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43 Years Later, the Unseemly Saga of Spectacular Bid is Revealed

43 Years Later, the Unseemly Saga of Spectacular Bid is Revealed

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet or used by any means of social media sharing.)

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In an era of spectacular thoroughbreds, Spectacular Bid may have been the most exalted racehorse of them all. In 1979, he won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness — and transcended his sport on a run of 12 consecutive stakes victories. But his quest for the Triple Crown was lost with a third-place finish in the Belmont Stakes due to a series of bizarre events that have never been accurately reported.

In The Fast Ride: Spectacular Bid and the Undoing of a Sure Thing, author and journalist Jack Gilden tells the story of what really happened the day “the Bid” lost the biggest race of his life. Along the way, Gilden introduces readers to a cast of characters from the gilded age of late twentieth-century horse racing, from Bid’s owners, the renowned Meyerhoff family, to Grover “Buddy” Delp, the fast-talking trainer, to teenage jockey Ronnie Franklin, whose meteoric rise to fame aboard Spectacular Bid came at the cost of his innocence and well-being.
“I came into the story as Franklin lay in an East Baltimore hospice gasping his last breaths,” Gilden writes in the introduction. “I was aided and abetted by one of his friends who had decided it was time that the truth came out.”

Also present in Gilden’s narrative are four of the era’s magnificent Latino riders, Ángel Cordero Jr., Jacinto Vasquez, Georgie Velasquez and Ruben Hernandez. They all felt the sting of rejection and bigotry during their long careers, even as they found their way and raised the level of competition to a feverish pitch.

Underlying Spectacular Bid’s saga was the thin line between hard work and excess, including substance abuse, animal manipulation, doping and race fixing. Hardly anyone in the horse’s circle made it out unscathed or undamaged.

The Fast Ride is the story of a great racehorse, unfulfilled dreams, the exhilaration and steep price of striving at all costs, and an American era in which getting everything you ever wanted could be the most empty and unfulfilling sensation of all.

Jack Gilden is the author of Collision of Wills: Johnny Unitas, Don Shula, and the Rise of the Modern NFL (2018). His editorials, columns and articles have appeared in Orioles Magazine, the Baltimore Sun, the Evening Sun, Chesapeake Life, Style magazine and the Baltimore Jewish Times. He has written about the anti-Semitism of H.L. Mencken, the literary life of Bernard Malamud, the lost legend of “Swish” Nicholson, Joe Louis as civil rights hero and the profane genius of Earl Weaver. He scripted the Orioles 40th Anniversary Video, narrated by the legendary Jim McKay. Gilden lives in Baltimore with his wife, two children, two step-children, and his dog.

For more information, connect with the author on Twitter at @JackGilden, or visit
www.williamsonlit.com.

The Fast Ride: Spectacular Bid and the Undoing of a Sure Thing
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press
ISBN-10: 1496230507
ISBN-13: ‎978-1496230508
Available from Amazon.com, BN.com and other online retailers

Trish Stevens
Ben Marshall
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com
281.333.3507 Phone

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NOKI Sparks Meaningful Conversations About Limitations Placed on People with Autism

NOKI Sparks Meaningful Conversations About Limitations Placed on People with Autism

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

It’s a struggle that parents of children with special needs face every day and well into that child’s adulthood: how much decision-making latitude is safe?

NOKI is an empowering story from Douglas Farrago, MD, about a young man with autism who wants to become a professional boxer. Life’s circumstances have dictated the reason for him choosing this path. The lawless world of boxing has its reasons for embracing Noki and his abilities. And they are not good ones. So, the debate wages on: Should Noki be allowed to make the life-altering decision to enter the ring and put his life on the line?

Meanwhile, what few know is that Noki is actually a savant and can imitate and transform himself into any legendary boxer he wants — a plot twist that allows NOKI to pay homage to some of the greatest boxers of all time.

Dr. Farrago draws upon his experiences as an All-American collegiate boxer, a sports medicine trainer for professional boxers in Houston and his decades-long career in medicine during which he worked with autism patients to lend authenticity to his characters and narrative.

“Noki becomes somewhat of a hero to those with special needs in this story, which I think is pretty cool,” he said. “I felt it would be nice if a story showed that those with autism don’t need to be anything but themselves, and maybe it is the rest of us who need to change.”

