The Black Stallion's Blood Bay Colt (1950)

The annoying thing about reading this book at home is that every time my DH walked by he said, "What are you reading about a blood clot for?" Annoying husbandly dyslexia aside, this was one I hardly remembered at all, though I know I've read it a number of times. Bonfire, out of Volo Queen by The Black, is the star of this book, but the real standout is Bonfire's owner, Jimmy Creech. You couldn't ask for a better study of Borderline Personality Disorder, complicated by Really Vague Ulcer Diagnosis. The machinations that our hero, young
Tom, and his elderly sidekick George, go through to keep Jimmy in nurses and good humor, are mind-boggling. The horse-racing, to me at this late date, was entirely secondary. ( )

Young Tom Messenger has been taking care of Bonfire, the second son of the famous Black Stallion, since Bonfire’s birth. Tom has earned the trust of Jimmy Creech, the veteran driver who owns Bonfire. And Tom is eager to work with the young colt, building his strength and endurance. But suddenly Jimmy’s health takes a bad turn, and Tom must pick up Bonfire reins himself. The horse is a natural, but Tom doesn’t know the first thing about harness racing. And he’d better learn fast. Walter Farley provides the rider with a crash course in the sport of harness racing. The excitement of the track jumps to life in this remarkable tale of a horse’s early years, from his birth and training to his first race and right across the finish line. -by Hannah

I read all of the Black Stallion books when I was a child and I loved them. I still have the book. ( )

One of my favorite books in the series. I liked how the story started when the colt was a baby and followed him until he made it to the racetrack. I didn't know much about harness racing when I read this (other than Marguerite Henry's Born to Trot) so I think the novelty of a different type of racing added to the appeal. ( )