The Great Sweepstakes of 1877: A True Story of Southern Grit, Gilded Age Tycoons, and a Race That Galvanized the Nation

by Mark Shrager

Overview

In 1877 the members of the United States Senate postponed all business for the day so that they might attend a horse race—the iconic, polarizing post-Civil War event at the center of this story. The nation, still recovering from the depredations of the Civil War and the Reconstruction that followed, recognized it as a North vs. South encounter, pitting New York’s powerful thoroughbred Tom Ochiltree and New Jersey’s Parole—owned by the ostentatious Northern tycoons Pierre and George Lorrilard—against the already legendary “Kentucky crack,” Ten Broeck—owned by the teetotaling, plain-living Frank Harper and ridden by black jockey and former slave William Walker—representing a former slave state and its Southern values. The race and the colorful cast of characters involved reflected the still seething America during one of the nation’s most difficult and divisive periods. Shrager presents a fascinating and heart-pounding piece of history exposing the racial and economic tensions following the Civil War that culminated in one final race to the end.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493018895
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	04/01/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

Mark Shrager is a prolific turfwriter, having published several hundred articles in magazines such as Turf & Sport Digest, American Turf Magazine (ATM), and others. His article, “1,001 Surefire Ways to Lose a Horse Race,” was published in the annual Best Sports Stories anthology. Shrager has also published two books of Breeders’ Cup handicapping information. Six years of research, including stretches in Kentucky and at the Library of Congress, have led to The Great Sweepstakes of 1877. He lives in Altadena, California.

Table of Contents

Preface: A Slow Day in Congress v

Chapter 1 The Champion 1

Chapter 2 The Home Team 13

Chapter 3 The Harpers 20

Chapter 4 The Lorillards (Part 1) 32

Chapter 5 Working Men 46

Chapter 6 The Buildup 60

Chapter 7 The Great Sweepstakes 70

Chapter 8 The Aftermath 80

Chapter 9 The Rematch 91

Chapter 10 The Lorillards (Part 2) 104

Chapter 11 The End of Rancocas 143

Epilogue 165

Appendix A Tijuana Speed: The Fall of Ten Broeck's Final Record 212

Appendix B "Wasting" Away: Racing's Rules and the Death of William Barrett 218

Appendix C Where Did They Get Their Names? 225

Appendix D Congress Adjourns 238

Acknowledgments 241

Notes and Sources 246

Bibliography 294

Index 314

About the Author 327

Editorial Reviews

The Great Sweepstakes of 1877 is a rollicking tale that will entertain history and horse lovers alike. The book includes a well-researched look at the early days of Kentucky horse racing and the North versus South rivalries fueled by the end of the Civil War. Mark Shrager weaves together history and sports while delivering breakneck suspense.

Nicholas J. C. Pistor

In a time when the Sport of Kings had become a pastime for the masses, the Great Sweepstakes of 1877 stood out for its drama, its spectacle, and its impact on the public consciousness. Mark Shrager has done a masterful job of bringing to life this extraordinary era and one of its most remarkable events.

Sharon B. Smith

One of the greatest horse races of all time was held at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore at a time when the nation officially ended the Era of Reconstruction. The story of that race—billed as East against West but clearly pitting North against South—and its historical context is beautifully told in Mark Shrager’s The Great Sweepstakes of 1877.

Robert K. Sutton

Not exactly a match race, but maybe even better with three top thoroughbreds instead of two, Pimlico’s Great Sweepstakes ushered in the ‘directional’ showdown—East vs. West, North vs. South—that would be a mainstay of horse racing for the next 150 years. Mark Shrager’s recounting of this epic sporting event, along with the fortunes and misfortunes of the owners, trainers, and jockeys, is told with rich detail and style. There is enough of the former to satisfy the most demanding students of turf history and enough of the latter to make a great read for anyone.

Milton C. Toby