The Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World’s Greatest Racehorse

Secretariat was a tall, handsome chestnut racehorse whose achievements include being the only two-year-old to win Horse of the Year (1972), winning the Triple Crown in 1973 with times still unsurpassed, and appearing on the covers of Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated. He was the only horse listed on ESPN's top fifty athletes of the twentieth century, ahead of Mickey Mantle. His final race at Toronto's Woodbine Racetrack remains significant to horse lovers. Yet Eddie "Shorty" Sweat, the groom who was pivotal to Secretariat's success, has been largely forgotten until now. In The Horse God Built, Lawrence Scanlan tells Sweat's story alongside a portrait of the racing world. A black man from South Carolina, Sweat worked various jobs before becoming a groom to North America's finest racehorses. As Secretariat's groom, friend, and protector, Sweat understood the horse better than anyone else. Though he shared little in the financial success or glamour of Secretariat's victories, he won the horse's heart through soft words and devoted care. Scanlan's narrative offers a groom's perspective on racing and a portrait of the bond between human and horse.