Rich Strike Vs Hot-Walker

Rich Strike, thoroughbred horse racing, a story with Canadian History. Hot-Walker Life on the Fast Track, thoroughbred racing adventure crime novel.

There is nothing like a long shot, a great true story to stir the pot, especially when it is world newsworthy and financially upsetting, but in a good way. 

It was Kentucky Derby day in May, (2022) the richest pot in horse racing, and Rich Strike, a claimed chestnut horse (for $30,000. American less than 7 months before the noted race at Churchill Downs) shocked millions of fans with its spectacular run to win the prestigious 20 horse field. 

 (The Kentucky Derby Race 2022)

He is the son of mare Gold Strike, a Manitoba foaled Canadian thoroughbred champion, and sired by Keen Ice whose Canadian pedigree connection Smart Strike and Awesome Again (both connected to Canadian Champion Northern Dancer).  Rich Strike was 80-1 at racetime. From Rags to Riches for trainer Eric Reed, owner Richard Dawson and Sonny Leon, jockey.

It was true stories like this, along with personal events that prompted my writing the sports crime novel, Hot-Walker Life on the Fast Track. A 30 year saga based around hot-walker Frannie Harrison and her view of thoroughbred racing as seen in 1960-70s Canadian racing circuit... and her witness to the violent murder of her American draft dodger finace at Woodbine Racetrack. 

Horse racing has been around for a very long time. In 1665, the world's first race track was established in America, and ever since then, the sport has been growing in popularity. Horse racing in lots of countries, especially Australia, Ireland, the USA, the United Kingdom, France and New Zealand.. Slowly decreasing in Canada as race courses close.

Following the genre of Dick Francis, the king of horse racing novels, its all about the 'behind the scenes' that triggers intrigue and suspense. The background stories are definitely the most interesting. Hot-Walker Life on the Fast Track: a story of youth, crime, a sporting life that leads to crime and courtroom drama. The horse... SnoMann; The crime... revenge; The reason... money... The results... murder trial. Romance and Suspense. Life on the Fast Track.

Hot-Walker History... more info on the writing of the novel.

Winners! #AmazonGiveway for June

Congratulations June amazon giveaway Winners!

During the month of June, three FREE copies of the mystery novel 'House of the Caduceus' were offered on amazon/twitter for lucky entrants, and the winners....

1. Marybeth Messer

2. Alan McAvoy

3. Amy Zukowski

Also....

The winning entry for the sports crime romance novel 'Hot-Walker Life on the Fast Track was...

Kelly McMullen 

e-library (Google Books)

Book Giveaway for June

Congratulations Kelley McMullen - Winner!!!

Check out @m_fengshui's Tweet: https://twitter.com/m_fengshui/status/609227552075284480?s=09
FREE COPY
Enjoy the novel set in the 1960s a murder trial that shocks Toronto community.

FREE COPY #AmazonGiveway Hot-Walker

Enter for a chance to win free copy of exciting new novel!

There are 3 chances to win, so enter as many times as you want... and thank you for sharing with all your friends who enjoy sports/crime/romance novels.

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Hot-Walker Life on the Fast Track
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Paperback - ebook Summer Reads

Summer Reads:
'Hot-Walker Life on the Fast Track' Paperback - ebook
'House of the Caduceus' Paperback - ebook

Enjoy summer reads - find that cozy spot to relax by the water, under a tree or your favourite chair and put your legs up, grab a cool refreshing drink and drift into the pages of a mystery book or sports crime novel and escape into the world of another time, place or adventure.
Paperback and ebook novels are easily accessed online for your convenience and delivered right to your door.

Mystery Novel
High in the mountains near Zeballos, Vancouver Island where
one of Canada's most dangerous construction feats begins, there
is a dynamic meeting of Eastern & Native cultures. When conflict
and upset result in death, mishaps and negative energy, there develops
a mystical flow of kundalini that impacts the moods and health of
everyone working on the retreat house.

Hot-Walker Life on the Fast Track
Murder trial shocks Toronto community.
1960s Canadian horse racing sports crime romance novel.

Hot-Walker Frannie Harrison
is witness to the violent murder of her fiance
an American draft dodger at Woodbine racetrack.

