LOUISVILLE, Ky. - “This is the first book of it’s kind ever published in the history of American thoroughbred racing," says Joe Manning and he knows it's a bold statement.

The deputy director of Louisville Story Program says never before has there been such a collection of stories written by race-trackers, equine workers and backside employees and from the neighborhood surrounding Churchill Downs. 

The new book titled, "Better Lucky than Good," is a deep dive into the oral histories of the people that make Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby possible. Manning says it's accomplished, "through a really unique process of recursive, deep-dive oral history interviews and collaborative editing and that really gives authorship to the participants."

The book is three years in the making and the Kentucky Derby Museum is hosting a book-release party on November 4.

"It takes a lot of work. It’s been three years of developing community relations...making friends and really working with people to allow them to open up and tell their stories," Manning adds. You learn more about "Better Lucky than Good," including how to pre-order by clicking this LINK.