Interview with author of Eight Belles book and thoughts on Old Fashioned's retirement

Before I get to the interview I had with the author of a new book on last year's runner up in the Derby, the late great Eight Belles, I would like to share my thoughts on the just retired Old Fashioned. I will admit, I was not an Old Fashioned fan. However, he was very impressive in his wins and hope he does well at stud next year.

Last week I had an interview with Maria Michalak, the author of Eight Belles: Triumph Beyond the Wire (Authorhouse, 2009). Link This book is a biography of the Unbridled's Song filly. I asked Maria a few questions about the book, how she got started following horse racing, and what's next for her.

What was your insperation to write about Eight Belles?

My inspiration to write about Eight Belles was Eight Belles herself. She really won my heart. She just had so much poise on Derby day; she acted like royalty, I thought. I thought she was so, so special, and I thought she deserved to have her life story written. I know my writing isn't perfect, but I wanted whoever wrote her biography to love her and her connections - her trainers especially. So, I went for it.

How long have you been following horse racing?

Well, I haven't been following horse-racing closely very long at all. I've been a fan for a while, but it's only been a few years since I learned that there's a whole lot more to racing than the Breeder's Cup! My aunt sent me the Breeder's Cup on tape every year, starting in 2003 or somewhere around there. But I didn't see anything other than the Breeder's Cup until my aunt taped the 2007 Kentucky Derby. I followed racing more closely that year than ever before, and in 2008 I really, really began to follow it closely.

Who is your favorite race horse currently racing, and who is your favorite who has retired/passed away?

My favorite horse currently racing is the Cindy Jones-owned, Larry Jones-trained Just Jenda!!! I love Just Jenda so much! She stole my heart when she broke her maiden back in September, and she's sure kept it. My close-second-favorite is definitely Proud Spell (Note from Rachel: It was announced yesterday that Proud Spell was retired and was bred to Indian Charlie); she's really special to me, too.My favorite horse passed away is, of course, Eight Belles. She was one in a million to me and I still miss her. I'm sure I always will. My favorite horse retired is Hard Spun! He was the first racehorse I ever fell in love with, and I still love him!

Do you have any plans to write another book (horse racing or not)?

I don't have any plans to write another book right now. I would love to write another one in the not-too-far-away future, but I'm not sure when or what it would be about. I would really love for it to be horse racing-related. I have to be inspired to write, and I'm not inspired again just yet. I'm sure I will be at some point, and when the Lord puts the desire in my heart to start writing another book, I'll be sure to pick up the pen again! And I know He'll show me what to write about when the time comes, too.

Outside of writing and horse racing what other activites do you have?

Outside of writing and horse-racing, I love to ride! I have three horses of my own, and my family has two more. They keep me busy. Belle, Taffy, and Jones are not just my three horses but some of my best friends, too. I spend as much time with them as I can. I love to read (reading and writing go hand in hand!), I'm a riding teacher (I've been teaching western riding for close to three years now), and I'm also a highschool student (I'm in 11th grade). I keep pretty busy!

Thanks so much Maria for answering these questions, for those interested in ordering her book, please see the link I posted before the interview. I'm hopeful to have the Stallion Spotlight back tomarrow, I've been somewhat slacking on this.