Ultimately, NOKI is a heartwarming story that will spark real conversations about the limits that society places on people with special needs. Knowingly or not.

Author Douglas Farrago, MD, is board certified in the specialty of Family Practice. Recently retired, he had a large following of autistic and special needs patients in his career. Dr. Farrago is the inventor of the Knee Saver, which is currently in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Knee Saver and its knock-offs are worn by many major league baseball catchers. He also invented the CryoHelmet, used by athletes for head injuries as well as migraine sufferers.

Dr. Farrago received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia in 1987, his Master of Education degree in Exercise Science from the University of Houston in 1990 and his Medical Degree from the University of Texas at Houston in 1994. His residency training occurred way up north at the Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. Dr. Farrago still blogs every day on his website http://Authenticmedicine.com and lectures worldwide about the present crisis in our healthcare system and the effect it has on the doctor-patient relationship. Dr. Farrago has written six books to date, his latest one being NOKI.

For more information about NOKI and the author, please visit http://letnokibox.com/.

NOKI
Publisher: Authentic Medicine
ISBN-10: 0578873656
ISBN-13: 978-0578873657
Available from Amazon.com

Trish Stevens
Anita Graber
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com
281.333.3507 Phone

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Should a Person with Autism Be Allowed to Become a Professional Boxer and Put His Life at Risk?

Should a Person with Autism Be Allowed to Become a Professional Boxer and Put His Life at Risk?

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

It’s a struggle that parents of children with special needs face every day and well into that child’s adulthood: how much decision-making latitude is safe?

NOKI is an empowering story from Douglas Farrago, MD, about a young man with autism who wants to become a professional boxer. Life’s circumstances have dictated the reason for him choosing this path. The lawless world of boxing has its reasons for embracing Noki and his abilities. And they are not good ones. So, the debate wages on: Should Noki be allowed to make the life-altering decision to enter the ring and put his life on the line?

Meanwhile, what few know is that Noki is actually a savant and can imitate and transform himself into any legendary boxer he wants — a plot twist that allows NOKI to pay homage to some of the greatest boxers of all time.

Dr. Farrago draws upon his experiences as an All-American collegiate boxer, a sports medicine trainer for professional boxers in Houston and his decades-long career in medicine during which he worked with autism patients to lend authenticity to his characters and narrative.

“Noki becomes somewhat of a hero to those with special needs in this story, which I think is pretty cool,” he said. “I felt it would be nice if a story showed that those with autism don’t need to be anything but themselves, and maybe it is the rest of us who need to change.”

Ultimately, NOKI is a heartwarming story that will spark real conversations about the limits that society places on people with special needs. Knowingly or not.

Author Douglas Farrago, MD, is board certified in the specialty of Family Practice. Recently retired, he had a large following of autistic and special needs patients in his career. Dr. Farrago is the inventor of the Knee Saver, which is currently in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Knee Saver and its knock-offs are worn by many major league baseball catchers. He also invented the CryoHelmet, used by athletes for head injuries as well as migraine sufferers.

Dr. Farrago received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia in 1987, his Master of Education degree in Exercise Science from the University of Houston in 1990 and his Medical Degree from the University of Texas at Houston in 1994. His residency training occurred way up north at the Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. Dr. Farrago still blogs every day on his website Authenticmedicine.com and lectures worldwide about the present crisis in our healthcare system and the effect it has on the doctor-patient relationship. Dr. Farrago has written six books to date, his latest one being NOKI.

For more information about NOKI and the author, please visit http://letnokibox.com/.

NOKI
Publisher: Authentic Medicine
Release Date: April 2021
ISBN-10: 0578873656
ISBN-13: 978-0578873657
Available from Amazon.com

Trish Stevens
Susan Conrad
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com
281.333.3507 Phone

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The Warrior’s Meditation Shares Best-Kept Secret In Stress Relief And Self-Improvement

The Warrior’s Meditation Shares Best-Kept Secret In Stress Relief And Self-Improvement

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Warrior’s Meditation by Richard L. Haight, the award-winning author of The Unbound Soul, makes transformative meditation accessible to the masses, with short, daily sessions that don’t require periods of isolation.

“The Warrior’s Meditation is unlike any other meditation. This method is flexible in application, which allows it to blend with whatever your day has in store,” Haight says.

