A review by nerfherder86
Racing Manhattan by Terence Blacker

5.0

Excellent teen novel about being a jockey in England. Jay (Jasmine) leaves her life with her uncle, who had her riding in dodgy "pony" races so that he could win by gambling on her, to try being a real jockey in Newmarket, England's mecca for horse racing. Taken on as a stable "lad" (even the girl stablehands are called lads, although they are few and far between) in a small stable where the trainer's wife is secretly the brains behind the operation (again, a primarily male-dominated and often chauvinistic industry), Jay deals with bullying from the other lads, but stands up to them and gradually forms a bond with the barn's resident "bad" horse, the ornery misunderstood mare named Manhattan. Jay also becomes a reluctant spy for her uncle, who desperately needs insider tips to keep his gambling debts from burying him. Suspense builds as Jay becomes a better rider and is asked to ride Manhattan in races, but to use tactics she knows won't work on this particular horse. And how long can she keep up the spying before getting caught and ruining everything she's worked so hard for? Excellent horse book written by an amateur jockey who knows his way around horses and racing, so there are lots of good details about horse care and riding, and well-written race scenes. I especially liked the lack of a romantic subplot, which is often de rigueur in these kinds of books for girls, but not always what you want in a good horse novel.