Against the Odds: Riding for My Life

This is an excellent and very honest account of Jerry Bailey's meteoric rise to the top as a jockey and also his struggle with alcoholism which nearly cost him his marriage. A thrilling read for anyone who loves horses and horse racing. However this is an excellent book for anyone fighting alcoholism regardless of whether or not they have an interest in horse racing or not. His struggles with drinking problems from teenage years onwards and his initial resistance to any form of therapy; then the way in which Alcoholics Anonymous helped him and continues to would inspire anyone to seek their help, and take a long, hard look at their drinking habits and the effect on those around them. I would highly recommend this book as an excellent read and inspiration.

Bailey tells the story of his sometimes rocky rise through the ranks of the jockey colony to become the premier rider in the world. He doesn't hold back any in discussing his battle with alcoholism and how it nearly ruined him and his family. It's an honest self appraisal by a man with an enormous talent for his craft, yet glaring weaknesses that almost denied racing fans the opportunity to watch his genius at work.

Now that Breeders' Cup 2005 is in the books, 48-year-old jockey Jerry Bailey can claim 15 Breeders' Cup wins, which are the most ever for a single rider. Yet he has been talking very seriously about retiring, possibly within a few weeks. So far, Bailey has come through this very dangerous business with relatively 'minor' injuries (broken jaw, broken collarbone, smashed ribs, etc.) He has also won over $22 million in purse money, has won every big American race there is to win, not to mention four editions of the Dubai World Cup Classic. He is in the Hall of Fame and is widely recognized as the greatest jockey of the last two decades. It is a joy to watch him ride. He is one of the few jockeys that I can recognize in a race by his classy, quiet, straight-backed crouch, the tip of his boots barely connecting to his stirrups, his horse positioned exactly where it has to be in order to win. And win he does---an incredible 25% of his races. Maybe it 'is' time to get out while he can still walk, can still enjoy life. Now that I've read "Against the Odds," I have to worry about what this thinking-man's jockey is going to do with himself after he retires. Much of his autobiography is about his fight against alcoholism. He can count the years and days since his last drink. But what is going to happen when he no longer needs his extraordinary reflexes and his ability to guide a thousand pounds of thundering horse past, around, and sometimes through its hard-galloping rivals? What happens when the euphoria of winning is replaced by a less adrenaline-soaked lifestyle? I wanted to read "Against the Odds" as a celebration, and instead I ended up worrying about the author's future. This book is about Jerry and his struggle against alcoholism, his struggle to keep his marriage together, his struggle to conceive children. Only about a third of the text concerns his brilliance on the race track. I was expecting a slightly different story--something a bit more prettified, with more about the great horses that he has guided into the winner's circle. Cigar is the only Thoroughbred Jerry admits to falling in love with, and what a ride they had together! He was aboard for 15 of the 16 races that tied Cigar with Citation for the greatest number of consecutive wins. I'll only read Jerry's brutally honest story once, but I'll never forget it.

This book is the best and most moving autobiography I have ever read. I am literate enough to realize good literature when I read it, and this is it. I have been a fan of Bailey's riding since I can remember, and still am. It was so amazing for me how this celebrity in the horse racing world opened up his whole personal life for everyone to read. I deeply admire this man for what he has accomplished and what he has overcome. He is perfectly frank in this nothing short of amazing tale of his life. He is utterly amazing with how he was able to conquer his demons and turn his life around. All of us can only hope to have the strength to accomplish the nearly impossible like Bailey did.

This is a story told by a man who had reached the bottom of his world and felt there was no way out. This just goes to show no matter how important you may seem to others, in his situation he felt helpless and lost. Fortuantly for him he has a wife who stood by him, saw the good in him and assisted in his sobority which led to his recovery. I speak from experience when I say I know where he comes from. The recovery from alcoholism is one of the most dramatic and miraculous events man can endure. This is a story of such a miracle. I truly enjoyed reading about it.