There is a dominant theme in the 10th anniversary of the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, with five of the six 2015 semifinalists focusing on jockeys and backstretch workers.
The works nominated are: A Brush With Greatness–The Art of Thoroughbred Racing from 2000 to 2015 by Robert Clark and Edward L. Bowen, If Wishes Were Horses by John Perrotta, Ride to Win–An Inside Look at the Jockey's Craft by Bob Fortus and Gary West, Stable Views–Stories and Voices from the Thoroughbred Racetrack by Ellen E. McHale, Turning for Home by Natalie Keller Reinert and Warriors on Horseback–The Inside Story of the Professional Jockey by John Carter.
The Book Award was the 2006 brainchild of the late Dr. Tony Ryan, for whom it is now named. He launched the competition to recognize and honor full-length books written with a horse racing background and offered a $10,000 prize–equal to that of the famed National Book Award. Since Dr. Ryan's passing in 2007, the contest has been continued annually by his son, Shane Ryan, President of Castleton Lyons, and winners have included some of the best writers both in and out of the thoroughbred industry.
The three 2015 finalists will be revealed via press release later this month, with the winner being announced during an April 13 invitation-only reception at the Castleton Lyons farm near Lexington.
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