Customer Reviews

Horse of a Different Color: A Tale of Breeding Geniuses, Dominant Females, and the Fastest Derby Winner Since Secretariat

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

The breeder of Derby winner Monarchos writes of his second career as a Kentucky horseman and his improbable luck in quickly breeding a super horse. In the course of the book we learn a little about the author, lots about the business of horse breeding and meet some of the big players in the industry.

Comparisons to the recent book about Seabiscuit (which is better) are unavoidable and probably unfair. "Horse of a Different Color" covers a different territory and is as much about a business as a single horse.

The book has a few faults. At times, Squires gets stuck in arcane detail that interrupts the flow of the narrative. Also, his device of referring to himself in the third person(e.g. "the breeder" or "the genius") and his wife as "the dominant female" are at first wierd and then become tedious. They are odd mis-steps for an ex-newspaper editor to make.

While reading the book I really struggled to stay interested in the story line. I was finding nuggets of information in the thoroughbred industry that sparked my interest, and when I ponder back on what I learned I would give the book rave reviews because it did capture a lot of detail that could easily be skipped over. But there was a lot of the story line that had me wishing the book would end early.

As a lifelong devotee of the horse, and particularly the Thoroughbred, I've read more than a few horse books. Few have delighted me as much as has this treasure by Jim Squires. My only complaint is that it wasn't at least 1000 pages long (and even then I'd probably wish it was longer). What makes this book so delicious is the writer's horse-savvy coupled with his sharp wit and good writing, and obvious love for his horses. More than just telling the tale of how one particular colt brought home the roses, it's about the whole, encompassing experience through the eyes, heart and pen of a knowledgable and articulate person. "Seabiscuit" was excellent and I enjoyed every word. "My Racing Heart" was expressive and also a pleasure to read. "Horse of a Different Color" stands above these, on a par with the unforgettable Joe Palmer and "This Was Racing." It's got a permanent home in my library, as will any future book Squires might write about equines (and I certainly hope he does).

Jim Squires is a pompous [man]. His wife, the "dominant female", seems highly neurotic. Fortunately, the book has some interesting information about the thoroughbred breeding industry. If you follow the Triple Crown, check it out. But beware! Jim's self-indulgent ranting takes up a lot of pages. The guy refers to himself as a "breeding genius." He bred a Derby winner, so maybe he is a genius? Then, however, he uses the term "breeding genius" ironically, meaning that he is not a genius but other people have suggested that he is one. So, Jim, which is it? Jim thinks he is a genius, and not just a "breeding genius", but a genius period. He should have just come out and said he is a genius, without irony, on page one, or written a modest book. You know when a non-fiction writer pens a book in third person about himself that there are going to be problems. The book is not a disaster, though. It's just that Jim is at his best when writing about others and at his worst when writing about himself. Jim tells us that his "prize possession" is a painting of himself on one of his horses. There you go. I wish there was an annotated version of this book that just concentrated on breeding horses and not on, listen to this:
"The familiar ticking in his brain was surely the clock running again on that fifteen minutes in the spotlight everyone was supposed to get in life. Whose allotted quarter hour was he usurping now? His own had come and gone long ago and he kept exhausting time rightfully belonging to others. Maybe the spotlight kept returning because he never acknowledged it as his own." (page 201)
Hmm. You see what I mean? Phony modesty! Yuck! Again, though, much of the book is good horse writing. It's sort of like Jim Carey starring in The Majestic, you know? Jim, stick with what you're good at!

I really enjoyed this book. Mr. Squires is a good writer with a self-deprecating sense of humor. I am a reader of most thoroughbred books and find a lot of them just rehash the same old stories. Mr. Squires tells the story as he was in it and imparts the knowledge he learned along the way and also explains that "knowledge" may be mostly luck. He explains things without over simplifying and without being sentimental. He also gives some insights into the breeding industry that I found interesting, such as discussions of sales and especially two- year old sales. Since Point Given was a horse racing at this time we do have to have some of the obligatory Bob Baffert blather, but the author kept it simple. (Unlike Three Strides before the Wire and My racing heart--which had long adoring profiles of him which I skipped over. Been there, read that, bored with it, more interested in the horse.)
If you want to get a feel for the thoroughbred breeding industry this is a good book for you.

The audio set (which is unabridged) contains 8 two-sided tapes that are never once dull. In fact, I often laughed out loud and almost wept during his telling of the Kentucky Derby race that the colt from his breeding farm won, even though he tells the listener in the prologue how the race ends. The author (who is also the reader)casts the story around a David (himself and all small-time breeders) vs. Goliath (the California/Arab breeding machines)theme; a former newspaper editor, he writes fluently and with grace. His baritone voice and soft Tennessee accent make for pleasant listening. Highly recommended.

Jim Squires' former editorial background serves him well in this well-written, witty, informative book about the high stakes horse breeding world. It's nice to know that an "outsider" who really knows little about breeding race horses was able to produce a grade I stakes winner who won last year's Kentucky Derby. Even if you aren't familiar with the horse world, Squires is able to entertain the reader with his tongue-in-cheek style and his own view of the Kentucky horse breeding world. This book, like its famous horse, is a winner.

I am not a horseman, but I live in horse country. After considerable urging from my horse friends, I read Jim Squires' book. The story is about horses and people in today's world, and what a fascinating story it is. I imagine after many years as a journalist, he is very adept at keeping the reader, like me, turning page after page, non-stop. This tale is for everyone, not just horse lovers. Usually, it takes me 50 pages to get into a book, not this time! You're off to a quick start, and before you realize it, a thrilling climax. I found myself laughing out loud. His humor is all at his own expense. My wife likened herself to Mr. Squires' spouse, who he refers to as the dominant female. This is a remarkable true story told firsthand by the man who lived it.

Jim Squires provides a very unique approach to writing about an industry few have had the luxury of being on the inside of. "Horse of a Different Color" is intelligently presented and cleverly written. What a refreshing way to present information on a "culture" which exists in and of itself that few will ever have an opportunity to learn of otherwise. If you are at all interested in the horse racing industry, this book is a must read.

"Horse of a Different Color" shines when it shines the spotlight on Monarchos, winner of the 2000 Kentucky Derby. It sinks when the author looks at himself.

Somewhere along the line, an Editor should have warned the author against using a second person narrative style. It just gets annoying after a while. And his dubbing of his wife as "The Dominant Female" is kind of cute at first, but after 300 pages it really grates on the nerves.

Cutesy writing has no place in a book for adults.