From a near-record number of submissions, Annette Dashofy's “Death by Equine” has been named winner of the 16th annual Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award. The announcement was made during a Nov. 3 cocktail reception at the Ryan family's Castleton Lyons, near Lexington, Ky. — the first live ceremony since 2019, due to COVID. As in previous years, the event was held in a loft above the farm's famed 19th century stallion barn.
“Death by Equine” becomes the fourth work of fiction to be honored. Past winners have included biographies of prominent racing participants; a short story collection; an anthology of racetrack memories; a work of investigative reporting; and a National Book Award recipient.
This year's winner was penned by a USA Today best-selling author and multiple Agatha Award nominee. It tells the story of a young racetrack veterinarian who unexpectedly finds herself investigating the suspicious death of her mentor. In the process, she encounters unsavory characters and deceitful friends, uncovers a spate of illicit activities, and ultimately becomes a target herself.
Judges for the competition, comprised of books published in 2021, were Eclipse Award winner Kay Coyte, a former editor at Washington Post; award-winning television racing broadcaster Caton Bredar; and Mark Shrager, who won the 2020 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award for the biography: “Diane Crump, A Horse-Racing Pioneer's Life in the Saddle.”
Shrager described “Death by Equine” as “a lively racetrack whodunit that really grabs the reader in the first few pages and never lets go.”
Lead judge Coyte agreed, calling it “one of those books that keeps you up at night because you just have to find out whodunit.” Coyte noted that Dashofy had an in-depth knowledge of racing that enabled her to describe backstretch life vividly and accurately. “Dashofy's characters came alive in her writing, and the mystery's twists and turns kept me guessing through the final chapter.”
“Our best 2021 titles were dominated by female authors,” Coyte added, “and the three finalists rose to the top. Each author mastered the sport's arcane language while telling a great story for a wide audience.”
Dashofy was awarded a check for $10,000 and a Tipperary crystal replica of Castleton Lyons' iconic stone tower. Finalists Dawn LeFevre (“Racetrack Rogues: One Woman's Story of Family, Love, and Loss in the Horse Racing World”) and Jennifer Morrison (“Run With a Mighty Heart”) each received $1,000 and a trophy.
Dr. Tony Ryan founded the competition in 2006 to recognize quality book length writing with a racing backdrop. After the global businessman/philanthropist passed the following year, the award was continued in his honor by his son Shane, current president of Castleton Lyons.
Entries are open until Dec. 31, 2022 for next year's Award for books published in 2022. For competition rules and additional information, contact Kerrie Cahill at kcahill@castletonlyons.com.
Dual Group 1 winner Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire]) bred the most mares in Germany this term at 82, www.galopponline.de reported on Friday. The G1 Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Juddmonte International S. hero retired to Gestut Etzean in January. In total, 752 mares were bred to 40 stallions in Germany, according to the data from the Uniturf database of Deutscher Galopp. In 2021, 43 stallions covered 847 mares.
Second on the list was Gestut Ohlerweiherhof's Isfahan (Ger) (Lord Of England {Ger}), who bred 70. His eldest foals are just 4-year-olds, and his progeny are led by 2021 G1 Deutsches Derby hero Sisfahan (Fr) and Italian Group 3 winner and G1 Preis der Diana runner-up Isfahani (Ger). Dual Group 3 winner Waldpfad (Ger) (Shamardal), based at Gestut Erftmuhle, was third at 63 mares. Third in the 2019 G1 Sprint Cup, his first foals were born this year. G1 Criterium International hero Alson (Ger) (Areion {Ger}), who stood his first season at Gestut Fahrhof in 2022, bred 53. International globetrotter and three-time Group 1 winner Best Solution (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) bred 37 mares at Gestut Lunzen. His first foals race in 2023.
1st-KEE, $150K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 10:30 a.m.