Perfect for people of all backgrounds and skill levels, The Warrior’s Meditation teaches an instinctive, non-religious form of Samurai meditation that is both practical and extremely effective.

Through daily meditation, practitioners can experience the following cognitive and physical benefits, among many others:

  1. Improved immune function; decreased cellular inflammation and pain.
  2. Increased positive emotions; less anxiety, depression and stress.
  3. Increased emotional intelligence and compassion; reduced feelings of insecurity.
  4. Increased gray matter in areas related to paying attention, positive emotions, emotional reg-ulation and self-control.
  5. Improved memory, creativity and abstract thinking.

Life is busy, and few people have time to spend hours a day in meditation. With The Warrior’s Meditation, readers can experience profound clarity and awareness wherever they are and eventually embody meditation as a way of being.

Author Richard L. Haight is a master-level instructor of martial, meditation and healing arts. He began formal martial arts training at age 12 and moved to Japan at the age of 24 to advance his training with masters of the sword, staff and aiki-jujutsu.

During his 15 years in Japan, Haight was awarded masters licenses in four samurai arts as well as a traditional healing art called sotai-ho. He is one of the world’s foremost experts in the traditional Japanese martial arts.

Through his books, his meditation and martial arts seminars, Haight is helping to ignite a worldwide movement for personal transformation that is free of all constraints and open to anyone of any level. He now lives and teaches in southern Oregon.

For more information, please visit richardlhaight.com.

The Warrior’s Meditation: The Best-Kept Secret in Self-Improvement, Cognitive Enhancement, and Stress Relief, Taught by a Master of Four Samurai Arts
Publisher: Shinkaikan Body, Mind, Spirit LLC
ISBN-10: 0999210092
ISBN-13: 978-0999210093
Paperback available at all online bookstores.

Trish Stevens
Karen Anderson
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com
281.333.3507 Phone
800.854.2207 Fax

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Former NFL Star Shares Empowering Story In SuperVan Tackles Cancer

Trish Stevens
Shelby Morrison
Ascot Media Group
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
281.333.3507 Phone
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Former NFL Star Shares Empowering Story In SuperVan Tackles Cancer

Van Johnson was a typical 6-year-old boy who loved to play football and often dreamed that he could fly. When a routine physical revealed an anomaly, Van’s dreams of flying were sidelined and replaced by the hope that one day he would be well enough again to return to the football field.

A cancer diagnosis at age 6 is unthinkable, but in reality, nearly 16,000 children under 19 receive a cancer diagnosis each year in the United States.

SuperVan Tackles Cancer is the heartwarming story of young Van’s cancer journey. Written by cancer survivor and former NFL star Dominic “Billy” Austin, SuperVan is the first install-ment of Austin’s Tackle Cancer series, which shares inspirational stories of kids just like Van Johnson. Austin believes that within every child lies a superhero with the power to beat can-cer, and through his Tackle Cancer series, he gives kids a powerful voice to share their sto-ries and let other children fighting cancer know that they are not alone.

SuperVan Tackles Cancer is an empowering tale of courage, hope and strength; of digging deep inside to harness your superpowers; and of using those powers to wage the battle of a lifetime. It is a story that will inspire other children to seek their inner superheroes to over-come life’s obstacles.

Author Dominic “Billy” Austin, a former cornerback for the Indianapolis Colts, graduated from Kempner High School in Sugarland, Texas, where he was an academic and athletic stand-out. At the University of New Mexico, he was named all-conference defensive back his sophomore, junior and senior years.

Following his diagnosis of stage III non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma just before his 39th birthday, Austin launched Tackles4Cancer, a nonprofit organization with two primary missions: to as-sist young cancer patients with transportation to and from their lifesaving treatments and to infuse young readers with faith that they have what it takes to beat cancer. Proceeds from SuperVan benefit Tackles4Cancer.

Now cancer-free, Austin has hosted over 20 events with celebrities and has been featured as an inspirational figure for Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD Foundation (https://www.beyonce.com/inspiration-dominic-austin/). Austin currently resides in Houston. Visit him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/supervantacklescancer/ and on Instagram at @tackles4cancer.

