An Irish immigrant, a collection agent for crime bosses, a professional boxer, and a prolific gambler, John Morrissey was―if nothing else―an unlikely candidate to become one of the most important figures in the history of Thoroughbred racing. As a young man, he worked as a political heavy in New York before going to San Francisco in search of fortune at the height of the Gold Rush. After returning to the east coast, he was hired by Tammany Hall and was soon locked in a deadly rivalry with William Poole, better known as "Bill the Butcher."

As time went on, Morrissey parlayed his youthful exploits into a remarkably successful career as a businessman and politician. After establishing a gambling house in Saratoga Springs, the hardnosed entrepreneur organized the first Thoroughbred race meet at what would become Saratoga Race Course in 1863. Morrissey went on to be elected to two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and two terms in the New York State Senate.

In this book, James C. Nicholson explores the improbable life of the man who brought Thoroughbred racing back to prominence in the United States. Though few of his contemporaries did more to develop the commercialization of sports in America, Morrissey's colorful background has prevented him from getting the attention he deserves. This entertaining and long-overdue biography finally does justice to his astounding rags-to-riches story while exploring an intriguing chapter in the history of horse racing.

Why I Wrote The Notorious John Morrissey

In my late teens and early twenties, I worked a couple of late-summer weeks at the yearling sale in Saratoga Springs, New York, each year. The job entailed long hours and literally tons of horse manure, but I loved being there. Like many, I was taken with the upstate town in the Adirondack foothills from my first visit. Building on its lineage as the site of a pivotal Revolutionary War battle and its reputation as a nineteenth century vacation destination, Saratoga is now a vibrant college community, a center of American Thoroughbred racing, and home to what is, by some measures, the oldest sports venue in the United States. 

There is a palpable connection to bygone eras there, running deeper than well-preserved Victorian architecture and equestrian scenes that could have been stolen from centuries past. Perhaps celebrated sportswriter Red Smith best described it when he famously wrote, in the 1960s, “From New York City you drive north for about 175 miles, turn left on Union Avenue and go back 100 years.” The racetrack is Saratoga’s most prominent living artifact. But the town was once just as famous its illegal high-stakes casino-style gambling. The specter of an illicit era still lingers. I started this project with a vague inclination to write a book that would better articulate Saratoga’s enduring allure. That pursuit eventually led me to the story of John Morrissey. The Irish immigrant’s colorful life included stints as the heavyweight boxing champion of America, a prominent gangster, and a U.S. Congressman. He also founded Saratoga Race Course and the lavish casino (now a museum) in the middle of town. His impact on the culture and identity of a community, as well as on the sport of horse racing, remain tangible more than a century after his death. And I believed that he deserved to be more fully recognized.