Can a Thoroughbred sire with 64 stakes winners from 381 foals - nearly 17 percent - be considered a failure? Or is such a claim no more than the rumblings of a jealous racing society? So it is with the great Man o' War. Despite reshaping Thoroughbred pedigrees for decades to come, Samuel Riddle and his partner, Walter Jeffords, have long been accused of ruining the breeding efforts of the 20th Century's greatest runner. Now, author and pedigree analyst Rommy Faversham dispels the myths surrounding Riddle, Jeffords, and this legendary horse. He shows the careful design of Man o' War's racing and breeding career and details the pedigrees of the horse's ancestors, mates and progeny. Throughout this analysis, Faversham weaves the tale of an American landscape forever changed by Big Red and his thousands of fans. It's a story that proves method - and not just luck - is what makes a great Thoroughbred breeder.

The great Thoroughbred stallions of the 20th Century have one thing in common - the Hancock family. As independent breeders, as salesmen and promoters, as innovators and as conservators of racing and breeding, four generations of the Hancock family have played a vital role in the development of the Thoroughbred. From the original Ellerslie Farm in Virginia to Claiborne Farm and Stone Farm in Kentucky, the Hancocks have been a dominant force in the American and, indeed, the international racing scene. It has been said that the secret to the success of the Hancocks was the philosophy that success lies not in breeding the occasional champion, but rather in controlling the bloodlines of the champions of the future. Here are the business strategies, the breeding theories, the champion horses of the generations of diligent, insightful men who have given so much to the industry

Leslie Combs II shaped the way Thoroughbred farms do business even today. That just one man could mold so much of Thoroughbred racing's future is a remarkable feat - one that's detailed in Great Breeders and Their Methods: Leslie Combs II and Spendthrift Farm by Mary Marshall. This third book in the Great Breeders series tells the colorful story of a Kentucky native who, through determination and risky choices, became a legend in the sport. He took a war-time need for yearling markets and turned it into the iconic Keeneland sales. His desire to buy top stallions and spread the cost with others made him a pioneer in North American stallion syndication. His people skills gave him partners by the dozen and cemented his legacy in Thoroughbred history. Marshall, an equine journalist and long-time Spendthrift fan, weaves the world of Leslie Combs II, his family, and Spendthrift Farm into a captivating tale - one that's envied by many and duplicated by few.

"Here, in one volume, is a wide and varied assessment of the major breeding systems or theories, as well as the history and background of each. The writers give the reader all the necessary information they need to implement the theory and make it part of a breeding program. They also verify the relative scientific validity of the theories and various approaches to breeding" -- publisher website (April 2007).

The most important book on dog breeding and showing ever written just got bigger and better! Complete with new and updated content by Patricia Craige Trotter, who won her signature breed group at Westminster a record-breaking ten times, Born to Win, Breed to Succeed, 2nd edition is now the most inclusive how-to guide on dog shows ever written. This full-color edition feature’s updated and revised information on everything from tips for breeders, owners, and handlers to the proper documentation of your breeding program. In addition to the expanded content, this book also contains more than 400 color photographs of historic and current show dogs with informational sidebars.

When Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew retired from racing in 1978 to stand at stud at Spendthrift Farm, no one could be certain he would be a successful sire. But just four years later, his dark bay daughter Landaluce won the Hollywood Lassie Stakes by twenty-one lengths—a margin of victory that remains the largest ever in any race by a two-year-old at Hollywood Park. California horse racing had a new superstar, and Slew was launched on a stud career that would make him one of the most influential sires in North America. Like her father, Landaluce soon became a national celebrity, and was poised to become the next American super-horse. But those dreams ended when the two-year-old died in her stall at Santa Anita four months later, the victim of a swift and mysterious illness. Today, with her "I Love Luce" bumper stickers long gone, the filly has been largely forgotten. In Landaluce: The Story of Seattle Slew's First Champion, Mary Perdue tells the story of a horse whose short but meteoric career could have changed racing history forever. Sparking comparisons to Ruffian, Landaluce helped elevate California horse racing to the national stage and could have been the first filly to ever win the Triple Crown. In telling this story, Perdue explores the lives and careers of Landaluce's breeders, owners, and trainer, D. Wayne Lukas, as well as her famous sire Seattle Slew—and shows not only how one filly captured the imagination of racing fans across the country, but also set the stage for another filly turned super-horse, Zenyatta, in the decades to come. Find out more at landalucebook.com