For centuries, man has attempted to manipulate nature in the form of the Thoroughbred racehorse. Sometimes the endeavor has succeeded beyond all expectations in the creation of a horse whose speed and “heart” recurred over generations. Other times, a great horse has emerged seemingly by happenstance to found an enduring sire line.

In Dynasties: Great Thoroughbred Stallions, author Edward L. Bowen examines the exploits and legacies of some of the twentieth century’s most influential sires. The twenty-four subject stallions represent a litany of revered names, from Fair Play and Hyperion to Northern Dancer and Mr. Prospector. Some, such as the undefeated Ribot, had greatness preordained. Others achieved it by defying the odds: Challenger II, for example, never won a race after he was imported to the United States but soon produced a Preakness Stakes winner. Princequillo ran in claiming races, then later led the American sire list twice. Rough’n Tumble never left his Florida outpost but his best son, Dr. Fager, set a world record. “A look at the sire lines of the 20th Century—both those which lasted and those that burst brightly and faded instantly—is a paradox: a repeating series of singular tales,” Bowen writes.

Interwoven with these tales are the stories of the people whose imagination, skill, and luck brought them association with these great stallions, names equally as revered: Hancock, Whitney, Tesio, Vanderbilt, Khan. Dynasties: Great Thoroughbred Stallions, written by Thoroughbred racing’s most respected historian, is an invaluable contribution to the literature of the sport.