Mallory Neeve Wilkins Books, ebooks, calendars are found at:

1. BARNES & NOBLE sell Mallory's Books.

2. Chapters/Indigo carries Mallory's Book

3. SCRIBD carries Mallory's books.

4. AMAZON sells some of Mallory's Books

5. PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS by Mallory online.

also.... KOBO, iTunes/apple and many more...

 

Hot-Walker Life on the Fast Track Available online

Hot-Walker Life on the Fast Track - ebook

After 30 years of writing the saga of horse racing in Ontario during the turbulent 1960s, Hot-Walker Life on the Fast Track is now available online.

Charting the years and relationships of four Toronto high school friends and an American draft-dodger, Frannie Harrison recounts her life when living in Yorkville Village, racing thoroughbreds and the violent murder of her fiance at Woodbine Racetrack. Enduring eight years of waiting, she returns from living in London as the key-witness in the scandalous trial that reveals the shocking truth.


Hot-Walker, an international saga on horse racing, romance, drugs, murder and courtroom drama.

sports/crime/romance novel

ebook - 300 pages

ISBN: 9781770843523

Meet the Authors Afternoon....

For Information regarding:  Meet the Authors Nov 15 2-5 ... information.
Special Book Sale at Victoria Central Library on Broughton is open for your pleasure to Meet the Authors on Saturday, November 15, 2014.

READ NOW... sneak peek into Hot-Walker, Life on the Fast Track (Chapter 1)

Read Chapter 1

Preview Chapter: Hot-Walker

Vies the BOOK TRAILER:

Book TRAILER: the story of Hot Walker

ISBN:  9781770843493
                 
Thank you for sharing with your friends ....

MURDER TRIAL, Toronto 1977 ... from the novel Hot-Walker

Toronto Court House

The saga of Hot-Walker; following the life of Francine Harrison during her years of racing thoroughbreds, living in Yorkville, Montreal, London, and then returning to Toronto where the murder trial of her fiance, an American draft dodger brutally killed at Woodbine racetrack, 1969, is being held. As the only witness to the horrific incident, Francine struggles with relationships during the years awaiting trial, hopelessly making an effort to move on with her life, until the mystery unwinds in 1977 at the Court House...

During the years when Francine and her friends lived in Yorkville Village, the first phase of the complex, Toronto Courthouse, (Completed by Toronto firm of Marani, Rounthwaite and Dick Architects) was opened (1966) at 361 University Avenue and the corner of Armoury Street. It was originally known as Metropolitan Toronto Courthouse. Additions to the structure were completed with the South Wing (1985) and a two storey addition to the courthouse (1987).

The project architect, Ronald A. Dick noted it as an important example of late 20th century Modern design, the largest of its type built in Ontario ... featuring an eight-storey complex for courtrooms and offices connected to the three-storey South Wing. This features a 12-sided plan with an open passageway in the lower level. Covered by a copper-clad roof, the structure is faced with limestone.

The north and south elevations feature fin walls that organize the horizontal grid of metal-framed window openings and limestone spandrels with beveled edges. The courthouse structure was among the last complexes in the province clad with local limestone. Amongst the landscaping, planter boxes, flagpoles and shallow pools with fountains, you would find limestone benches.

 But ... there is a hidden ancient mystery held in the construction of such 'temples' as those within secret societies were aware of, which is limestone is calcite that is formed by rainwater filtered through sand; a sedimentary stone and holds basic properties essential to life, namely the attribute of attracting atmospheric water vapour, condensing it into water, and then letting it pass out into streams and springs. 

Limestone works like a crystal; it is in constant motion emitting a vibrational frequency that amplifies the energy of the surrounding area and matches the electromagnetic field of the Earth and its human occupants. It also has the crystalline property to absorb, store, and transfer life-force energy. Limestone was used for construction because of these crystalline properties ... which are those of resonance, rhythm and vibration ... it is alive, holding the memory of information and like crystals, healing vibrations.

Hot-Walker, Life on the Fast Track  Book Trailer for your viewing.

LONDON, 1970s .. Hot-Walker novel has international intrigue!

