Wild Ride - by Ann Hagedorn Auerbach (Paperback)

About the Book

In its heyday, Calumet Farm dominated the sport of kings, but during the 1980s, the high-stakes business that had developed around its blueblood roots began to unravel. "Race fans will love the book, of course, but so will anybody interested in recent cultural history, for Wild Ride is as much about 1980s greed as it is about horses".--Los Angeles Times.

Book Synopsis

Wild Ride is Ann Hagedorn Auerbach's award-winning chronicle of the tragic story behind the downfall of horse racing's crown jewel.

Founded in 1924 by Chicago mogul William Monroe Wright, Calumet Farm was to the world of thoroughbred racing what the New York Yankees are to baseball--a sports dynasty. The stable bred so many superstars that it became the standard by which all achievements were measured in the horse racing industry. But during the 1980s, a web of financial schemes left Calumet destitute.

Auerbach's account is an investigation of the fast-track, multibillion-dollar thoroughbred industry and the fall of Calumet--the inside story of a debacle that extended further than anyone could have imagined. Spanning four generations, this fast-paced saga brings to life a gallery of colorful characters from Calumet's glittery past. Wild Ride shows the industry's transformation from a clubby blue-blood society where a handshake closed a deal to a high-stakes business bulging with bankers and scandalous deal making. When the Bluegrass Bubble exploded, one of America's largest family fortunes lay in ruins.

"A fascinating tale with a cast of characters worthy of Dickens -- or Runyon." -- Carl Desens, BusinessWeek

Review Quotes

"A dramatic story ... [told] exceptionally well. Race fans will love the book, but so will anyone interested in recent cultural history, for Wild Ride is as much about the 1980s greed as it is about horses." -- Chris Goodrich, Los Angeles Times

"Sets the standard for investigative journalism in the sport of horse racing." -- Neil Milbert, Chicago Tribune

"This book blew me away. Behind the white fences and green pastures of a landmark institution, Ann Hagedorn Auerbach has found a tale of intrigue, corruption and family strife worthy of a novelist." -- Thomas Petzinger Jr., author of Oil & Honor: The Texaco-Pennzoil Wars

About the Author

Ann Hagedorn Auerbach is a former Wall Street Journal reporter, and has also written for The San Jose Mercury News, The New York Daily News, and The Washington Post. She lives New York City.