Profits from Book Sales to be Donated to The Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses (CANTER)
LOS ANGELES – February 10, 2014 – Merle H. Horwitz, mystery novelist, has established the Merle H. Horwitz Racing Donations program to help racehorses no longer able to compete on the track. As part of the new program, Horwitz will donate all profits from the sale of his latest mystery novel, “Winners”, to The Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses (CANTER) for an indefinite period of time. Through CANTER’s website, the public can view thoroughbred racehorses that are ending their racing careers and are available for purchase to begin a new career.
Although horses can live to be 30, most racehorses must retire before the age of six. The majority of them face uncertain futures when they are non-competitive or injured on the racetrack. Equine charities such as CANTER face a daunting task in raising awareness of the plight of many retired racehorses, and the critical funds needed for rehabilitation and retraining for new careers. Horwitz saw an opportunity to help make a difference in the lives of former racehorses through the sales of “Winners”. For purposes of this charity promotion benefiting CANTER, the 394-page mystery novel is available in paperback format only, retails for $13.95 and must be purchased at the following link: https://www.createspace.com/4566266.
“Winners” (Westcom Press 2013) is the third adventure of Harvey Ace, a retired private detective and ardent horseplayer (“Dead Heat” and “Bloody Silks” were published in the early 1990s). In the latest installment set in the late 2000s, Ace becomes embroiled in nefarious political schemes in the State of California while trying to escape his past. As he follows the trail of dead bodies, his current love, Sara, is ready to jump ship and his beloved thoroughbred, Winning Silks, is gearing up to return to racing after an illness.
“Whether it be the sheer pleasure of watching thoroughbreds run or the inspiration they provide to me as I put pen to paper, they have given to me in many ways throughout my life,” said Horwitz, a young 84-year-old who grew up in Pasadena near Santa Anita Park. “Now I’d like to do something to give back to these magnificent athletes. This way, we can all contribute.”
“We are extremely grateful to Merle Horwitz for choosing CANTER as the charity to benefit from the nationwide promotion and sales of ‘Winners’,” said CANTER Executive Director Nancy Koch. “Donating all profits to charity is extremely generous. Since CANTER has no paid staff and all donations are spent to transition thoroughbreds, we believe this program can help a lot of racehorses, so we are just thrilled!”
Horwitz is currently working on the fourth adventure in his Harvey Ace saga, “The Augers Affair”, which is slated for release later this year.
About Merle H. Horwitz
Merle H. Horwitz grew up in Pasadena, CA. He attended Pasadena City College and graduated from the University of Southern California in 1950. Thereafter, he attended Hastings College of Law in San Francisco and the University of California, Los Angeles. Horwitz draws upon his lengthy legal career, during which he served as lead counsel in more than 40 jury cases, extensive travels and lifelong love of horseracing in his series of Harvey Ace mystery novels. For more information, visit www.merlehhorwitz.com.
About CANTER
CANTER stands for The Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses, a 501(c)3 all-volunteer organization. CANTER started in 1998 to help racehorses find new careers by connecting buyers and racehorse owners through postings of horses for sale on the CANTER website. More than 18,000 thoroughbreds have been transitioned so far. CANTER accepts non-competitive and injured thoroughbreds into its program to receive medical care, rehabilitation and retraining. Life saving surgery at Michigan State University repairs racetrack injuries while providing an advanced education for MSU students who assist in all aspects of surgery.
CANTER affiliates are located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Mid Atlantic, New England, Ohio and Pennsylvania. All the CANTER programs are all-volunteer organizations with 501(c)3 non-profit status. For more information, visit www.canterusa.org.
###
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jill Hoffman
(323) 719-7111
jillh@clivehoffmanassociates.com
