I had to ask. Four days after winning the Kentucky Derby, as Michael Matz talked about his horse and his life, he paused and I pounced.

What about a book? Matz laughed and then thought about it, briefly entertaining the prospects of a book–plumber’s son, Olympics, plane crash, and now Derby winner. Too reserved to get swept away in nepotistic chatter about a book, Matz diverted the conversation to a memory about a writer who had compiled a book on his life. It ended with Matz carrying the flag at the closing ceremonies at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

Matz said to the guy, “How do you know that’s the end? Maybe there’s a lot more to the story than just carrying the flag in the Olympics.”

He never heard from the guy again