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Rascals
and Racehorses: A Sporting Man's Life
By W. Cothran Campbell
Pub Date: September 2002. Gangsters and gin drinkers,
midgets and touts, mysterious clockers and champion Thoroughbreds
race through the pages of W. Cothran Campbell’s newest
tribute to the Sport of Kings: Rascals and Racehorses:
A Sporting Man's Life.
With a Runyonesque flavor, Campbell spins tales of old-time
horsemen such as trainers Ben and Jimmy Jones, Hall of
Fame jockey Eddie Arcaro, and Spendthrift Farm master
Leslie Combs. Campbell also weaves witty and candid stories
of his own experiences and escapades. He tells of being
a chubby boy showing horses before jeering spectators;
enlisting his drinking buddies’ help in finding three
cars “misplaced” within thirty-six hours during
his pre-Alcoholics Anonymous days; and being among a gentrified
racing crowd that witnessed a wolfhound show his amour
for a Russian ambassador’s fur coat.
Campbell manages to unearth the humor and foibles both
of himself and of an industry few people experience behind
the scenes. You can almost hear him chuckling as he recounts
using a midget to play the role of Sheikh Bin Had, a Saudi
Arabian potentate made up by Campbell as a practical joke
during the heyday of Arab interest in American Thoroughbreds.
As president of Dogwood Stable, he has invested and managed
over $100 million in horses throughout his career. His
partnerships have won some of America’s most prestigious
races from the Preakness Stakes with Summer Squall to
the Breeders’ Cup with Storm Song. In Rascals
and Racehorses: A Sporting Man's Life, Campbell shares
with readers an intimate collection of stories about his
life and the sport he loves -- Thoroughbred horse racing.
What
the critics are saying:
"I
just got Rascals, which I read all day yesterday,
and finished this morning. I want to say that I loved
every word of it. Many congratulations on a wonderful
effort."
--noted British mystery author Dick Francis
****
"Just
last year (Cot) came out with Lightning in a Jar,
about how a guy takes a fling in the perfidious field
of horse racing and hits the big time. About the time
he was wrapping it up he came to the realizations that
he'd written only half a book. So, next came Rascals
and Racehorses...it's fetching stuff because of its
sheer honesty."
--Furman Bisher, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
****
"If you love racing, you're sure to enjoy Rascals
and Racehorses. It's a sure winner."
-- Joe Hirsch, Daily Racing Form
Online
****
"A
very entertaining collection of stories from a life lived
doing what (Campbell) loved. It is also a very honest
look at his own life...It’s a good read.
-- Alan Caruba, Bookviews.com
Praise
for Cot Campbell, also author of Lightning
in a Jar: A Thoroughbred Owner's Guide:
“Cot
has had one of the most successful careers of any entrepreneur
in our business.”
-- Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas
“His style is as fluid as his Southern accent.”
-- The Boston Globe
“Campbell’s delightful narrative touches thrilling
highs and devastating lows.”
-- Joe Hirsch, Daily Racing Form
“Campbell brings alive horse racing for the novice
and refreshingly reminds old-timers why they are still
in the game.”
-- Horseman’s Library
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