Masters of the Turf
Ten Trainers Who Dominated Horse Racing's Golden Age
Edward L. Bowen

Pub Date: January 2007. The early 20th century was called the Golden Age of Sport in America with such heroes as Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey grabbing headlines. And alongside them on the front page were horses such as Man o’ War, Colin, and Gallant Fox. The men who trained these champion racehorses became icons in their right, shaping the landscape of American horse racing during this time.

In Masters of the Turf, well-known racing historian Edward L. Bowen takes an in-depth look at the lives of this elite group of trainers, including the legendary Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, who trained two Triple Crown winners in the 1930s among a host of other champions for the powerful Belair Stud and Wheatley Stable; the father-son team of Ben and Jimmy Jones, who helped Calumet Farm dominate racing in the 1940s; and turn-of-the-century masters James Rowe and Sam Hildreth.

About the Author:

Edward L. Bowen is considered one of Thoroughbred racing’s most insightful and erudite writers. A native of West Virginia, Bowen grew up in South Florida, where he became enamored of racing while watching televised stakes from Hialeah.

Bowen entered journalism school at the University of Florida in 1960, then transferred to the University of Kentucky in 1963 so he could work as a writer for The Blood-Horse, the leading weekly Thoroughbred magazine. From 1968 to 1970, he served as editor of The Canadian Horse, then returned to The Blood-Horse as managing editor. He rose to the position of editor-in-chief before leaving the publication in 1993.

Bowen is president of the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, which raises funds for equine research. In addition to Masters of the Turf, Bowen is the author of seventeen other books, including Belmont Park: A Century of Champions, Man o’ War, and the two-volume set, Legacies of the Turf. Bowen has won the Eclipse Award for magazine writing, as well as other writing awards. He lives in Versailles, Kentucky, with his wife, Ruthie, and son, George.

Hardcover
6 x 9
320 pages
Product #B11-1115
33 b/w photos
List Price: $24.95
ISBN: 978-1-58150-149-0