After working an eighth of a mile in a blazing :9 4/5, ARABIAN KNIGHT (Uncle Mo) achieved a final bid of a sale-topping $2.3 million from Zedan Racing Stables at this year's OBS April Sale after fetching $250,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale. The first foal out of a half-sister to MGSP Kinsley Kisses (Congrats), the bay posted a trio of speedy works on the west coast leading up to his debut including six furlongs from the gate in 1:12 (2/5) Oct. 23 and a five-furlong drill in 1:00 (6/39) Oct. 29. Also taking to the track in the afternoon for the first time Saturday is the Brad Cox trained Rocket and Roll (Bolt d'Oro), himself a $675,000 purchase and the third-highest price out of the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds In Training Sale. His dam, who has produced six winners from as many to make the races, is a daughter of champion grass mare Soaring Softly (Kris S.) and hails from the family of GISW Plenty of Grace (Roberto) and GSW & MGISP Recepta (Speightstown). Rocket and Roll sold twice as a yearling–first for $65,000 at Fasig-Tipton July and for $90,000 a few weeks later at KEESEP. TJCIS PPS
2nd-KEE, $195K, Aoc, 3yo/up, 6 1/2f, 11:05 a.m.
Last seen trailing home longshot winner Rich Strike (Keen Ice) in this year's GI Kentucky Derby, MESSIER (Empire Maker) makes his return to the track back under the tutelage of Bob Baffert. Named a 'TDN Rising Star' for his 6 1/2-length maiden-breaking win, he went on to claim the GIII Bob Hope S. and finished out his juvenile campaign with a narrow loss to Slow Down Andy (Nyquist) in the GII Los Alamitos Futurity. He blew the doors to his 3-year-old year wide open with a 15-length romp in the GIII Robert B. Lewis S. Feb. 6 before joining trainer Tim Yakteen to finish second behind stablemate and GI Breeders' Cup Classic contender Taiba (Gun Runner) in the GI Santa Anita Derby Apr. 9. Transferred back to Baffert following his distant finish at Churchill Downs, Messier makes his first start Saturday in six months with regular rider John Velazquez aboard. TJCIS PPS
1st-AQU, $85K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 10:50 a.m. The second foal to make the races out of MGISW I'm A Chatterbox (Munnings), JUNIPER'S MOON (Galileo {Ire}) makes her first start Saturday for trainer Anthony Dutrow. A $725,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase by J.R. International Holdings, the chestnut worked four furlongs from the gate in :48.4 (9/33) Oct. 31 and gets Kendrick Carmouche in the irons. Breaking one gate further out, Natural Beauty (Blame) debuts for Christophe Clement and owner Cheyenne Stable. Herself a $525,000 yearling, she is the first foal out of a half-sister to MGSW Blamed (Blame). TJCIS PPS
Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter — born and raised in Bowling Green, Ky. — will attempt to cement his status as North America's best 3-year-old and stake a claim as Horse of the Year in Saturday's $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic at Keeneland Race Course.
Epicenter is the 5-1 second choice in the morning line behind unbeaten sensation Flightline, who at 3-5- odds is a prohibitive favorite in the field of eight contesting the 1 1/4-mile Classic. A victory would all but secure Horse of the Year honors for Epicenter. A second or third behind older horses likely would hand him the 3-year-old championship.
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen isn't making any predictions except to say, “We expect a huge performance from him.”
Epicenter is the best horse to come out of western or south-central Kentucky in decades, being born and raised on Harris family's Westwind Farms in Bowling Green, Ky. The regional tie goes farther as he's owned by Ron Winchell, the co-managing partner in Kentucky Downs in Franklin and the three The Mint Gaming Hall properties in Franklin, Bowling Green and now also Williamsburg.
Winchell purchased Epicenter as a yearling for $260,000 from Westwind, the biggest price for which the farm has sold a horse. Brothers Mike, Brent and Kevin Harris, along with Mike's sons Tyler and Justin do all the work at the family's farm.
“It's been great,” Mike Harris said. “You always hope for it, but you don't really expect it. For it to happen like it has, it's been a great experience for our whole family. We're looking forward to seeing what he can do on Saturday.”