Escape to London, 1974-75

 Following the path of Hot-Walker ... a close group of high school friends from the mid 1960s go their separate way following the murder of Francine Harrison's American fiance, John Mencini, at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto. Horse racing and their years together become a distant but haunting memory as she recovers, grieving and waiting for answers to the horrific killing she witnessed. Feeling it is time to move on as the years pass by, Francine leaves her friends in Toronto, escaping to Europe in 1972, whereby new relationships unfold. She eventually moves to London .... always waiting for notification of trial requesting her return to Toronto.

Francine's years  in London during the mid 1970s were emotional and unsettling, full of change as history was being made throughout the country as well as in the rest of the world. It was a time of many Pub bombings, which happened everywhere from local neighborhood haunts to the busiest Tube stations along rush hour routes. There was a Fuel crisis and the government issued new speed limits to save gas at a time of Arab fuel embargoes. Inflation soared to 17.2%, an unbelievable increase.

The Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher defeated Edward Heath in the Conservative party leadership election at age 49 and parliament was under new unfamiliar leadership, for many politicians. The country was devastated with terrorism, train crashes, and protests that made headlines around the world, weekly. The airports were guarded, locations closed and yet the workers scrambled daily to work as London held its own. The number of jobless reached 1.25 million.

In the entertainment field, Led Zeppelin played at Earls Court with 5 sold-out concerts, and the first public performance by punk rock band Sex Pistols performed publicly. Fashion, music, sports never paused a beat as the rest of the country tried to keep up with the changes of its own growing pains.

                 

Women were recognized publicly, even in the field of education as five all male colleges accepted women undergraduates. In fact, the first female rabbi in Britain – Jackie Tabick was announced. These shocking changes took many Brits by surprise as England was altering its ways. The country became part of the European Space Agency and in transportation, Britain’s first production small hatchback was launched by Vauxhall Chevette.  On television the first episode of the series Fawlty Towers televised and immediately became a big hit across the land. 

    

Car racing was a popular sport in England even before Sterling Moss drove, but for fans all over the world, when race car driver Graham Hill died in an air crash at the age of 46, it was a shock that upset the whole racing community.

On a lighter note, the new Covent Garden Market, which was the largest wholesale fruit and vegetable and flower market in UK (SW London) covering 57 acres in Nine Elms, opened for business and was a huge success.

The 1975 record rainfall at 169 mm fell in the prestigious area Hampstead Heath in 155 minutes leaving the residents in a state of panic and discord which took months to clear and repair damages.

London, 1974-75

HOT-WALKER TRAILER:    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izWWQh8Odqk
for your viewing

HEROs ... Canadian Women Jockeys... from Hot-Walker Novel.

Women Jockeys in Canadian Racing

Hot-Walker, the sports-crime novel, explores the ins-and-outs of thoroughbred racing, including the introduction of Karen Sharp, woman jockey. A novel about life on the fast track during the 1960s, and the relationships of  those living in Yorkville and working on the racetrack.

Looking back over the years when racing experienced a time of introspection and growth, Jockeys' rooms at virtually every racetrack were described as dark, dingy, overcrowded, lacking in recreational areas, without proper reducing facilities, no eating and resting spaces, and very little room to move about and work. The jockeys' rooms were not a priority to management but the Jockeys' Guild and its representatives set about a campaign to improve conditions both on and off the track. Jockeys still had very few rights when dealing with stewards. If a steward did not like a rider's looks, they could, and often did, tell that rider to go somewhere else to ride. There was still widespread abuse of a jockey's rights to work his trade.

The popular ‘big names’ and leading riders of the 1940s were Adams, Arcaro, Atkinson, Meade and Longden, who continued to dominate in the early 1950s but were joined by a new name; Shoemaker. After completing his sophomore year of racing with 388 victories, good for a tie in the leading rider standings, Shoe­maker topped all riders in earnings in 1950 with over $ I-million.

Another fact to be reckoned with for jockeys was women entering their ranks. Although women jockeys were barred from riding at registered race meetings, in the mid-1900s, Wilhemena Smith rode as Bill Smith at north Queensland racecourses. She was nicknamed Bill Girlie Smith because she arrived on course with her riding gear on under her clothes and did not shower on course. It was only at the time of her death in 1975 that the racing world was officially told that Bill was really Wilhemena. Subsequent inquiries revealed that William Smith was actually a woman who had been born Wilhemena Smith in a Sydney hospital in 1886. In an era when women were clearly denied equality, she had become known as a successful jockey in Queensland country districts as 'Bill Smith'.

