Chapter 1
Sixteen-year-old Cindy McLean rode toward the winner's circle with the victorious Honor Bright prancing beneath her. The bay two-year-old filly had just won the Spinaway Stakes, a race that made her a serious consideration for running in the Breeders' Cup races that fall, and Cindy praised her lavishly as her adoptive father, Ian McLean, approached to lead Honor into the circle.
When he reached them, however, she noticed that he didn't look as pleased as he should considering Honor's win. In fact he looked worried. As soon as they completed the ceremony and a few pictures had been taken, Ian ushered Cindy and Honor quickly toward the backside.
"Dad, what's wrong?" Cindy asked when they were clear of the crowds.
"It's Ashleigh, honey," he answered as they led Honor back to their stabling. "A loose horse ran her down when we were walking to the stands right before your race. She's been taken to the hospital."
"Is she okay?" Cindy asked, horrified by the news. Ashleigh Griffen, a well respected jockey and trainer, and half owner of Honor, as well as Cindy's mentor, was pregnant with her second child.
"I don't know. We'll go to the hospital as soon as we get Honor cooled out and settled."
The hospital in Saratoga Springs reminded Cindy of the one in Lexington where she had spent several days that spring; bright lights, stark walls, and tension heavy in the air. She and Ian passed through the emergency room doors and asked at the desk about Ashleigh. The desk operator sent them to the surgical floor and they found Mike in the waiting room.
"How is she?" Ian asked gently when Mike saw them.
"It's bad," Mike answered, his tone and expression conveying his worry and pain. "She's bleeding pretty badly, and she and the baby are in trouble. They're doing an emergency C-section right now."
Cindy pondered that as they waited. Ashleigh and Mike's baby was due in January. It was only late August. Babies who showed up over four months early were very sick. One of the Pony Commandos, a group of disabled children she once worked with, had been born almost that early. The girl had developed cerebral palsy and was unable to walk. Even with years of physical therapy the thirteen year old still relied on a wheelchair to get around.
The doctor finally appeared after what felt like an eternity.
"Mr. Reese? Your wife will be all right," she said to Mike, who stood to meet her. "She's in recovery now and should wake up in a few hours."
"The baby?"
"I'm sorry," she said. "He lost so much blood he died before we could get him out. There was nothing we could do for him."
The doctor left soon after with a promise to notify them when Ashleigh woke. Cindy stole a glance at Mike. Though he looked much less worried now that he knew the fates of his wife and child, he also looked like someone had pulled the ground out from under his feet. He found his way to a chair and sat heavily. Cindy's father went to him.
"My baby, Ian," Mike said, heartbroken. "My son. He's gone."
"I know," Ian answered. He put a comforting hand on Mike's shoulder as Mike began to weep quietly.
Cindy yawned tiredly and brushed her blond hair out of her eyes as her father pulled the horse van into Whitebrook Farm's drive two days later. Ian parked the truck and trailer near the training barn and they climbed out to unload the three horses, the last of their string to return from Saratoga, that would be more than ready to bed down after the long trip. As Ian dropped the ramp, the head groom, Vic Taleski, called softly to them from the doorway of the barn.
"Welcome back." He walked over to them. "Mark and I got their stalls all ready."
"Oh, good," Ian said wearily as Cindy led Honor out and towards the barn. Vic went up and brought out four-year-old Limitless Time and Ian followed with Beautiful Music, a two-year-old.
"Why don't you two go on to bed?" Vic offered as Cindy fumbled through removing the protective trailer wrappings from Honor's legs. "I can get the horses settled and put the truck away."
"I think we're going to take you up on that," Ian answered. "Thanks, Vic."
"Hey, it's my job isn't it?" Vic smiled.
"Not at two in the morning it isn't. Coming, Cindy?"
"Yeah, I'm just going to finish with Honor," Cindy told him. Ian left with a wry 'good morning' as Cindy closed the filly's stall door.
