Synopsis
Early thoroughbred breeders (mainly the bluegrass hardboots of Kentucky) warned that thoroughbred horses couldn't survive the Florida heat and swampland. ""Stick to raising alligators"", they mocked. Today the thoroughbred industry is a major business in the state (ranking third in terms of revenue), and race horses that are born, raised and trained in Florida gallop to worldwide acclaim. This account by award-winning turf writer Charlene R. Johnson is a complete history of racing and breeding in the state. Long known as a winter racing mecca, the Hialeah Race Track opened the ""palm tree circuit"" in 1925 with a dusty track, an infield of burned weeds, and no unloading facilities for the tired horses who arrived by train from New York. The first string to race at Hialeah unloaded in downtown Miami and walked ten miles to the track while grooms wielded baseball bats to protect the horses from snakes. The success - and quirky personality - of Needles, the first Florida thoroughbred to win the Kentucky Derby, coming from second-to-last position on the backstretch in 1956, accelerated the state's breeding programme. Johnson documents the business from the early era in Tallahassee in the 1800s to its unprecedented growth in Marion County, where limestone deposits in the countryside provide the perfect nutrients for healthy bones and cartilage in livestock. Interviews with first- and second-generation horse people contribute to this record. Among more than a hundred photographs in the book are shots of the famous captive flamingos at Hialeah, Rough 'n' Tumble's swimming pool at Ocala Stud, Carryback, the second Florida thoroughbred to win the Kentucky Derby, and Affirmed, the first to win the Triple Crown. Appendixes provide information on tracks, earnings, winners and breeder awards.
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About the Author
Charlene R. Johnson served as editor of The Florida Horse and as staff writer for The Horsemen's Journal.
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Florida Thoroughbred [Hardcover] Johnson, Charlene R.
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University Press of Florida, 1993
ISBN 10: 0813011981
ISBN 13: 9780813011981
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Florida Thoroughbred
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University Press of Florida, 1993
ISBN 10: 0813011981
ISBN 13: 9780813011981
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Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 367 pages. Black binding with gold lettering on spine. Numerous B/W photos scattered through the book. Photos of book on request. Signed and inscribed By Author. Seller Inventory # 015208
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FLORIDA THOROUGHBRED
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University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 1993
ISBN 10: 0813011981
ISBN 13: 9780813011981
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hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 8vo; 367 pp; Foredge has a bit of foxing, small light tan spots, remains a nice attractive like new book; Always Delivery Confirmation. 35 Years Fast Excellent Service. We Know How To Pack Books. Seller Inventory # A800835
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FLORIDA THOROUGHBRED
Published by
University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 1993
ISBN 10: 0813011981
ISBN 13: 9780813011981
Used
Hardcover
Seller: GLOVER'S BOOKERY, ABAA, Lexington, KY, U.S.A.
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hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. 8vo; 367 pp; Foredge has a bit of foxing, small light tan spots, remains a nice attractive like new book; Always Delivery Confirmation. 35 Years Fast Excellent Service. We Know How To Pack Books. Seller Inventory # 25670
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Florida Thoroughbred.
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Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 1993
ISBN 10: 0813011981
ISBN 13: 9780813011981
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FLORIDA THOROUGHBRED
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University Press of Florida. 367pp. Fine in fine dj. Foreword by John C. Weber. Chronicles the development of the Thoroughbred industry in Florida from its 19th century beginnings, featuring such famous Florida-breds as Needles, Carryback and Affirmed. A few color and numerous b/w photos. Race horses. Horse racing. Postpaid. Seller Inventory # hnORni1586
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Florida Thoroughbred
Published by
University Press of Florida, 1993
ISBN 10: 0813011981
ISBN 13: 9780813011981
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Florida Thoroughbred
Published by
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ISBN 10: 0813011981
ISBN 13: 9780813011981
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Hardcover. Condition: FINE. Dust Jacket Condition: FINE. Clean, unworn copy. No writing or markings. Binding is sound and tight. New archival mylar dj cover. 8vo 367 pages. Many b/w and colour illustrations, appendices, notes on sources, index. Additional info or photos on request. Ships in sturdy cardboard packaging, with tracking and insurance. Seller Inventory # 159
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FLORIDA THOROUGHBRED
Published by
University Press of Florida, 1993
ISBN 10: 0813011981
ISBN 13: 9780813011981
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Florida Thoroughbred
Published by
Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 1993
ISBN 10: 0813011981
ISBN 13: 9780813011981
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Hardcover. Condition: As New. Dust Jacket Condition: As New. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards, octavo, pp. 367. An As New octavo volume in As New dust jacket. Seller Inventory # 18577