Reinventing the American Thoroughbred; The Arabian Adventures of Alexander Keene Richards
Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2025. Troye. First edition. Hardcover. 379p, several ills. by Troye and others. New / new. Item #32975
A fresh history of an overlooked era of American racing, during the waning of the long heat-race era and the coming of the Civil War. Convinced that Arabian blood would improve Thoroughbred stamina, Richards traveled into the heart of Syria and "became the first American--indeed the first Westerner--to venture into the desert to bargain directly with nomadic tribesmen for their horses." He carried out his breeding program at his two farms, in Kentucky and Louisiana. After the war, he overcame his wartime losses and continued to play a prominent role in racing and breeding. He relied on the skills of his enslaved trainer Ansel Williamson, who later worked by Robert A. Alexander.
Price: $44.95