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.

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.