Against the Odds: Riding for My Life

Jerry Bailey

Rating: 5.0/5 Stars
Rank: 19879

Called by some the "Michael Jordan of racing," Bailey has endured tumultuous times both on and off the track.

In this honest but cliché-ridden memoir, the jockey recalls his life's milestones, paying particular attention to his bout with alcoholism.

Aided by sportswriter Pedulla (USA Today), Bailey, 47, exposes the risks jockeys face during a race, the corruption rampant at some tracks, the nobility of racehorses, the arrogance and humility of various owners and the thrill of winning.

He recalls his boyhood excitement at racing horses against neighborhood friends in his native Texas. Driven by his love of horses and his competitive spirit, he entered the racing world, first as a trainer, and eventually becoming a world-class jockey.

Yet early in his career, he drifted into alcoholism; with the help of his wife and an AA counselor, he became sober.

Although Bailey was successful as a young jockey, his glory days have come in the last 16 years with his Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes wins and numerous other honors.

Bailey weaves interviews with friends and family with his own words to create an often poignant memoir of the triumph of the human spirit, but his prose reads more like a trot around the track than an exhilarating run for the roses.

Photos not seen by PW. Agent, Equisponse. (Apr. 21)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.
All rights reserved.

About the Author

Jerry Bailey has won the Eclipse Award as the nation's best jockey seven of the past nine years. He has won the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes twice each, has won a record fourteen Breeders' Cup races, and in 1995 was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame.

Tom Pedulla is a sportswriter for USA Today.

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Editorials(7) | Customer Reviews(2)

Editorials

Sample 3 of 7

Against the Odds: Riding for My Life
Jerry Bailey


	Bob Costas, NBC and HBO Sports
	a remarkable story of adversity, courage and redemption.... This is one wild ride.

	Dick Francis
	[Bailey's] book is a 'must' for every true lover of the sport of kings.

	Book Description
	A remarkable narrative of failure and redemption, the fiercely candid autobiography of the world's greatest jockey, depicting not only the intense inside story of professional racing but his greatest victory of all-against... read full editorial

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Customer Reviews

Sample 2 of 2

Against the Odds: Riding for My Life
Jerry Bailey


	Great to the Finish
	(Twin Lakes, Wisconsin) May 4, 2005 - 5.0/5 stars
	There are two books that I had been hearing a lot about and so I ordered them. One of those books was Against the Odds by Jerry Bailey. The other book was My Fractured Life by Rikki Lee Travolta. Of the two,... read full review

	No Formula Here
	(Brooklyn, NY) May 5, 2005 - 5.0/5 stars
	This isn't the story of a great jockey. That would be pretty formula. This is the story of a jockey who somehow beat the odds to achieve greatness. That's what makes it a great book. Somewhat like "My Fractured Life", "It's... read full review

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