Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2009

Where did thoroughbreds come from?

Why do they call it a steeplechase?

What's the difference between trotting and pacing?

Did you know that winning jockeys are weighed before and after a race?

Experienced horsewoman Nikki Tate takes the reader behind the scenes to examine the world of the racetrack.

Sections include:

• The history of horse racing from chariots to chuckwagons; An examination of the racing breeds from thoroughbreds to quarter horses; The role of the trainers, grooms, farriers, track vets, pony riders, outriders, and paddock judges; Care of a horse at the racetrack; Horse equipment; The jockey's training; What goes on in the racing office; How to read the program; How the starting gates work; Drug use and cheating; and A horse's life after the racetrack.

An examination of horse racing from a history of the breeds developed for the sport, through training and caring for horses at the track, to the day of the race and beyond.