RaceLens

As mud flies through the air behind their hooves, Carry Back and Crozier dramatically hurtle toward the finish line in the 1961 Florida Derby, captured in expert black and white photography. In an 1890 race at Coney Island Jockey Club, Salvator defeats Tenny by a matter of inches in what may be the first instance of a photo finish. As they battle down the stretch at the Churchill Downs, Head Play and Brokers Tip dash toward their iconic Fighting Finish at the 1933 Kentucky Derby and are caught in a classic image of racing legend. Every one of these amazing moments in history has been preserved in breathtaking detail by skilled photographers and included in this stunning collection of vintage images introduced by seasoned racing journalist Bill Mooney. Thoroughbred racing journalist Philip Von Borries provides insightful commentary and vivid introductions, drawing photos from the award-wining Keeneland Library in Lexington, Kentucky, among other sources. He illuminates behind-the-scenes histories to highlight the master lensmen who produced these mesmerizing images. Providing biographies on all nine of the photographers featured in the book, Von Borries examines thoroughbred racing and its fabulous history as seen through their eyes. Photographers include New Orleans-born Louis Hodges Sr., the renowned C. C. Cook, John Hemment, Bert Clark Thayer, Bert Morgan, J. C. "Skeets" Meadors, Robert McClure, Wallace Lowry, and Jim Raftery.