Riess (history, Northeastern Illinois U.) offers an in-depth history of the world of horse racing in New York State in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, describing the web of politics, illegal and legal gambling, organized crime, and political machines connected to the popular sport. Based on exhaustive research, the volume is impressive in its scope and the analysis of the complex interrelationships involved, taking this history beyond horse racing to show how established and prevalent such systems were in New York and America of the time. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)