What does it take to win the Kentucky Derby? The breeder of the 2001 winner reveals that beyond a fast horse, a sense of humor and boundless capacity for absurdity and humiliation are essential. When Jim Squires set up shop as a horse breeder in the bluegrass country of Kentucky, no one held out much hope for him making a living at it. As the editor of the Chicago Tribune, Squires had overseen a staff that won seven Pulitzer Prizes in eight years, but still lost his job in a management shakeup. With a hefty severance payment, he decided to take up professionally his 20-year passion: raising horses. Here is Squires' rollicking tale of how a novice in the world of Kentucky horse culture did more than merely stay in business; he brought together the stallion and mare that would produce the winner of the most famous race of all. And at the center of all the commotion is that remarkable horse, Monarchos, the gray colt blessed with extraordinary speed and the making of a hero.
Reviews
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After losing his job as the editor of the Chicago Tribune, Jim Squires turns his successful sideline of raising horses into a full-time enterprise. At first, the reading reminds us that author/editor Squires is not a professional audiobook performer. He sounds uneasy; the way a nonactor does when confronted with lines. Yet, as he relaxes into this fascinating, entertaining look at thoroughbreds and the singular folk involved in horse breeding and racing, his natural enthusiasm connects. With great good humor, Squires describes disappointing horse auctions, careful breeding practices, those afflicted with "the dreaded social disease, Derby Fever,'" and the business of raising Monarchos, a Kentucky Derby hopeful. Finally, we experience with Squires his unbridled delight when the gray colt wins "the most exciting two minutes in sports." S.J.H. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
About the Author
When Jim Squires set up shop as a horse breeder in the bluegrass country of Kentucky, no one held out much hope for him making a living at it. Yet in the end, he brought together the stallion and mare who would produce the winner of the most famous race of all, the Kentucky Derby.
