Out of the Clouds Audible Audiobook – Unabridged Linda Carroll (Author), David Rosner (Author), Kevin T. Collins (Narrator), Hachette Audio (Publisher) (Hachette Audio)

Thoroughbred Stymie and trainer Hirsch Jacobs were both Horatio Alger "rags to riches" stories. Jacobs was a "low-budget horseman" who purchased horses cheaply from claiming races and then turned them into modest successes.

Claiming races are the lowest level competition in which any horse can be purchased or claimed shortly before post time for a set low price. The odds of finding a diamond in the rough through the claiming game were a million to one.

Jacobs, who grew up raising pigeons and was known as "The Pigeon Man," became a trainer at age 20. He seemed to have a good eye for potential talent and a sense of what to do to make the horses run better.

From 1933-1935, Jacobs saddled 100-plus winners. Writer and horse player Damon Runyan wrote, "Jacobs used to be dismissed as an accident. Now, racing men generally agree he is one of the greatest trainers who ever lived."

In 1936, Jacobs set a record with 179 wins, approximately 1 out of every 3 races. He was the leading trainer for 7 consecutive wins, and in 1939, he reached 1,120 winners--all from shopping in the bargain bin.

While Jacobs had accumulated wealth and fame, he didn't have a championship race horse. That was before he claimed Stymie for $1,500 in 1943. He would become one of the biggest bargains in the annals of racing history.
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As a 2-year-old in 1943, Stymie won 4 races and finished in the money 16 of 28 races. He won 3 more times in 1944 and topped $50,000 in earnings over his first two years.

Stymie had developed the habit of winning by coming "out of the clouds." He preferred to let the other horses build a substantial lead and then come from way back to win the race.
stBy 1945, Stymie had metamorphosed from the ultimate underdog to a fan favorite and a hometown hero. He was an inspiration for others. In the late 1940s, Stymie battled Assault and Armed for the all-time earnings record.

Stymie retired in 1949 as the richest racehorse ever, winning $918,485 and 35 victories in 131 races. He also tallied 33 seconds and 28 thirds. He was the epitome of the American Dream and had a special appeal to working class people.

While the rise and success of Stymie is an interesting story, it's only about one-third of the book. Jacobs doesn't claim Stymie until page 175 (the book has 285 pages). While the pace picks up considerably in the final 100 pages, there are some definite slow spots earlier in the book. I kept waiting for the story of Stymie to begin. Readers who keep on reading will be rewarded, but it can be a challenge to wade through the middle section of the book.