"Jim Squires was in trouble. He was in the horse business, an enterprise seemingly intent on committing suicide, led over the cliff by visionless leaders. A clannish group called 'the Dinnies' had long refused to share power, as vast overproduction and unbridled greed created a subprime-like bubble in the market. Overpriced animals of dubious quality and drug-enhanced performance on the track were undermining the integrity of competition and ultimately the very breed itself. With its economic model broken, its tawdry sales practices under attack, and its public image in tatters, the sport was overdue for a reckoning. Headless Horsemen is Squires's critique of what is happening to the sport and the animals he loves, as he and a small group of unlikely heroes agitate for a return to fair dealing. For anyone who cares about the soul and survival of horse racing, this book is an impassioned call to arms."
A stable with a glorious tradition of winners (Whirlaway, Citation, and Alydar) is brought to its knees, literally and figuratively, by high-rolling businessmen to whom the bottom line is justification for anything whether illegal or immoral.
When Monarchos came to the gate at the 2001 Derby, he was passed over by the sports announcers as being a long shot. Indeed, he started at 10-1 odds. His breeder, Jim Squires, knew better. Here the self-proclaimed breeding genius tells an exciting and humorous story of the business of producing champions
