Who is Lomitas from The Man Who Listens to Horses and what is their importance?

Lomitas is a race horse that is owned by a German man and is the highest ranking two year old in Germany (1990). Monty meets Lomitas in 1991 and says that their meeting is one of the defining moments in his life. He describes Lomitas as a "good looking chestnut colt", and believes that he is extraordinarily intelligent and talented. Unfortunately, Lomitas is poisoned by a man who is attempting to blackmail his owner. Lomitas survives the poisoning but is no longer able to race.