Keeneland Library will host James C. Nicholson in conversation with historian Katherine C. Mooney. Following the presentation, enjoy a book signing and reception with James C. Nicholson. A limited number of copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event.

At the turn of the 20th century, American horse racing clung to a precarious existence. A wave of anti-gambling legislation threatened to destroy the industry until one extraordinary Thoroughbred gelding, dubbed the “Miracle Horse” by the media, helped steer it away from extinction.  

In Racing’s Return from the Brink, James C. Nicholson tells the story of Old Rosebud within the context of the volatile cultural and political environment of the early 1900s. Named for a brand of bourbon produced by his owners’ family distillery, Old Rosebud set a track record when he won the 1914 Kentucky Derby by eight lengths. After sustaining an injury in his next race, Old Rosebud was sidelined for years before returning to the track, ultimately recording forty wins in a career that lasted until 1922. Though his fame has since faded, Old Rosebud was one of the most talented racehorses of his era and was once among the most recognizable names in U.S. sports. 

James C. Nicholson teaches at the UK College of Law and UK College of Agriculture and is the author of six books, including The Kentucky Derby: How the Run for the Roses Became America’s Premier Sporting Event and Never Say Die: A Kentucky Colt, the Epsom Derby, and the Rise of the Modern Thoroughbred Industry.

Katherine C. Mooney is James P. Jones Professor of History at Florida State University. She is the author of Race Horse Men: How Slavery and Freedom Were Made at the Racetrack and Isaac Murphy: The Rise and Fall of a Black Jockey.