Horse by Geraldine Brooks

 Horse is a compelling story about a magnificent horse called Lexington that lived in the 1800s. The story bounces between the 1850s (when Lexington was racing and siring many other championship horses) to the present--when a painting of the horse and a project to reconstruct his skeleton are the focus.

The main character in the 1800s is Jarrett, a slave who is there for both the birth and the death of his beloved horse and who turns him into a champion. The main characters in the present are Theo, who finds a painting of Lexington that has been tossed out by a neighbor, and Jess, an Aussie woman working for the Smithsonian. It's a fascinating story with well-drawn characters.