Somehow, the story of Jimmy Winkfield became a lost treasure. Winkfield's name and saga were largely unknown, even within horse racing circles, and it was not until this year that he was posthumously elected to the Hall of Fame. But writer and racing historian Ed Hotaling brings the story back to life in the recently published biography "Wink. The Incredible Life and Epic Journey of Jimmy Winkfield." It's a blessing that he has.

The story recounts the fascinating life and times of a black jockey who won two consecutive Kentucky Derbies, became a dominant rider and then a successful trainer in Europe, escaped the Russian Revolution and later had to flee Western Europe at the outbreak of World War II. Those are just the highlights.

Winkfield was born in 1880 in Chilesburg, Kentucky at a time when black jockey still dominated American racing. Fifteen of the first 28 Kentucky Derbies were won by black riders and Isaac Murphy was regarded as the greatest jockey of that era. In1898, when Winkfield rode in his first race, white society was still largely tolerant of black riders. No doubt a special talent, Winkfield was able to prosper in that environment, winning 1901 and 1902 Kentucky Derbies, and was the last black rider to capture the race. His resume also includes a slew of victories in major races around the country.

But things would change, and a series of events led to Winkfield leaving for Europe in 1904. Winkfield crossed John Madden, the most powerful trainer in the country at the time, promising he would ride a horse for him the Futurity in New York only to renege. Enraged, Madden boycotted Winkfield and successfully encouraged most trainers to do the same. With that, the surging tide of racism in the country and anti-gambling sentiments and financial problems eventually closing more than 250 tracks, Winkfield knew the only way his career would survive was for him to get a new start somewhere else.

He accepted an offer to ride for an Armenian oilman named Mikhail Lazareff and would team with him to win dozens of major races in Poland and Russia, countries where racing was booming. Circumstances again forced him to head elsewhere. This time it was the Russian Revolution, and Winkfield escaped as part of a large caravan that fled on foot from Odessa to Warsaw, a 1,000-mile journey. France became his ultimate destination and he again settled in as one of the best riders in that country until he retired in 1930. The author believes he rode as many as 2,600 winners.

At a time when black jockeys and trainers had all but disappeared in the U.S., Winkfield was basically safe from the evils of racism in France. He reinvented himself as a trainer, setting up shop in Maisons-Laffitte.

Once again, though, the world would change around him. When the Nazis swept into France, Winkfield had to again resettle. He returned to the United States, only to discover that he had been largely forgotten and that the only opportunities for blacks in racing were as stablehands. The only jobs he could find were menial ones, work on a road crew in Queens, which was part of Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration, and a job as a groom in Aiken, South Carolina.

Eventually, he returned to France and, along with his son, Robert, re-established his stable. He was honored in 1961 at the Kentucky Derby after an article in Sports Illustrated briefly rekindled his story. But the occasion was spoiled when he was, at first, denied entry because of his color into the Brown Hotel for a banquet. Eventually, he was allowed in, but was mistreated the entire time he was there. Winkfield lived to the age of 93, dying in 1974 in Maisons-Laffitte.

"My father had a good life, he lived a beautiful life," his daughter, Lillian Wakefield Casey once told the New York Times. "He started from the bottom, went to the top, went back down during the two wars and came back up again. He was always hopeful and determined to succeed."

Hotaling obviously enjoys doing research and one of the results of that is what appears to be a remarkably accurate story of a life that probably wasn't easy to piece together. But that is also the book's biggest problem. It gets too bogged down, taking pages to explain details that could have been covered in three or four sentences. Hotaling also tends to get off track, digressing about such matters of the wonders of Penn Station in New York. The reader will learn that is was designed by the firm of McKim, Mead, and White, that it was supported by 650 steel columns and had a 277-foot waiting room, information that seems completely out of place in a horse racing book. At 299 pages, Wink would have been a better read at 249 pages.

Nonetheless, Hotaling's book is a notable accomplishment. Not only did he bring back a truly remarkable story that even the most well-versed racing fans probably did not know, but his efforts were largely responsible for Winkfield's long overdue induction into the Hall of Fame this year.

This is a book that any racing fan, particularly one who enjoys the history of the sport, should add to his or her collection.