It was 1973. It was the golden age of Secretariat and the days of Arcaro and Shoemaker... but it was one rider above them all who drew the racing world's rapt attention. That was Walter Blum. To count himself among the truly great he would have to win the 4,000th race of his career. He needed six more. That pursuit and so much more about the racetrack inspired international bestselling novelist Jack Engelhard to produce a factual journalistic account of what it's really like behind the scenes.
His book, The Horsemen, became an instant classic. The New York Times...