Jay Hovdey
Jay Hovdey is a five-time Eclipse Award winner whose work over the past four decades has appeared in a variety of publications, including Daily Racing Form, Thoroughbred Racing Commentary, and BloodHorse Magazine, along with Smithsonian Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Reader’s Digest, Pacemaker, the Racing Times.
He was a staff writer for the HBO racing series “Luck,” created by David Milch, and wrote the narration for the documentary “Laffit Pincay: All About Winning,” produced and directed by Oscar winner Jim Wilson. Hovdey’s seven books include “Whittingham: A Thoroughbred Racing Legend,” “Cigar: America’s Horse,” and the recently published “Well Armed: A Thoroughbred of Destiny,” as well as a collection of columns in “Long Rein: Tales from the World of Horse Racing.”
In 2012, Hovdey was named to the Joe Hirsch Media Honor Roll of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., alongside the likes of Charles Hatton, Red Smith, Steven Crist, and Joe Palmer. He also was honored by the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters Association with the Walter Haight Award for career excellence, and has received four Breeders’ Cup writing awards.
In addition, Hovdey serves on the Nominating Committee of the Racing Hall of Fame. Hovdey is a native Californian married to retired Hall of Fame jockey Julie Krone. They collaborated on the book “One Sweet Ride: Julie Krone, Candy Ride and the Pacific Classic,” as well as their daughter, Lorelei Krone, a college theater major. Hovdey earned his university degree in mass communications from that Arizona school up the road in Tempe.