After she had said goodnight to Vic and Honor she headed off to the cottage. In the darkness outside the barn the ghostly pale form of Ashleigh and Mike's farmhouse stood out from the shadowy trees behind it, reminding her of the disastrous loss they had just suffered. With Ashleigh still in the hospital and Mike with her, it stood empty and alone. Sadness returned despite the mind numbing exhaustion she felt, and she found it hard to fall asleep a few minutes later.
Ashleigh and Mike had nearly lost their daughter, had just lost their son, Samantha had lost her mother and Ian his first wife, and Cindy had seen injuries, both horse and human, more times than she could remember, starting with her first year on the farm, all because of horses.
She knew that danger was a part of horse racing, but everything good that came with it made the risk worthwhile. Ashleigh and Mike, and the rest of the farm, would move on from this loss with the next race, the next win, the next foal whose future potential was hidden behind its adorable spindly-legged awkwardness.
It was the new foals especially that made each new year something to look forward to despite any tragedy. With that happy thought in place Cindy finally fell asleep, and the last sound she heard was that of an engine turning over as Vic started up the truck to put it and the van away.
On the first day of eleventh grade Cindy awoke at dawn. She sighed as she remembered that the start of the new school year would drastically cut down the amount of time she would have to spend with the horses. In the morning, after her chores, she would only have time to ride Honor Bright and four-year-old Wonder's Champion before she had to catch her bus.
After school she could take a short trail ride, help with Glory's Joy's yearling training, and work with her favorite weanling, Townsend Princess's colt, Honorable, before she had to go inside for supper and homework.
Though she hated doing it, Cindy vowed to leave ample time to get her homework done. Ashleigh and Mike had as good as promised that Cindy would jockey Honor in all her races. That would mean several fall races, including the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies that year, and possibly the Triple Crown next spring. She would also ride Champion in the Classic, a race she was sure he would dominate for the second year in a row. But Ashleigh and Mike were not her parents, so their promise depended on Cindy's ability to keep her grades up to Ian and Beth's satisfaction. If she let them slip she would not be allowed to ride any horse in any race, no matter what. It was a condition Cindy did not want to test.
She pushed herself out of bed, showered, dressed, ate, and ran out to the barn. She hurried through her chores before grooming and tacking up Honor and leading the filly out to the mile training oval. As they neared the gap Cindy saw her father, Mike, and Samantha standing together, discussing one of the horses already working. Ashleigh was not there, but Cindy didn't expect her to be. She had only returned to the farm the day before and still needed time to rest and recover from the accident and surgery.
"Cindy!" Ian called, noticing her approach with Honor.
"Good morning," she greeted them. "What's Honor doing today?"
"Warm her up with a mile canter, then breeze her out three eighths," Mike told her, his eyes on the oval as he clocked a three-year-old allowance horse.
"Vic's breezing Freedom soon, so keep her in hand on the canter," Ian added.
"Right. See you in a bit." Cindy reined Honor onto the oval and put her into an easy canter in the center of the track. The lively two-year-old fairly danced beneath Cindy, who sighed with pleasure. Swift hoof beats caught her attention and she turned her head to see Vic go by on four-year-old Freedom's Ring. Honor Bright's competitive nature kicked in, but Cindy was one step ahead and slightly increased pressure on the reins to restrain the eager filly.
After a lap Cindy moved Honor to the inside and let her out to a light gallop. Honor ran happily at the faster pace, but every stride closer to the three-eighths pole had her pulling harder. She needed no urging to increase her speed when Cindy gave her rein. The filly leapt into a racing gallop and swept down the track. At the wire Cindy took back the reins and slowed her, then turned her back to the gap.
"That was great!" Mike said. "How did she feel?"
"Like she was flying. What was her time?"
"Thirty-five and change. Not bad."
Cindy hopped off Honor and started to lead her off, but Ian stopped her. "Sammy has a surprise for you. Watch."
