- More
Vivid picture of history, rich in detail and insight
Author Mark Shrager sheds light on a long lost era in American racing
The Great Sweepstakes of 1877 – A True Story of Southern Grit, Gilded Age Tycoons, and a Race that Galvanized the Nation by Mark Shrager
$26.95 (hardback), published by The Lyons Press – (available at)
This is one way in which America will never be great again – there will be nothing like the big-money showdown of the book's title, a specially arranged Flat race run over two and a half miles. Distances of that ilk have been lost in the mists of time to American racing, now so speed-orientated, and so to most people has the import of the Great Sweepstakes, which reaches its 140th anniversary on October 24 this year.
Read the full story
Read award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing, with exclusive news, interviews, columns, investigations, stable tours and subscriber-only emails.
Subscribe to unlock
- Racing Post digital newspaper (worth over £100 per month)
- Award-winning journalism from the best writers in racing
- Expert tips from the likes of Tom Segal and Paul Kealy
- Replays and results analysis from all UK and Irish racecourses
- Form study tools including the Pro Card and Horse Tracker
- Extensive archive of statistics covering horses, trainers, jockeys, owners, pedigree and sales data
Already a subscriber?Log in
Published on inFeatures
Last updated
Copy- Top racing books of 2024: must-reads of the year, from the perfect Christmas stocking filler to a pioneering jockey
- Captain Marvel: how a modern master of Cheltenham and a genuine pioneer executed one of the shocks of the year
- 'We’re delighted with how it's going' - joint-trainers prepare for exciting year after Flat string is doubled
- 'We’ve had to work hard this sales season' - Kennet Valley seeking to build on success with biggest string
- Alastair Down's archives: the great writer recalls Coneygree's glorious victory in the 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup
- Top racing books of 2024: must-reads of the year, from the perfect Christmas stocking filler to a pioneering jockey
- Captain Marvel: how a modern master of Cheltenham and a genuine pioneer executed one of the shocks of the year
- 'We’re delighted with how it's going' - joint-trainers prepare for exciting year after Flat string is doubled
- 'We’ve had to work hard this sales season' - Kennet Valley seeking to build on success with biggest string
- Alastair Down's archives: the great writer recalls Coneygree's glorious victory in the 2015 Cheltenham Gold Cup