The best horse racing books of all time

Ranking the best horse racing books of all time can be a matter of personal preference. Horse racing has a long, rich history of written works, and if you ask 10 avid readers to name their favorite book, you might receive 10 different answers.

However, you would be hard-pressed to find any racing fan who would argue against the following six volumes ranking among the best horse racing books ever written:

Seabiscuit: An American Legend

By Laura Hillenbrand

This bestselling book about Depression-era racing sensation Seabiscuit earned numerous awards and spawned the hit 2003 movie Seabiscuit, which earned seven Academy Award nominations.

Secretariat: The Making of a Champion

By William Nack

The rise of 1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat is told with first-hand accounts from sports journalist William Nack. The book served as the basis for the 2010 film Secretariat.

The Black Stallion

By Walter Farley

In addition to history books, horse racing literature includes renowned works of fiction. Few are more famous than The Black Stallion, the story of shipwreck survivor Alec Ramsey bonding with the spirited stallion “The Black” and winning a race against the fastest U.S. racehorses. The Black Stallion was followed by a bevy of sequels as well as the hit 1979 film of the same name.

National Velvet

By Enid Bagnold

Fans of British and steeplechase racing are bound to enjoy National Velvet, the 1935 fictional story of 14-year-old Velvet Brown and her horse The Piebald winning the prestigious Grand National. The book was followed by an acclaimed 1944 film of the same name, which won two Academy Awards.

Champions: The Lives, Times, and Past Performances of America’s Greatest Thoroughbreds

By the Editors and Writers of Daily Racing Form

A must-have book for fans of racing history, Champions: The Lives, Times, and Past Performances of America's Greatest Thoroughbreds is a by-the-decade recounting of the greatest Thoroughbred racehorses to ever compete in the United States. In addition to text and photos, the book includes Daily Racing Form-style past performances for over 550 horses, from Affirmed and Alydar to Zev and Zenyatta.

The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America

By William H. P. Robertson

The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America, published in 1964, is a monumental history tome that provides an overview of U.S. horse racing from its inception in the 1600s through the early 1960s. With over 600 pages, The History of Thoroughbred Racing in America is packed with details and stories even serious racing fans haven’t heard before.