Lexington: The Extraordinary Life and Turbulent Times of America's Legendary Racehorse by Kim Wickens (Ballantine Books) has been named winner of the $10,000 2023 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, given to "the best book-length writing with a horse racing backdrop."
Wickens was cited for "excellence in thoroughbred racing literature with her meticulously researched and beautifully written biography of the great 19th century stallion, Lexington," which "creates a vivid time capsule back to the pre- and post-Civil War era in which he lived."
Lead judge Kay Coyte commented: "One of the biggest challenges of nonfiction writing about early Thoroughbred racing is making the facts found in 1800s racing publications, newspapers and other records come alive on the modern page. Wickens tells the factual story of Lexington and the characters surrounding him with warmth, intelligence, sometimes humor, and always elegance. She clearly loved her subject and she breathed her enthusiasm into every chapter."
Organizers noted that this was "the second straight year a book about the peerless sire was honored, following Geraldine Brooks' 2022 win for her novel, Horse," which was based on the story of Lexington.