The greatest American sports hero of the first decade of the 1900s, the unbeatable pacer Dan Patch, is returning a century after his greatest triumphs as a Simon and Schuster book. Charles Leerhsen, executive editor of Sports Illustrated and author of best selling books on Donald Trump, famed test pilot Chuck Yeager, and former NBC president Brandon Tartikoff, is writing the story of the pre-automobile era hero. Leerhsen’s book on Trump was number one on the best seller list for seven weeks.

A contemporary book on the great pacing champion is long overdue. Dan Patch’s popularity from 1900 to 1910 was so widespread that washing machines, tobacco products, a railroad and innumerable children were named for him. Leerhsen plans not only to tell his story and that of the people who surrounded him, but also plans to place the horse and harness racing in the context of sports history, and to discuss the changes that were happening to sports in general during the early years of the 20th century. Leerhsen is no stranger to harness racing, and is superbly qualified to tell the Dan Patch story. A brilliant writer, his first professional job was working with the editor of this newsletter at the U.S. Trotting Association from 1976 to 1982, when he left to work for Newsweek, where as a senior writer he covered sports and, later, general news. He left that magazine in 1992 to become the entertainment editor, and later assistant managing editor, of People. Six years later he joined Wenner Media, and was editor of Us magazine. He also has written for Esquire, the New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, TV Guide, and other major magazines. He expects to complete his book on Dan Patch in 12 to 18 months, and welcomes suggestions, research materials, stories or other materials on Dan Patch at charlie_leerhsen@hotmail.com.