Edited press release
The Schenectady (New York) Gazette has selected a book about the Travers Stakes as one of its top 10 books of 2008.
The newspaper’s annual listing, released Dec, 28, included “The History and Art of 25 Travers” by Vic Zast, a regular contributor to The Blood-Horse and other publications.
Zast’s book is about the last 25 runnings of the Travers Stakes, each captured graphically in the longest continuing series of sporting art in the world -- the Travers posters of Greg Montgomery, an artist from Saratoga Springs. “The History and Art of 25 Travers” was published by North Country Books, Utica, New York.
In announcing the selection, Gazette reviewer John Rowen called it a “lively and appealing history of the Travers Stakes, the flagship race at Saratoga Race Course, told with Zast’s informative, charming writing and Montgomery’s vivid posters.”
In addition to The Blood-Horse, Zast is a columnist of HorseRaceInsider.com and a regular contributor to MSNBC.com. A former horse racing industry executive, Zast has written for The New York Times and National Public Radio. He is a member of the board of the National Turf Writers Association.
All books chosen by the Gazette were on subject matters that link to New York’s Capital Region or that were written by authors from the region as well as guest lecturers at the New York State Writers Institute. This year's top 10 list included books written by three Pulitzer Prize winners and an Edgar Award winner.