By Jane Smiley 12:00am

Anatomy of a Derby Winner

Two days after Monarchos, the horse he bred, won the Kentucky Derby with apparently marvelous ease, Jim Squires was talking about one thing that everyone else was talking about-the speed of the track-and another thing that no one else was talking about: how this horse is built. He was dealing with “conformation,” or equine engineering-how Read More

By Elizabeth Mitchell 12:00am

Chop Chop at the Top

“That’s one thing about New York,” said Jorge Chavez, the jockey who won the Kentucky Derby. The 4-foot-10-inch, 39-year-old man with chestnut skin, thin lips and sharp, dark eyes smiled slightly as he waited to race at Belmont Park on May 10. “When you win, when you do good, they all be happy for you,” Read More