Mark Shrager
Author
“This is a book for real racing fans who are ready for a deep, satisfying dive.”
— Eliza McGraw, author of Here Comes Exterminator!
About the Author
Award-winning author Mark Shrager has published some 300 articles about every aspect of horse racing in magazines such as Turf & Sport Digest, American Turf Monthly, and others. His 1974 Turf & Sport Digest article, “1,001 Surefire Ways to Lose a Horse Race,” was published in the annual Best Sports Stories anthology. He is the author of The Great Sweepstakes of 1877: A True Story of Southern Grit, Gilded Age Tycoons, and a Race That Galvanized the Nation; Diane Crump: A Horse-Racing Pioneer’s Life in the Saddle, which won the 2020 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award for the best book on Thoroughbred racing; and The First Kentucky Derby: Thirteen Black Jockeys, One Shady Owner, and the Little Red Horse that Wasn’t Supposed to Win. He lives in Altadena, California, and is a three-time Jeopardy! champion.
“Whether one spends their evenings in a parlor, living room, or tavern, an evergreen favorite American puzzle is attempting to compare relative merits of athletes from different eras. Mark Shrager pursues this exercise in The Greatest Racehorse? Here, Man o’ War is set against other Thoroughbred greats from the past century. Sure to further discourse at the bar or sofa, Shrager applies thoughtful arguments, cultural touchpoints, and appropriate statistics to the discussion. Let the debate continue . . .”
— Lenny Shulman, Turf writer
“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, author of The Ax Murders of Saxtown: The Unsolved Crime That Terrorized a Town and Shocked the Nation
The First Kentucky Derby: Thirteen Black Jockeys, One Shady Owner, and the Little Red Horse That Wasn’t Supposed to Win
“Mark Shrager has found the winner’s circle once again! The Kentucky Derby is an American institution, but its foundational running has never been examined in such depth prior to this important and entertaining work. A master storyteller who presents history from previously neglected perspectives, Shrager has delivered the first truly comprehensive account of the inaugural Run for the Roses. It is essential reading for any fan of Thoroughbred racing and American history.”
— Brien Bouyea, communications director, National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame; author of Bare Knuckles & Saratoga Racing: The Remarkable Life of John Morrissey and The Travers: 150 Years of Saratoga’s Greatest Race
Diane Crump: A Horse-Racing Pioneer’s Life in the Saddle
“We cannot think of today’s hardworking female jockeys without paying honor to Diane Crump. She broke through the glass ceiling and helped pave the way for thousands of dedicated, strong women that made horse racing their profession. In this book, Mark Shrager tells Diane’s extraordinary story with a biographer’s attention to detail and a racing aficionado’s appreciation for his subject. I would recommend this book to anyone, sports fan or not, seeking to learn about a history-making woman’s unstinting – and endlessly fascinating – effort to live her dream.”
–Jason Neff, director/producer of the documentary, “JOCK”, on female jockeys
Coming June 3, 2025. Available for Preorder now!
Contact Author
Mark Shrager
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Contact Agent
Greg Aunapu
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