Tales of the turf

In Short

Hugh S. Fullerton’s collection of racing tales, Tales of the turf, explores the vibrant, democratic microcosm of the American race-track, where owners, jockeys, touts, and swindlers rub shoulders. Through characters like the hymn-singing trainer “Hardshell” Gaines, the fallen ex-jockey “Jaundice,” and the ambitious tout Prosias Trimble, the book captures the highs and lows of the sport. It has endured because it portrays the raw human spirit, the deep bond between men and horses, and the complex code of ethics governing the turf.

The Story

The book opens in the vibrant world of the American race-track, introduced by a foreword celebrating the sport’s pure democracy and the deep kinship between man and the thoroughbred. We are introduced to figures like James Buchanan “Hardshell” Gaines, an unpretentious trainer from Tennessee who breeds and races his own horses while nursing a quiet hatred for the corrupt gambler Big Jim Long. Alongside Hardshell, the narrative reveals the shadows of the track: characters like Jaundice, a broken-down, sickly former jockey whose only remaining loyalties are to horses and a doomed derelict named Lord James, and Prosias Trimble, a stylish colored tout in New Orleans whose fortunes rise and fall on the whims of racetrack luck and unreliable tips.

As the stories unfold across circuits from New Orleans to Belmont Park, conflicts of honesty and corruption come to a head. Big Jim Long orchestrates elaborate betting rings and fixed races backed by illicit funds from the Long Investment Company, believing he can beat the system. Yet his grand schemes are repeatedly threatened by the unyielding integrity or stubborn pride of ordinary turf folk. In one major climax, Hardshell enters his aged, maligned horse, Sword of Gideon, into a high-stakes race against a syndicate of crooked owners and a massive betting conspiracy led by Long. With the help of an assistant starter, Hardshell secures a fair start, and Sword of Gideon triumphs, crushing Long’s financial ambitions and leaving the corrupt gambler raging in defeat.

In other episodes, Jaundice battles failing health to secure a proper, "swell" funeral for his dead friend Lord James, riding a high-weight handicap on the brilliant bay colt Doc Grausman to raise the funds, even as his own body gives out. Meanwhile, Prosias Trimble navigates the highs and lows of touting, experiencing a cycle of triumph and poetic justice in New Orleans pool-rooms as he attempts to outsmart rival gamblers with deceptive tips. The book concludes by reflecting the inescapable realities of the track, where dreams of wealth vanish in a heartbeat, but the deep, abiding love for the thoroughbred and the shared fellowship of the turf remain unbroken.

How It Unfolds

• The democratic paddock — The book opens by establishing the race-track as a unique world where all social strata mingle, united by their shared love for the courage and gameness of the thoroughbred.
• Hardshell and his rival — Hardshell Gaines quietly trains his horses out of the stables while harboring a deep enmity for the swaggering, corrupt gambler Big Jim Long.
• The investment collapse — In New York, the fraudulent Long Investment Company faces imminent financial ruin as its hidden mastermind, Kirtin, cuts ties and flees.
• The crooked caucus — Big Jim and a group of corrupt owners conspire to rig a major race using a complex field of blockers to ensure a massive payoff for their remaining capital.
• The spoiler enters — Ignorant of the conspiracy, Hardshell stubbornly enters his aged and dismissed horse, Sword of Gideon, into the race, drawing the furious curses of the crooks.
• A fair start — Hardshell quietly enlists an assistant starter to ensure his difficult horse gets a straight getaway, ruining the elaborate fixed-race plan.
• Jaundice and his loyalty — The narrative shifts to the sickly, hardened ex-jockey Jaundice, who begs for mounts and rides desperately to fund a decent burial for his fallen friend, Lord James.
• The tout's scheme — Prosias Trimble, a stylish New Orleans tout, maneuvers through hotel baths and pool-rooms, plotting revenge against a rival who cheated him out of a betting share.
• The final downfall — After engineering an elaborate, deceptive chain of tips involving a hopeless horse named Irene W., Pro accidentally touts himself out of a fortune, leaving the turf world to its eternal cycle of illusion and survival.

The People

• James Buchanan “Hardshell” Gaines: A quiet, hymn-singing trainer who lives in the stables, wants to breed a champion colt, stands against the corruption of Big Jim Long, and ultimately triumphs through stubborn honesty.
• Big Jim Long: A flashy, ruddy-faced gambler and front-man for the Long Investment Company, whose desire to beat the races using corrupt schemes leads to his financial and professional ruin.
• Jaundice O’Keefe: An undernourished, vicious ex-jockey broken by a brutal childhood and alcoholism, whose remaining sparks of goodness are anchored entirely in his love for horses and his desperate quest to bury his friend Lord James.
• Lord James: A fallen English nobleman turned cadger and sneak-thief, whose shattered life and tragic end prompt Jaundice's poignant final sacrifice.
• Prosias Trimble (Pro): A dapper, optimistic colored tout and bath-house rubber in New Orleans, whose vanity, quick wit, and desire for track riches drive intricate schemes of revenge and betting ambitions.
• Clarence Fox: A rival New Orleans barber-shop owner and gambler who outwits Pro on a tip, only to become the target of Pro's elaborate, self-defeating prank in the final race.

In Its Own Voice

On the race-track we find the only pure democracy of the world, a democracy which includes all classes, all strata of society.

The author reflects on the inclusive and forgiving nature of the racing community in the book's opening preface.

The champion was ruined.

The author describes the devastating toll exacted on Hardshell Gaines's prized colt before its eventual redemption.

Lord James won’t beat me more than a neck.

Jaundice calmly assesses his own impending death from illness while speaking to a visitor in a hospital bed.

What It's Really About

The book explores the tension between absolute corruption and unyielding personal integrity in a closed ecosystem. It examines the democracy of the turf, where traditional social hierarchies dissolve among men who understand the physical and emotional breaking points of struggle. Beneath the plot of racing strategies and financial scams lies a profound exploration of human redemption. The stories ask what remains of the human soul after a life battered by vice, poverty, and brutality, suggesting that loyalty to animals and simple acts of devotion can survive even the most degraded existence.

Why Read It Today

Readers who love rich period sports writing, authentic vernacular, and character-driven short fiction will find much to treasure here. Reading the book feels like stepping directly into the bustling paddocks and smoky betting rings of early twentieth-century racetracks, accompanied by an author who genuinely knows the life. However, modern readers should approach with an awareness of its historical limitations, including period racial attitudes, dated slang, and raw descriptions of poverty and vice. What stays with you long after finishing is the vivid, melancholic resilience of its outcasts and the quiet dignity of men like Hardshell Gaines, who walk past their enemies humming old hymns.

Which of the book's diverse characters—from the steadfast trainer Hardshell to the ambitious tout Pro—resonates most with your own view of human resilience?