Super Van Tackles Cancer
Release Date: November 2018
ISBN-10: 0578211890
ISBN-13: 978-0578211893
Available from Amazon.com

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Ultra-Marathoner Inspires Others With Story Of Recovery And Resilience

Trish Stevens
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
281.333.3507 Main/Office
832.334.2733 Cell
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media out-let, or used by any means of social media sharing)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ultra-Marathoner Inspires Others With Story Of Recovery And Resilience

David Clark has achieved unimaginable success in the ul-tramarathon world, having run more than 100 races, including the Leadville 100-Mile Trail Run and the Hardrock 100. It’s hard to imagine that 13 years ago, this elite athlete weighed more than 320 pounds and struggled with addictions to alcohol and prescription drugs. His story is one of a remarkable transformation — physically, mentally and spiritually.

From barely finishing his first 5k to running 100 miles in less than 18 hours, Clark shatters the notion that the front of the pack is a birthright in his raw, inspirational new release, Broken Open: Mountains, Demons, Treadmills and A Search for Nirvana.

Between the covers of Broken Open, Clark shares his stories of taking running to the ex-treme edges of his physical and spiritual breaking points. Among his many remarkable adven-tures, Clark talks about doing 10 epic events in one year to celebrate his 10th year of sobriety. This mind-bending year of running included completing the Boston Marathon four times in one day, running 343 laps around a high school track and running 48 hours on a treadmill. Readers will feel like they are running alongside him as he navigates his vision quest — all the while hallucinating and breaking from reality in one of the most epic Badwater 135 race experiences ever told.

Clark’s story is unfiltered, honest and pure adrenaline-laden inspiration as he shares his unique brand of Americana and Heavy Metal Buddhism. Broken Open has far more to offer than just miles travelled and mountains climbed. It’s about trying to find a way station of bal-ance between worlds of extremes. It’s about running to create a legacy and develop inner strength. After reading Broken Open, readers will never doubt how strong they can be, how much they can endure, or whether or not they are capable of finding true happiness.

David Clark lives just outside of Boulder, CO., where he is a father of three, an accomplished endurance athlete, a practicing Buddhist and a die-hard New York Rangers fan. He is also the author of the bestselling book Out There: A Story of Ultra Recovery and the host of the WeAreSuperman podcast.

Clark has been featured on CBS, ABC, ESPN, Runners World, Men’s Health and many other national media outlets. He has been sober since 2005 and addresses audiences on a range of topics, including how to become an unstoppable force of happiness; how to move past trauma, grief and loss; why politics is America’s newest addiction; how what we eat fits into our ability to be happy; weight loss; addiction; and American Libertarian Buddhism.

To watch Clark’s appearance on The Doctors, please visit
https://youtu.be/f46fpksCSuI.

Broken Open: Mountains, Demons, Treadmills and A Search for Nirvana
Release Date: February 2019
ISBN-10: 1794630554
ISBN-13: 978-1794630550
Available exclusively from Amazom.com

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New App Immerses Thrill Seekers In Fastest Sport On Ice

Steve Holtman
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
281.333.3507 Phone
832.569.5539 Fax
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New App Immerses Thrill Seekers In Fastest Sport On Ice

Port Orange, Florida ― Winter sports fans who crave the speed and intensity of the bobsleigh can now experience the thrills from the pilot’s seat with the Bobsleigh 360 app for Android and iOS.

Users can experience the precision of the team’s climb into the sleigh, the struggle of the push-off, and mind-bending speeds approaching 90 mph as the bobsleigh races down an Olympic bobsleigh track, banking through 15 to 20 heart-stopping turns.

Bobsleigh 360 app features:

• 360-degree video of actual bobsleigh runs
• User-controlled viewpoint during the run
• Support for 2D and VR viewing
• New runs and tracks added as they are available
Bobsleigh 360 is based on a first-of-its-kind VR training tool developed by Raydon Corporation, a military simulation training company, in Port Orange, Florida. Raydon created the training tool to improve the safety and performance of bobsleigh teams. Bobsleigh 360 gives coaches a 360-degree view of a pilot’s high-speed run, where every millisecond counts. It can be viewed on a tablet or on a VR headset for a fully immersive experience. The Latvian bobsleigh team, silver medal winners at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, has incorporated the tool into their training regimen in preparation for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. Raydon has donated the training tool to Latvia and other countries.
For more information, please visit: www.bobsleigh-360.com and www.raydon.com.

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