On the oval Samantha was rounding the first turn on a dark filly Cindy recognized as Lucky Chance, the two-year-old daughter of Samantha's mare, Shining. Cindy hadn't seen Lucky work in a long time since her sister usually rode her before Cindy arrived at the oval, so she watched carefully as the filly began her breeze at the half-mile pole.
With long, powerful strides Lucky flew down the track, around the turn, past the gap and under the wire. Cindy caught her breath. Lucky Chance had seemed slow to mature, especially compared to Honor, and she hadn't even raced yet, so her performance was surprising as well as impressive. Samantha and Lucky pulled up at the gap.
"Not quite forty-eight," Ian told his daughter. "Nice work."
"She's ready," Samantha breathed, and Ian nodded. "I want to put her in a maiden this month. She's ready." Samantha was so excited Cindy had to smile. Her adult sister was acting like a twelve-year-old. Then her attention turned from Samantha and Lucky Chance as Len led Wonder's Champion to her from the training barn. She traded Honor for the dark chestnut horse and turned to Ian and Mike to get her instructions.
Champion had spent the summer in California, winning the Hollywood Gold Cup in June and the Pacific Classic in August. His path to the Breeders' Cup would include the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Belmont in October before he went south to Gulfstream for the Classic. That morning he was taking it easy with a lap each at trot, canter, and slow gallop.
The light work gave her plenty of time to think about the excitement Champion had caused in April when he had jumped out of his paddock and into that of one of the mares, Virginia Belle. The mare was supposed to have been bred to another stallion, but Champion had gotten there first. Cindy was looking forward to the foal, Champion's foal, with much anticipation.
After school that day Cindy headed out to the yearling ring with Glory's Joy, the first foal by March to Glory, the abused horse she had rescued and helped turn into a champion. The gray filly was beginning her training on the longe line. Joy was a quick learner, and they would have to be careful to keep her interested and also to make sure she got all the basics. Working with Joy left her only enough time to take a trail ride on Glory before it was time to go in for dinner and homework.
The weekends were only slightly less hectic. Ian and Mike often asked her to jockey one horse or another, leaving her less time to spend with her friends, so when her boyfriend of one year, Max Smith, picked her up Sunday evening three weeks after school started, she was glad for the chance to see him outside of class.
It was a warm day, one of the last of the year, promising to be a beautiful, clear night, and Max's black Mustang shone with a fresh coat of wax.
"All this just for me?" Cindy teased.
"How else am I supposed to impress you?" he joked back, but Cindy thought his light tone and smile seemed forced.
"What's wrong, Max?" she asked him as they pulled out of Whitebrook's driveway.
"I thought we were doing well after Dubai. Especially after you were injured. But since you've started riding again you don't have any time for me anymore."
Cindy felt herself get angry, but kept it in check.
"Being a jockey is my dream, Max. I have to work hard at it, and I have to do well in school too. All my friends know this and you're the only one who has a problem with it. They come over to spend time with me and the horses. Heather—" She broke off as Max turned sharply into a fast food restaurant parking lot and stopped the car.
"Heather wasn't trying to kiss you on a trail ride when your parents came around the bend!" he yelled. "I was!" Cindy winced at the memory of the previous weekend. It had been embarrassing, but she thought Max's reaction was a little extreme.
"What are you trying to say?" she asked coldly. Max ran a hand through his dark hair.
"A romantic relationship takes effort, Cindy. It takes communication, understanding, compromise, and time together away from horses. It takes as much hard work as a jockey career. I don't think you can do both."
"You want me to choose between a relationship and racing?"
"What's more important?" Max asked. "Me or the horses?" Cindy turned away from him. She couldn't believe he would ask her such a question.
"The horses," she answered shortly. They both fell silent.
"All right," Max said finally. "I'll take you home." They reached Whitebrook only thirty minutes after leaving it. Cindy climbed out. "You could get hurt tomorrow, Cindy, and never be able to race again, but we could have lasted forever."
"And we could have split up after graduation, Max, and I would have wasted two important years of my career." She slammed the door and walked into the house without looking back.