NEWS
Three finalists for Book Award
Posted: Thursday, March 19, 2009 11:18 AM
After months of evaluating submissions to the 2009 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, presented by Castleton Lyons and THOROUGHBRED TIMES, this year’s panel of judges has selected the three finalists—the three top choices for best book published in 2008 about some aspect of the Thoroughbred industry.
The winner, chosen from among these three, will be announced at a special reception at Castleton Lyons Farm on the evening of Sunday, April 5. The winning author or authors will receive a $10,000 award, plus a specially designed Irish crystal trophy.
“This was an especially tough competition,” said coordinating judge Audrey Korotkin, who evaluated the submissions with judges Bill Mooney and T. D. Thornton. “The three finalists were chosen out of seven semifinalists that represented a wide range of genres. We assessed the quality and merit of each book based on a variety of criteria, from the clarity and elegance of the prose, to the logic of the organization, to the knowledge of the author about his or her subject.”
The finalists, in alphabetical order, along with comments from the judging panel:
The History and Art of 25 Travers by Vic Zast, featuring the art and posters of Greg Montgomery (North Country Books)
“This is representative of the book genre that appeals enormously to racing fans – especially those who never lose their appetites for the history and heritage of the sport. … Vic Zast is a fine writer, the sort who knows how to make history fun to read. … Further, the contributions of Montgomery are major. And they provide proof that artistry just doesn’t suddenly sprout from the ground. It takes a great deal of patience, creativity, thought and work.”—Bill Mooney
“Zast treats each running of the Travers like a short story, developing the plot through fascinating details, colorful imagery, and clear knowledge of the ‘characters’ in each story line. Each essay complements—and is complemented by—Greg Montgomery’s artwork, not just the final version that appears in each Travers poster but the process behind it. Together they create a rare treat for racing fans.”—Audrey Korotkin
Silks by Dick Francis and Felix Francis (G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
“The title Silks carries a double meaning as the garment worn by both jockeys and top-level legal counsel in British law. … The twisting, sometimes artfully woven, plot crosses back and forth between these two worlds before bringing them together in a dramatic, murder-solving collision. But the most lasting (and chilling) effect of Dick and Felix Francis’s tale is how the father-and-son writing tandem conveys the absolute terror of being threatened, bullied, and coerced by ruthless individuals who believe they are above the law.”—T. D. Thornton
“The plots, subplots and counterplots … are typical of the Francis formula, and have allowed him to become one of the most successful novelists of the past half-decade. Dick, the father, has a way of constantly luring the reader further and further into his stories, and Felix, the son, appears to have inherited at least some of the talent. As always seems to be the case in a Francis novel, the horse racing portions are spot on … it is a silver mine, filled with vein after vein of reward, for those who enjoy horse-related mysteries and those who enjoy clear, readable prose.—Bill Mooney
The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez: The Voice of Santa Anita, by Rudolph Alvarado (Caballo Press of Ann Arbor)
“The Untold Story of Joe Hernandez pulled me in like a vacuum. It’s not just a fine piece of racing literature, but an exhaustively researched historical document that details the origins of West Coast racing, the art of race calling, and one man’s struggle to break through racial barriers at a time when the odds were stacked mightily against minorities. The meticulously detailed source notes are a valuable inclusion, and the bonus CD that highlights Joe’s race calls is an extra-nice touch—especially the haunting inclusion of ‘Joe’s Last Call,’ in which a tape recorder was inadvertently left running to detail Hernandez’s eerie collapse at the microphone during the final race of his career.”—T. D. Thornton
“Painstakingly researched over a number of years, this book attempts to bring to flesh and blood a man known mainly through his voice, a man who kept much of his life shrouded in half-truths. Hernandez created his own ‘narrative’—his personal history as he would have wanted it to be—which he adjusted to fit his needs. The author discovers not only the truth of that life but explores its unique traits, those traits that drove Hernandez to professional successes even as his personal life suffered.”—Audrey Korotkin
