"The big horse," in racing vernacular, is the animal that brings fame and fortune to a stable. He's the heavyweight champion, the All-American quarterback, the four-legged Michael Jordan of the barn. Seabiscuit was once Tom Smith's "big horse." A generation ago, Secretariat was Lucien Lauren's. In 2003, Funny Cide was Barclay Tagg's. In sixty years as a trainer, P. G. Johnson had never had one -- until Volponi. P. G. Johnson was a blue-collar wizard, a hardscrabble tough guy who had come east from Chicago, determined to make his mark on New York. And he did. He became leading trainer at all three New York tracks -- Saratoga, Belmont, and Aqueduct -- as well as at Florida's Tropical Park. And he did it without ever winning a Triple Crown or Breeders' Cup event, or having "the big horse." "I never knew how to kiss rich people's asses, and I got too old to learn. If no owner was going to give me a big horse, I figured I'd have to find one myself," he said. He did that, in his seventies, buying a mare for $8,000, breeding her to a $20,000 stallion, and in 1998 producing Volponi, the horse that would change his life. In October 2002, weakened by surgery and radiation treatment for cancer, P. G. watched Volponi -- the longest shot in the field at 43 to 1 -- bring home more than $2 million by winning the Breeders' Cup Classic, the richest race in America. The following summer at Saratoga, McGinniss -- journalist, investigative reporter, and horse racing obsessive -- began showing up, more Tuesdays with Morrie than Guys and Dolls, at P. G.'s barn in the predawn hours to listen to the inside racing stories and lore P. G. had gathered. McGinniss came to appreciate that Johnson was not only a stellar horseman but an American original whose wit and wisdom carried far beyond the confines of the racetrack. As for Volponi, the big horse had given P. G. the perfect Disney ending with the Breeders' Cup victory, and, indeed, Disney soon bought film rights to P. G.'s life story. "He'll be even better next year," P. G. had said, but by the time McGinniss got to Saratoga, Volponi had not won a race in nine months. His faith undiminished, P. G. continued to race Volponi against the best, at Saratoga and beyond, until in the end it came down to the 2003 Breeders' Cup Classic in Santa Anita, a race only one horse in history had ever won twice. As fires burned in the Southern California hills, Volponi -- with Funny Cide's jockey, Jose Santos, in the saddle -- ran the last race of his life. This book is about what happened that day, about what came after, and about much of what had come before. It's the most exciting, rewarding, and heartwarming story about the world of horse racing that you'll ever read, by one of America's finest writers, at the top of his form.

A hilarious new easy reader from the author of THE UGLY PUMPKIN and DUCK, DUCK MOOSE. Little Big Horse is just a little guy, but he's got some big ideas about life. So when his friend Pablo borrows his bike without asking, and then accidentally breaks it, Little Big Horse has a lot to think about. Can these friends work it out?

These Are The Unbridled Desires Of Women Without Men. . .When Their Same-Sex Passion Explodes, Will The Stables Ever Be Safe Again? You've read about them, these sisters under the skin, vulnerable to the temptations of Sappho. . .Passion-starved twilight girls crossing over into a man's world of high withers, rippling hindquarters and glossy coats. . . Meet women like Pauline in Miss Barnard's Unit--the country girl bereft of feminine influence who comes of age in World War I, and comes undone in the arms of a worldly debutante. . .Terry in Snake Eyes for Silky, a jockey from the school of hard knocks who falls hard for a whip-wielding gangster's moll, and finds that she must choose between her heart and her horse . . . Innocents like Lena and Lily in The Chosen Horse, who bond over the sad fate of a cart horse, and their unspoken need to tread the waters of Lesbos . . .A world-class jumper like Julie in Lady Snow, a champion tempted by the irresistible rhythms of the bisexual Euro-beat. . .A young girl like Oreola in Pastures of Passion, who follows a lost foal to a curious farm girl--and her own destiny. . . These Are The Women Of The Big Book Of Lesbian Horse Stories. The Paddock Gates Are Open--Come Inside And Join The Fun! With an inspired sense of nostalgia, sensation, and wry humor, Alisa Surkis and Monica Nolan invite readers back into the curves of third-sex pulp fiction where odd-girls-out now ride as free as a filly with their Bohemian desires--side-saddle be damned. But this time, from coy flirtation to requited lust, there's nary a man in sight to set them on the straight-and-narrow.

This amazing and heartwarming story of Secretariat and the African-American man who knew him best is “detailed in all its equine awesomeness” (Maxim). Most of us know the legend of Secretariat: the only two-year-old ever to win Horse of the Year, in 1972; winner in 1973 of the Triple Crown, his times in all three races still unsurpassed, Yet while Secretariat will be remembered forever, one man, Eddie “Shorty” Sweat, who was pivotal to the great horse’s success, has been all but forgotten—until now. In The Horse God Built, bestselling equestrian writer Lawrence Scanlan has written a tribute to an exceptional man that is also a backroads journey to a corner of the racing world rarely visited. As a young black man growing up in South Carolina, Eddie Sweat struggled at several occupations before settling on the job he was born for—groom to North America’s finest racehorses. As Secretariat’s groom, loyal friend, and protector, Eddie understood the horse far better than anyone else. A wildly generous man who could read a horse with his eyes, he shared in little of the financial success or glamour of Secretariat’s wins on the track, but won the heart of Big Red with his soft words and relentless devotion. In Scanlan’s rich narrative, we get a groom’s-eye view of the racing world and the vantage of a man who spent every possible moment with the horse he loved, yet who often basked in the horse’s glory from the sidelines. More than anything else, The Horse God Built is a moving portrait of the powerful bond between human and horse.

"Rudy - A Big Horse with a Big Heart" chronicles Jones' first year with Rudy, as told by Rudy. He takes readers on a journey through the high's and low's as he and Jones begin to work together, learn to trust each other, and eventually develop a deep bond. Readers learn how horses think, the emotions they feel, and what goes into training a horse from both the human and horse perspective. Along the way, Rudy makes friends, bravely learns how to go on trail rides, and discovers water can be fun instead of frightening. Readers will be thrilled when Rudy and two other horses step over the paddock fence freeing themselves. Rudy's charismatic personality will capture children's hearts and make them long to know "what happens next?"

Children love horses! Today, there are more than 300 different breeds around the world! What is a Horse? explores the family tree of horses and their equine relatives including their physiology, feeding habits, the birth of a foal, horse sense, and horses in the wild.

When eighth grader Abby Lovitt looks out at those pure-gold rolling hills, she knows there’s no place she’d rather be than her family’s ranch—even with all the hard work of tending to nine horses. But some chores are no work at all, like grooming young Jack. At eight months, his rough foal coat has shed out, leaving a smooth, rich silk, like chocolate. As for Black George, such a good horse, it turns out he’s a natural jumper. When he and Abby clear four feet easy as pie, heads start to turn at the ring—buyers’ heads—and Abby knows Daddy won’t turn down a good offer. Then a letter arrives from a private investigator, and suddenly Abby stands to lose not one horse but two. The letter states that Jack’s mare may have been sold to the Lovitts as stolen goods. A mystery unfolds, more surprising than Abby could ever expect. Will she lose her beloved Jack to his rightful owners? Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley raises horses of her own, and her affection and expertise shine through in this inviting horse novel for young readers, set in 1960s California horse country and featuring characters from The Georges and the Jewels.