The modern era of female jockeys began as Kathy Kusner successfully sued the Maryland Racing Commission for a jockey's license in 1968 under the Civil Rights Act.  In late 1968, Penny Ann Early became the first licensed female thoroughbred jockey in the US, and entered three races at Churchill Downs  in November, but the male jockeys announced that they would boycott those races. On February 7, 1969, Diane Crump was the first female rider to ride in a Thoroughbred race in the United States at the Hialeah Park Race Track in Florida. She made history again, the next year, when she became the first female jockey to ride in the Kentucky Derby, finishing 15th aboard Fathom. Even though the male jockeys fought the presence of females in the irons, the barrier had been broken. Two weeks later on February 22 at Charles Town in West Virginia, Barbara Jo Rubin became the first woman to win a race and went on to win 11 of her first 22. Others soon followed suit and over the years American women jockeys have proven their ability. Julie Krone has the most winning races by an American woman. 

Jockeys must be light to ride at the weights which are assigned to their mounts. There are horse carrying weight limits, that are set by racing authorities. The Kentucky Derby, for example, has a weight limit of 126 lb (57 kg) including the jockey's equipment. The weight of a jockey usually ranges from 108 to 118 lb (49 to 54 kg). Despite their light weight, they must be able to control a horse that is moving at 40 mph (64 km/h) or more, and weighs 1,200 lbs (540 kg). Though there is no height restrictions for jockeys, they are usually fairly short due to the weight limits. Jockeys typically stand around 4 ft 10 in (1.47 m) to 5 ft 6 in (1.6m).

For the most part Canada has generally followed the U.S.'s lead in the area of opportunities for female riders. Canada has far fewer tracks than the U.S. and has only two female jockeys with 1,000 wins. However, in both actual and relative numbers as well as overall success rate, Canada has far surpassed its southern neighbour in opportunities for women at the highest level; namely their respective Triple Crown series.

Starting with Joan Phipps in the Canadian 1973 Breeders' Stakes, 9 different women have competed in 27 Canadian Triple Crown races, 34 times with a combined 2 wins, 3 places, 3 shows. By comparison, since Diane Crump rode in the 1970 Kentucky Derby, only 6 different women have competed in 18 total U.S. Triple Crown events with a combined record of 1 win, 1 place, 1 shows. Moreover, while no US Triple Crown race has ever featured more than one female rider, that feat has occurred on 7 occasions in Canada. Most impressively, 3 different women - Francine Villeneuve, Chantal Sutherland and Emma-Jayne Wilson (twice over) - have each raced in all three of the Canadian Triple Crown races. Women Jockeys in Canada are supreme riders!

Hot-Walker, Life on the Fast Track (youtube) Book Trailer ... ebook coming soon .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izWWQh8Odqk

www.mallorysdesign.com

YORKVILLE, sets the scene in HOT-WALKER known as Toronto's counter-cultural mecca.

In the novel ... HOT-WALKER recalls the life and times of a young innocent woman, Frannie Harrison, who sets out to find her own life in the turbulent 1960s where anything goes. Ultimately, she ends up in an area of young people living in one of Toronto's oldest adjoining villages, YORKVILLE, founded in 1830 by entrepreneur Joseph Bloore. It began as a residential suburb. The village grew enough to be connected by an omnibus service in 1849 to Toronto.

 By 1853, the population of the village had reached 1,000. Development increased and by the 1870s more land was needed and Potter's Field, a cemetery stretching east of Yonge Street along the north side of Concession Road (today's Bloor Street) was closed, and the remains moved to the Necropolis and Mount Pleasant cemetery.

By the 1880s, the cost of delivering services to the large population of Yorkville was beyond the Village's ability. It petitioned the City of Toronto to be annexed. Annexation came on February 1, 1883, and Yorkville's name changed officially from "Village of Yorkville" to "St. Paul's Ward". The character of the suburb did not change and its Victorian-style homes, quiet residential streets, and picturesque gardens survived into the 20th century.

In 1923, the Toronto Hebrew Maternity and Convalescent Hospital was opened at 100 Yorkville Avenue and a year later the name was changed to Mount Sinai Hospital. The facade of this building still stands today.

