birdkeeperklink's review against another edition
3.0
This book was good in the beginning. I loved her characterization of Black Gold's jockey, and it was good to have even a fictionalized version of an otherwise forgotten Derby winner. I liked U-see-it, Rosa, and the boy. The trainer, though...he was all right at first, but got progressively more frustrating.
Black Gold's ultimate fate was. Despite being something of a downer, however, it's still a good, moving story. I think it still has relevance today in the treatment of Thoroughbreds, even if there are a few things today that weren't around then. Henry's point is still valid and of concern.
Black Gold's ultimate fate was
Spoiler
very sadamandagstevens's review
2.0
Henry was one of my favorite authors as a kid, but my rating of this book is based on my difficulty processing the heartbreak of the story when I first read it.
Emotional growth as well as simply growing up (in addition to the top reviews on Goodreads) have given me an entirely new perspective on the events of this book. As a kid I tried my best to admire Black Gold's "courage and heart" finishing his race with a broken leg. Henry's writing (as well as my own upbringing) went a long way toward making me believe I ought to see this story as somehow triumphant. Today I see the avoidable tragedy instead.
Emotional growth as well as simply growing up (in addition to the top reviews on Goodreads) have given me an entirely new perspective on the events of this book. As a kid I tried my best to admire Black Gold's "courage and heart" finishing his race with a broken leg. Henry's writing (as well as my own upbringing) went a long way toward making me believe I ought to see this story as somehow triumphant. Today I see the avoidable tragedy instead.
leah_markum's review against another edition
4.0
Much like how the infamous Misty of Chincoteague, despite its name, was more about Misty's mother, The Phantom, I'm intrigued how a book supposedly about the true story of a 1924 Kentucky Derby winner spent as pages about the mother, U-See-It, and the novel's continuity depends on the people that cared for both.
Black Gold wasn't born until the midpoint of the story. U-See-It also had more character description. She was small, youthful, liked to nuzzle, and was the "Indian Pony" in the races. Most race horses are bred large and from wealthy farms in east of the Mississippi River. U-See-It broke barriers and was a true Oklahoma gal with ties to the Osage tribe. Black Gold never went west of the Mississippi. He was still small for a Thoroughbred, but he was bred and raised in Kentucky. The story at this point narrates less from the quirkiness of the horse and its circumstance and read more like a typical sequence of training and races. His character was simply that of a regular race horse.
The point of view bounced between ranch owner Al Hoots, his pal and horse trainer "Old Man" Hanley Webb, and the childhood and jockey career of Jaydee Mooney. I love how Henry depicts Jaydee. I can respect his work ethic and a more intimate, self-less love of race horses. He observes horses closely, he rode Black Gold in a way that made him far more successful than he was with other riders, and Jaydee knew horse 101 and checked a lame horse's hoof! He knew to ask for help and follow the intelligent and considerate path to care for Black Gold's issue. He refused to ride until Black Gold was sound again. This was in the 1920s and animal welfare wasn't at it's highest and I suspect Black Gold would be banned from racing if he ran in modern times.
Hoots was a gambler and made some poor decisions with U-See-It, essentially expecting gentlemanly conduct regarding him and his horse instead of following written rules. Sometimes he gets away with things and sometimes he doesn't--and then he tries again, assuming people will bend the rules because everyone loves his horse enough to overlook his own conduct.
Webb is of a similar nature, though less of a gambler or more of a lonely, stubborn old man. No matter Black Gold's condition, he thought it would be the end of the world to stop racing, even for a season. I can hardly believe how little he thought of Black Gold's well being or basic foresight: treat the injury and rest and then he can continue racing. How could he think otherwise? And for some reason Jaydee is the only one telling him he should know better, while the public simply enjoys what racing Black Gold was able to do and offered condolence when things go wrong. Basic irresponsibility and no reprimands except from Jaydee. It's as if Jaydee is an embodiment of the reader's feelings than a historical figure.
I have one point to add based on other reviews. Is Black Gold too dire for a children's book? I don't think so. It's surprising for sure if you're reading Henry's books for the first time in say, 2017. But some of her most famous stories were written two to three generations ago. This one was first published in 1957. Attitudes regarding what children should be exposed to were different. Original fairy tails were dark and were meant to intimidate children from doing something their parents don't want them to do. This book is mild compared to those. It's also mild compared to most movies from the 90s that involved animals, which are what the parents of today grew up with. The Lion King has more violence.
I still love the book and how it's told. Henry knows how to inject immersion whether it's the Okie lingo and the smell of a rural race track or delve deep into the human psyche without turning the story into 400 pages or setting the mood too serious for children.
