by F J messina
Author’s Note
As I’m sure you can imagine, I was not in the barn with Penny Rae on the fateful day she lost her life, Tuesday, March 8, 2016. In fact, as I’m sure you’ve assumed, THE STORY YOU HAVE JUST READ IS NOT TRUE. NONE OF THE EVENTS OR CHARACTERS PORTRAYED HAS ANY RELATION TO ACTUAL EVENTS, OR TO ANY PERSONS LIVING OR DECEASED.
That having been said, I would like to share with you the fact that in mid-April of that year, I wrote the description of Run Lucky, one of the fictitious horses in this story, breaking down during the Kentucky Derby and having been euthanized. Sadly, just six weeks later, on the day the 2016 Preakness was run, two beautiful horses perished at Pimlico Raceway, one of heart failure, the other with a broken leg. My condolences go out to everyone connected with those magnificent animals.
I would also like to make one other point to my readers. Having enjoyed the story at least enough to make it to this Author’s Note, some may still find the major premise behind the story, genetic manipulation of racehorses, to be based on the liberties authors often take. I would direct you to two websites that I believe will bring to light for you the fact that this is not at all a fantastic notion. The first, www.uky.edu/Ag/Horsemap/abthp.html, describes briefly the Horse Genome Project that is currently underway at sites in over twenty countries, including at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. It is also true that the outbreak of nocardioform placentities described here did, in fact, occur in 2011, with a minor uptick again in 2017.
The second site I would direct you to is www.thehorse.com/articles/35467/embryo-transfer-from-one-mare-to-another. The article you will find there describes precisely how and why embryos are transferred from one mare to another. This is something that Mariana, LaKeisha, and Penny Rae, students trained in this field, would have been able to accomplish, albeit with some difficulty outside the confines of a sterile clinical setting.
Finally, I would like to thank all of the readers who have made it all the way to this final note. I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey. And should you ever make a trip to the Bluegrass Region, and Lexington in particular, please stop by Magee’s for a warm greeting, a fine cup of coffee and a wonderful almond croissant. You’ll find it right on East Main, directly across from the white house that sits adjacent to the school district’s Central Office. You may also enjoy some fine food downtown at Saul Good or a shrimp po’ boy out at Windy Corner. And if you make it to The Midway Bakery, be sure to have one of the sorghum cookies. Finally, I would really appreciate it if you would visit my dear friend, Marcos Valdez, at his fine establishment, Papi’s Mexican Restaurant. Without his help, all the Hispanic flavors that wind their way through this book, in fact through this series, would probably turn out to be more like Spanglish than authentic Mexican dialogue. While you’re there, go ahead and order a “Sonia’s Special.” I think you’ll enjoy it.
fjm
About the Author
After a long career as a professional musician and educator, having written several instructional texts along the way, Frank Messina turned his attention to writing fiction in 2016. He holds a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
A native of Long Island, New York, Frank moved to Lexington, Kentucky in 1978. Having lived there for almost forty years, he now considers Lexington his home and is excited about sharing the beauty and culture of this wonderful little city as he leads readers through the exciting, albeit fictional, world of Sonia Vitale and the ladies of Bluegrass Confidential Investigations. The Bluegrass Files: Twisted Dreams, is the second in a multi-volume series.
Please feel free to contact Frank at:
[email protected] or
Fjmessina-mysteries.com or
facebook.com/fjmessina
Also by f j messina
The Bluegrass Files: Down the Rabbit Hole
The Bluegrass Files: The Bourbon Brotherhood Coming soon!
Curious About What Sonia Does Next?
Wondering about her relationships with Brad and Jet?
Would you like to know a little about the future of
Bluegrass Confidential Investigations?
Check Out:
The Bluegrass Files:
The Bourbon Brotherhood
Bourbon and horses, the life-blood of Kentucky culture. Sonia Vitale and her team race to solve a crime, save an industry . . . and save a life!
Coming Soon!
