dollars in sales [and] sold three hundred graded stakes winners, including twelve Breeders' Cup champions." Details of horse-care are relayed in unrelenting detail, from elaborate breeding procedures (e.g., the ovulation cycles of "broodmares" are predicted and regulated with hormones, valuable stallions are scheduled for breeding down to the half-day, ultrasounds and a panoply of diagnostics are performed, and so on) to readying the horses for the big annual yearling sale in Lexington. The book is jam-packed with the nitty-gritty, which unfortunately derails a larger compelling narrative. This, along with lengthy discussions of hoof-size and unexplained jargon ("a touch parrot-mouthed?"), risks alienating amateurs, though equestrians and equine enthusiasts will likely feel right at home. (Apr.)