Black Gold wasn't born until the midpoint of the story. U-See-It also had more character description. She was small, youthful, liked to nuzzle, and was the "Indian Pony" in the races. Most race horses are bred large and from wealthy farms in east of the Mississippi River. U-See-It broke barriers and was a true Oklahoma gal with ties to the Osage tribe. Black Gold never went west of the Mississippi. He was still small for a Thoroughbred, but he was bred and raised in Kentucky. The story at this point narrates less from the quirkiness of the horse and its circumstance and read more like a typical sequence of training and races. His character was simply that of a regular race horse.
The point of view bounced between ranch owner Al Hoots, his pal and horse trainer "Old Man" Hanley Webb, and the childhood and jockey career of Jaydee Mooney. I love how Henry depicts Jaydee. I can respect his work ethic and a more intimate, self-less love of race horses. He observes horses closely, he rode Black Gold in a way that made him far more successful than he was with other riders, and Jaydee knew horse 101 and checked a lame horse's hoof! He knew to ask for help and follow the intelligent and considerate path to care for Black Gold's issue. He refused to ride until Black Gold was sound again. This was in the 1920s and animal welfare wasn't at it's highest and I suspect Black Gold would be banned from racing if he ran in modern times.
Hoots was a gambler and made some poor decisions with U-See-It, essentially expecting gentlemanly conduct regarding him and his horse instead of following written rules. Sometimes he gets away with things and sometimes he doesn't--and then he tries again, assuming people will bend the rules because everyone loves his horse enough to overlook his own conduct.
Webb is of a similar nature, though less of a gambler or more of a lonely, stubborn old man. No matter Black Gold's condition, he thought it would be the end of the world to stop racing, even for a season. I can hardly believe how little he thought of Black Gold's well being or basic foresight: treat the injury and rest and then he can continue racing. How could he think otherwise? And for some reason Jaydee is the only one telling him he should know better, while the public simply enjoys what racing Black Gold was able to do and offered condolence when things go wrong. Basic irresponsibility and no reprimands except from Jaydee. It's as if Jaydee is an embodiment of the reader's feelings than a historical figure.
I have one point to add based on other reviews. Is Black Gold too dire for a children's book? I don't think so. It's surprising for sure if you're reading Henry's books for the first time in say, 2017. But some of her most famous stories were written two to three generations ago. This one was first published in 1957. Attitudes regarding what children should be exposed to were different. Original fairy tails were dark and were meant to intimidate children from doing something their parents don't want them to do. This book is mild compared to those. It's also mild compared to most movies from the 90s that involved animals, which are what the parents of today grew up with. The Lion King has more violence.
I still love the book and how it's told. Henry knows how to inject immersion whether it's the Okie lingo and the smell of a rural race track or delve deep into the human psyche without turning the story into 400 pages or setting the mood too serious for children.
bibliomaineiac's review
3.0
I have been periodically reading all the Marguerite Henry books I missed as a child. Henry didn't disappoint, as this is another well written book. I did not know the story of Black Gold and I found it very interesting. Especially interesting was his connections to the Native Americans of Oklahoma.
erinngillespie's review against another edition
4.0
A well written (for the age group of the intended reader) heartbreaker of a book. Almost a case study in what greed for fame can do to an animal that known nothing of that . There is almost a "villian" here , but human nature is hard to defeat. I really enjoyed the read even if it had me in tears .
kibbles15's review against another edition
5.0
This is still one of my favorite books. I love the story of this inspirational little horse.
snekmint's review
2.0
I have to agree with another reviewer here who mentioned that Henry shouldn't have written about Black Gold at all. His life was an extremely short tragedy propelled by greed and mismanagement. His leg snapped at the ankle due to a long-term crack in the hoof his trainer knew about for years but refused to have mended, due to nothing but pride. A useless, selfish old man that Henry paints as lonely and victimized, and she grants him pardon in the end for running a 7 year old horse to death. For some reason she finds him a sympathetic character while the title character is literally sacrificed. Not the best example of a heartwarming tale, but certainly a look into the horrible world of thoroughbred racing.
snekmint's review against another edition
2.0
I have to agree with another reviewer here who mentioned that Henry shouldn't have written about Black Gold at all. His life was an extremely short tragedy propelled by greed and mismanagement. His leg snapped at the ankle due to a long-term crack in the hoof his trainer knew about for years but refused to have mended, due to nothing but pride. A useless, selfish old man that Henry paints as lonely and victimized, and she grants him pardon in the end for running a 7 year old horse to death. For some reason she finds him a sympathetic character while the title character is literally sacrificed. Not the best example of a heartwarming tale, but certainly a look into the horrible world of thoroughbred racing.
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