Horse of a Different Colour

When former "Chicago Tribune" editor Jim Squires set up shop as a horse breeder in Kentucky no one held out much hope for him making a living at it. Yet he was to bring together the pair who would produce the winner of the Kentucky Derby. This is his rollicking tale of his life in the saddle.

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When Jim Squires set up shop as a horse breeder in 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 that wasn't enough to save his job in a management shake-up. Consoled by a hefty severance payment, he decided to take up professionally what had been a passion of his for 20 years; raising horses. Squires had successfully raised jumpers and equine athletes, but now he was heading to thoroughbred country. This 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 who would produce the winner of the most famous race of all, the Kentucky Derby. At the centre of all the commotion is a remarkable horse, Monarchos, the grey colt blessed with extraordinary speed and the making of a hero.