The Harrises could have a huge three-day run. On Monday, Epicenter's mom, Silent Candy, will be offered for sale on the first day of Keeneland's world famous November breeding stock auction. Silent Candy is carrying a foal sired by Taylor Made's stallion Not This Time, also the sire of Epicenter. Harris dropped the broodmare off at Taylor Made's sales consignment at Keeneland on Thursday. Taylor Made also stands Not This Time at the Taylor family's Nicholasville farm.
Why are they selling Silent Candy?
“She's just too valuable for us to have down there,” Harris said by phone as he drove back to Bowling Green. “She needs to be bred to a lot better sires than we can afford to breed her to.”
Silent Candy, dam of Epicenter, at Keeneland Thursday. She'll be sold Monday at the November auction
Frank Taylor, Taylor Made's vice president of sales, said of Silent Candy: “I think it will double or triple her value if Epicenter wins the Classic. So it's a big thing. It's going to be tough to beat Flightline, but if there's a horse in there that can do it, I think it's him… This mare, if she has a good foal, it could bring $1 million or more.
“The Harrises are just great people and they raise a good horse. They're hard-working people, raise horses right – and obviously they've raised a great one in Epicenter.”
Epicenter has four wins and three seconds in seven starts this year, losing the Fair Grounds' Lecomte (G3) by a head to kickoff his 3-year-old season before dominating in the Risen Star (G2) and Louisiana Derby (G2) in New Orleans. The 4-1 favorite in the Kentucky Derby, Epicenter looked like the winner until passed late by 80-1 Rich Strike. In the Preakness Stakes, he was well off a moderate pace, rallying late but coming up short to Early Voting. After taking Saratoga's Grade 2 Jim Dandy, Epicenter crushed his opponents to take the Grade 1 Travers Stakes, avenging his Derby and Preakness defeats.
“His Jim Dandy and Travers were victories that not only do I think he deserved, but he obviously had physically moved forward,” said Asmussen, who won the 2007 Breeders' Cup Classic with the 3-year-old Curlin and the 2017 Classic with the 4-year-old Gun Runner, both of whom were voted Horse of the Year. “He was a better horse in those two races, and it will take even a better effort for him in this year's Classic.”
Epicenter has to beat more than Flightline, however. The field also features 2021 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile champion Life Is Good, who is 9 for 11 and a four-time Grade 1 winner. Hot Rod Charlie is always a factor and comes into the Classic off a head victory over Rich Strike, who will be flying late and would benefit if Flightline and Life Is Good hooked up in a speed duel to the detriment of both. Olympiad won the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup in his last start for his eighth win in 12 starts.
No one is talking about Happy Saver, but the 5-year-old horse won his first five career starts, including the 2020 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1). That is his last stakes victory in his 12-race career, but he had five straight seconds in major races for older horses before finishing fourth in the Lukas Classic.
Besides Rich Strike and Epicenter, Santa Anita Derby winner Taiba (12th) and Cyberknife (18th) also ran in the Kentucky Derby. Cyberknife beat Taiba by a head in New Jersey's Grade 1 Haskell with Taiba turning the tables in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby.
“They pretty much already inaugurated Flightline as the winner,” Harris said with a laugh. “But I've seen that (an upset) happen lots of times. He does look like a super horse, but I don't think we've seen Epicenter's best by a long shot. His last two races, he won so easily. If Flightline is the freak they say he is, nobody may get close to him again. But it's horse racing — about anything can happen.”
Westwind has admirable production for a small operation. Harris said Westwind has raised 12 stakes winners in the last nine years, seven being graded.
“And four of them were Grade 1 winners,” he said. “Even having said that, Epicenter, he's the best horse we've ever raised, no question. No matter what else he does.
“People ask me about him all the time. A lot of people in Bowling Green knew we raised horses. But I think most of them didn't know they were Thoroughbreds or racehorses. It kind of put us on the map.”
Harris said he doesn't want to even think about what it would be like for Epicenter to win America's richest horse race.
“You think about it, and then you're disappointed if it doesn't happen,” he said. “I'm not going to be disappointed in him. He's had a great year and made the whole year fun for us.”
