Another holiday season is right around the corner and again 2025 presents us with a nice list of literary looks at the sport of horse racing in its many forms. Whether you seek an immersive coffee table book or an examination of a moment in racing’s past, this list has something for the horse lover reader in your life.

Check out this year’s list of 11 titles ripe for gifting, with names like Man o’ War, Silver Charm, Stymie, and more in the mix of this year’s new titles.

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“Astride: Horses, Women, and a Partnership That Shaped America,” by Eliza McGraw

The late 19^th century into the early 20^th century was a transformative moment for women. The gains they sought in the public sphere extended to their activities in the saddle, where, riding either aside or astride, they emerged from the shadows and started taking chances and occupying space as performers, professionals, and promoters alongside their equine partners. McGraw’s book examines these changes and demonstrates the role that horses played in the cultural and societal evolution of women in American life.

“Death of a Racehorse: An American Story,” by Katie Bo Lillis

The title of Lillis’s new book on the sport might give the impression that it is trending in one direction over another in its examination of the sport, but the author takes on an analysis of the realities of the horse racing while also offering hope for its future. She examines the federal case that took down Jason Servis and Jorge Navarro as well as Medina Spirit’s disqualification from the 2021 Kentucky Derby and how both cases are both indicative of the sport’s long-term concerns. As a journalist who previously worked in racing, she examines the sport from the inside out and offers insights not often seen in other investigative works.

“Forging the Triple Crown: The Early History of Horse Racing’s Signature Series, 1918–1948,” by Michael F. Batcheller

Batcheller’s book examines the early years of the American Triple Crown, sharing the names and faces that were a part of the three stakes’ transformation from races to classics. Going year by year, he analyzes each year’s crops during their 2- and 3-year-old seasons and provides an overview of these first decades of this most difficult of pursuits.

“The Greatest Racehorse? Man O' War and the Judgment of History,” by Mark Shrager

Sit on the track apron on a given race day and conversation is bound to turn to the merits of one particular horse versus another. Easy Goer versus Sunday Silence? Affirmed or Alydar? Man o’ War or Secretariat? These debates may feel like an exercise in futility — can one ever really say which Big Red (or heck, any other horse) is the best? —  but Tony Ryan Book Award-winning author Mark Shrager is not one to shrink from a challenge.

In his new book, “The Greatest Racehorse? Man o’ War and the Judgment of History,” Shrager takes on the titanic task of resolving that debate, pitting the immortal original Big Red against a long list of other giants of the sport in an attempt to answer the age-old question: who is the greatest racehorse? To settle this debate — at least in as much as one can — his book tackles that question by breaking down the criteria that could go into considering “the greatest racehorse” and then comparing Man o’ War with other greats. From Exterminator to Flightline, Shrager examines each criterion and each horse in relation to Man o’ War to arrive at which one illustrates each. The book’s end takes on one more important topic in considering who is the greatest: context.

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“Greyhound: The Remarkable Story of the Legendary Racehorse Who Inspired a Nation,” by Cheryl Eriksen

Horse racing’s Standardbred cousins in harness racing have their share of legendary figures, like Dan Patch and Niatross and a record-breaking gray who finally gets his moment in the sun. Born in 1932, the son of Guy Abbey won the 1935 Hambletonian and then went on to set at least 14 world records in a career where he won 71 of 82 starts. Eriksen brings this trotting immortal to life as she brings the reader into his moment and shares the monumental performances that put this legend in the Hall of Fame.

“Horses of Hollywood,” by Roberta Smoodin

Smoodin combines her experience and expertise with horses and her love of the silver screen in her examination of the horse’s role in more than a century of filmmaking. She talks about icons like Mr. Ed and Trigger while also going behind the scenes in films like “War Horse.” This fascinating intersection of two American passions offers readers a rare glimpse into the history of the horse in Hollywood.

“The Oak Tree Story,” by Jay Hovdey

Jay Hovdey examines the history of the Oak Tree Racing Association, the nonprofit organization that sponsored race meetings at Santa Anita. Profits from each meet when to charitable organizations that benefit equine research, backstretch workers, and more. This book covers the highlights of more tyan 40 years of racing at the highest level, with racing’s superstars part of the story of Oak Tree.

“The Racetracks of America,” by Brien Bouyea, et al.

Thirty-five turf writers and racing historians contributed to this look at America’s racetracks past and present. This coffee table style book is a must-have for any racing fan. Each racetrack gets the royal treatment, replete with gorgeous photos and glimpses into the history of each, written by those familiar with these ovals. Readers will spend hours thumbing through this titanic tome, reliving the memories of visits to Saratoga, Hollywood Park, and more.

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“Racing's Return from the Brink: The Incredible Comeback of Old Rosebud and American Horse Racing,” by James C. Nicholson

Nicholson turns his expert skills at weaving a tale to the career of Kentucky Derby winner Old Rosebud and his moment. This Hall of Famer came along when the sport was facing its toughest test as gambling reformers sought to kill the pursuit that remains a vital part of racing. As he traces the ups and downs of the gelding’s career, he also examines racing’s improbable comeback from its near-death experience and the role that horses like Old Rosebud played in that revitalization.

“Silver Charm - And the Old Friends Who Save the Thoroughbreds,” by M.J. Evans

Evans traces the career of the 1997 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Silver Charm and his eventual retirement to Old Friends in Georgetown, Ky. Alongside her examination of the gray’s adventures on the racetrack comes her look at the evolution of Old Friends from an idea in Michael Blowen’s head to an iconic Bluegrass destination, where champions like Silver Charm are the stars and a reminder of what aftercare can and should look like for all horses.

“Stymie: A Novel in Stories,” by Andy Plattner

Part novel, part discussion of the career of Stymie, Plattner’s book tells the story of Ben Held and his sweetheart, Bonnie, through the post World War I era through World War II. As Ben’s life evolves and changes, so does Stymie’s. A former claimer turned Hall of Fame handicapper, the undulations of Stymie’s career are the background of Ben’s time on the racetrack, evoking the feeling of working in the sport