Saratoga Bestiary — Stephen Dobyns

A priceless painting of Man o' War has been stolen from the Racing Hall of Fame...A gambling party hosted by Charlie's friend Victor is held up at gunpoint...Small-time grocer - and big-time bookie - Pellegrino is found dead at his cash register. And private eye Charlie Bradshaw is involved, unofficially, of course, in all three mysteries. Charlie soon discovers that the clue to all the cases may be the names he finds in Pellegrino's ledger - Grouper, Lynx, Spaniel, Horse, and Gibbon. As he gets drawn into the dog eat dog world of Saratoga's high stakes gamblers, Charlie finds himself on the receiving end of several terrifying surprises.