Animal welfare issues in thoroughbred horse racing have been a topic of conversation beyond the tracks for decades, with issues such as oversupply of race horses, inadequate regulation, lack of transparency, even the lesser spoken of, slaughter.
Thoroughbred owner, racing partnership leader and horse welfare advocate Victor Bahna sheds light on these sensitive points in his new suspense novel set in the horse racing world, Heliacal Star. Yet at the same time, he applauds the myriad positive changes that have taken place over the past 40+ years. These changes have helped keep his passion for the sport alive. For example, thoroughbred slaughtering has decreased from approximately 300,000 in the 1980s to approximately 23,000 in 2023.
"Filled with unexpected moments and thrilling revelations,….Heliacal Star is an exhilarating and emotional novel centered on the rich history and thrilling atmosphere of thoroughbred racing. It offers gripping moments of suspense that build at a great pace as the plot thickens, keeping readers on edge. A compelling blend of sporting action, thrilling danger, and heartfelt moments."
"The characters [in Heliacal Star] were a labor of love for the author. Readers can identify with them because there were both heroes and villains…. The author writes with a wealth of knowledge about horses; [m]y understanding has grown dramatically. For those who enjoy a blend of romance, horse racing, suspense and crime fiction, Victor Bahna's Heliacal Star is highly recommended."
Victor Bahna is the author of the horseracing thriller, Heliacal Star. Raised just a few miles from Long Island’s Belmont Park racetrack, Victor Bahna fell in love with horse racing in high school. Today, he owns two broodmares and manages a small racing partnership under the stable name of Royal Victory Thoroughbreds. He is also a devoted advocate for racehorse welfare and longevity.
When not writing, working as a tech executive or spending time with his retired thoroughbred, Rooster City, Victor heads to the local races at Emerald Downs and travels to Belmont and Saratoga with the friends from high school who first introduced him to the sport. He lives in Washington state with his wife and two children.