Cheap rent in the Village.

And then ... some forty years later, Yorkville became known as  "a festering sore in the middle of the city" with a new generation of alternative lifestyles who changed the scene and the area became dominated with hippies and young people from all walks of life. 

HOT-WALKER takes place in the 1960s when Yorkville flourished as Toronto's counter-cultural mecca. The hip Village's development from its early coffee house days, when folksingers such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell flocked to the scene, to its tumultuous, drug-fueled final months. Yorkville was also a battleground over identity, territory, and power. This neighbourhood soon came to be regarded as an alternative space both as a geographic area and as a symbol of hip Toronto in the cultural imagination, as then underground literary figures, such as Margaret Atwood, Gwendolyn MacEwen and Dennis Lee appeared regularly in the area. 

Yorkville was also known as the Canadian capital of the hippie movement and by the late 1960s folk music had given way to folk-rock and then psychedelic rock and Yorkville was bustling with electric as well as acoustic performances. In total, there were as many as 40 clubs and coffeehouses offering live entertainment every night of the week, and music lovers could hop from venue to venue to catch a seemingly endless number of acts. In 1968, nearby Rochdale College at the University of Toronto was opened on Bloor Street as an experiment in counter-culture education. Those influenced by their time in 1960s-70s Yorkville, include cyberpunk writer William Gibson. The Victorian homes became seedy, contaminated, uncared for and turned into a dangerous location.

Transition into high-end shopping district

It was after the construction of the Bloor-Danforth subway when the value of land nearby increased as higher densities were allowed by the City's official plan. Along Bloor Street, office towers, the Bay department store and the Holt Renfrew department store displaced the local retail. As real estate values increased, the residential homes north of Bloor along Yorkville were converted into high-end retail, including many art galleries, fashion boutiques and antique stores, and popular bars, cafes and eateries along Cumberland Street and Yorkville Avenue. Many smaller buildings were demolished and office and hotels built in the 1970s, with high priced condominium developments being built. Today, the remains of the Victorian homes that line the side streets are owned by the wealthy and most have been renovated beyond recognition as it is now classified as one of the 'most expensive' retail districts in North America.

Hot-Walker, Life on the Fast Track Sports-crime thriller : Blue Bonnets Raceway

The action packed novel, Hot~Walker is filled with secrets of the racing world. 1960s was a time when women made a statement, even riding on the racetrack. The female jockey made a change in thoroughbred training.

The novel Hot~Walker is set in Ontario and Quebec racetracks. The Montreal historic Blue Bonnets racetrack began in 1872 and was located in Ville Saint-Pierre. The Jockey Club of Montreal wasn't founded until 1905 by John F. Ryan and then the new Blue Bonnets Raceway was moved to a new location on Decarie Blvd in June, 1907 where racing lasted for many years.

The president in 1920 was JKL Ross, owner of Sir Barton, the first thoroughbred to win the USA triple crown. In 1932 the racetrack was sold and in 1943, harness racing came to Blue Bonnets and it was in 1954 when flat racing thoroughbreds ended. 

In 1958, the racetrack was sold to JL Levesque who built a new multi-million dollar facility and brought back thoroughbred racing in 1961.Hot~Walker's years of racing took place during this time, and in 1965 Paul Desmarais, the CEO of Power Corporation of Canada took control for its remaining years. It all ended in 2009 and was later dismantled to make way for a housing project.

Canadian Horse Racing Novel

Hot~Walker Life on the Fast Track

Mallory Neeve Wilkins Novel
Hot-Walker Life on the Fast Track

This Canadian horse racing story was the original novel, SnoMann, that I wrote in the 1980s. The manuscript was gathering dust as it grew from the IBM typewriter to floppy disc to CD and finally reedited and pulled together some 30 years later ... feeling safe that the information was not as dangerous today as it once was ... back in the day.

We meet many individuals along our journey, some gifted while others are, well, different. We all have a story and in Hot~Walker, I released a lot of the struggles and hardships from my youth. It is quite remarkable how writing can save a life, encourage employment, tell a story, make people laugh and heal over time, make beautiful music and produce great screenplays. Yes, the script of letting-go can definitely bring enjoyment, and reading has to be one of the best pastimes to keep the brain sharp and functioning. Novels Available Online