The Pilgrims Would Be Shocked: the History of Thoroughbred Racing in New England

For 40 years the most attended sport in New England was thoroughbred racing. Since 1933 when pari-mutuel racing was legalized in the region after 300 years of puritanical opposition there were 16 tracks in operation in five New England states. In 1958 just four of those tracks outdrew the Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins combined. Today there is only one track left and it is barely surviving. This book traces the rise and near fall of the sport.