( 6 reviews )
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Posted: Apr 22 2009
I have been a fan of Steve Haskin when he was a columnist for the Daily Racing Form, and I continue to read his articles in the Blood-Horse as well as his frequent internet postings. I enjoyed the Holy Grail. I have read it twice, most recently as a reference guide in preparing remarks to my local Rotary club on the Kentucky Derby. The stories set forth therein will interest not only the dedicated fan of thoroughbred horse racing but anyone with an appreciation of the human condition.
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Posted: Jan 7 2006
As a huge fan of Steve Haskin's column on Bloodhorse and a yearly attendee to the Derby, I was really looking forward to reading this. Disappointment is an undetatement of my first reaction to the book. How can this guy write such good stuff weekly, yet fall woefully short in his book?
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( 2 of 3 found this review helpful ) Posted: Jul 3 2004
The quest for the Kentucky Derby is a topic with a lot of potential for a great book, but unfortunately this book fails to live up to it. The title - "Horse Racing's Holy Grail: The Epic Quest for the Kentucky Derby" - would lead one to believe that by reading this one will gain a deep insight into the workings of the Derby and what it takes to get there and win it. Not so. Haskin's thesis here can be summed up more or less as "anything can happen." And while this isn't untrue, it certainly doesn't tell us anything we didn't already know. Avid racing fans that have been following the sport for years won't learn anything new here, and relative newcomers hoping to find a formula for picking winners won't find that either.The information Haskin provides here is mostly in the form of statistics. He gives us lists and numbers. What he doesn't do is look in-depth at any of the past Derby contenders. We don't get to know any of them very well, or hear their stories. The book merely skims, and lacks depth.Worse yet is the fact that Haskin doesn't seem to have a clear message for us. He says, "There is a distinct formula for success that has proven its worth year after year" (pg. 138) but he fails to make it clear what this formula is. Every time he tells us about a trend or "rule" relating to the Derby, he immediately follows it up with half a dozen not-uncommon exceptions. He even states that future Derby winners can look like anything, be bought for any price, be of any parentage, and have any kind of previous race record. While this is certainly a true statement, once again it's nothing profound or new.Another problem is that Haskin meanders quite a bit and sometimes gets off-topic. He delves into topics like how to be a reporter, or how to spot a "gonzo journalist," or how to tell what trainer comments really mean. None of this has much bearing on discovering the secret to a successful Derby. In fact, even much of the racing information Haskin gives is not specific to the Kentucky Derby, and it's often easy to forget that the book is supposed to be focussed on that one race.My final irritation with the book is its use of space. The margins are large, the typeface is large, and the space between lines is enormous, leaving only 25 lines of text per page. And that's only on the pages that are composed entirely of text! About 75% of the pages are heavily picture-laden, which means that the actual length of the writing is much less than 219 pages. I normally don't mind having lots of photos in a book like this, but these aren't even very impressive photos. They're all black-and-white, and few are really appealing shots.I realize that thus far I've only said negative things about the book, and perhaps that makes you wonder why I've even given it three stars. Despite my disappointment with it, it's not entirely bad. The information is accurate, at least, even if it doesn't tell us anything insightful. It is also easy to read, and can be finished quickly. What it boils down to, though, is the question of whether the book is worth it. Is it worth reading? Perhaps, though any long-time racing enthusiast will already know most of what Haskin says. Is it worth the price? I really don't think so. If you still do want to read it, check it out of the library.
