Three Finalists Named for Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award

The Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award has narrowed its Thoroughbred literary competition to three finalists, all of whom produced fine examples of excellence in long-form writing about the Thoroughbred sport. These nonfiction titles were chosen on their individual merits, but as a group they present the reader with a broad range of Thoroughbred racing history. You could read them chronologically, starting with a profile of an influential 1800s Kentucky breeder who imported foundation bloodstock from across the Atlantic in the 1800s, continuing to a collection of essays of America's racetracks, past and present; and finishing with a complex and compelling investigation of the state of racing today, with a forward-looking view focused on the horse. "Reinventing the American Thoroughbred: The Arabian Adventures of Alexander Keene Richards," by Gary A. O'Dell, is a rare biography of a pre-Civil War Thoroughbred breeder, researched and written by Gary O'Dell, a Morehead State University professor emeritus whose interest in Richards' Blue Grass Park farm was stirred after researching an earlier history of Georgetown, Ky. In O'Dell's pages, Richards' experiment to breed a better Thoroughbred by infusing the Arabian's stamina becomes a travelogue of his trips to Europe, Syria, and Egypt in search of fine Arabian blood, while also offering a front-row seat to America's fledgling bloodstock industry at the time of the Civil War. "The Racetracks of America: From the Pre-Civil War Days to the 21st Century" is a comprehensive coffee table book with essays by 35 seasoned turf writers, edited by Brien Bouyea, and thousands of photos and memorabilia that will entertain readers and serve as a valuable reference for racing fans for years to come. "Death of a Racehorse: An American Story" is CNN reporter Katie Bo Lillis' tough-love letter to the Thoroughbred sport that she grew up in, riding with her family and working in the Virginia racing industry. Like her mother, Lillis has a reporter's nose for a good story and she went behind the scenes of recent racing scandals, following leads to barns, drug labs, law enforcement offices, and racetrack boardrooms. In concise prose, she told the unflinching story, ending on a hopeful note. Castleton Lyons will host a reception for the three finalists Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Ryan family's farm in Lexington. Mark Simon, former editor/publisher of Thoroughbred Times, will open the proceedings and Caton Bredar, longtime on-air reporter, host, and handicapper with TVG/FanDuel, will introduce the authors. The 2025 judging team, all of whom have earned media Eclipse Awards, included Bredar, along with Josh Pons, winner of the 2024 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award for "Letters From Country Life: Adolphe Pons, Man o' War, and the Founding of Maryland's Oldest Thoroughbred Farm;" Kay Coyte, a former editor at The Washington Post and The Horsemen's Journal; and former Lexington Herald Leader turf writer and historian/author Maryjean Wall.