Blue Ribbon

This story starts out in Louisville, Kentucky - May 14, 1885 - Starts at the Kentucky Derby -- and then: Darby Lynn Greene dreams of owning a Derby winner - she is sidetracked when she finds her neighbor, Benjamin Rhinehart shot, she grabs his horse and rides to his stables for help. Thereby saving his life. Mr. Rhinehart is the owner of Knightwind and Darby dreams of having a horse like the big black stallion to race someday. A few years later, Mr. Rhinehart's trainer, Luke Richards shows up at Henry Greene's farm with a black colt in tow. Darby is very taken with the jockey, Bo Denton with his blond hair and charisma. But now she has the son of Knightwind, Kentucky Blue, to raise and train. She makes a deal with Luke to train Blue and he tells her it will have to be his way. Luke finds out the Yancey Latimer is helping Darby with his begining training and Yancey knows what he is doing. Luke keeps his attraction under wraps as he is an orphan and has no name or real life to offer Darby. He also warns Bo off about taking advantage of Darby. Then Darby's best friend Millie Johnson, daughter of the local preacher forces an introduction with Bo and Luke and she starts a flirtation with both of the men. Oh, Oh, Bo is keeping up a liason with Katrina Kirby, wife of one of the important men of Louisville. Then she and Bradley Rhinehart come under the influence of Nathaniel Rhinehart. Bradley is 36 and addicted to drinking and gambling. Only now he doesn't have he father, Ben to come crawling to for money. Bradley has inherited his father's breeding farm. Nathaniel, is brother and lawyer to Benjamin, and he holds a distinct grudge without letting anyone know about it. He wants everything that belonged to Ben. You will thoroughly enjoy the trials and misfortunes that befall these people and if any of the training practices are true that are described in this book, those thoroughbred breeders deserve every ruined animal that comes out of their training sheds. They don't give the horses time to grow into their potentials. It is still a wonderful story built around the Kentucky Derby with great characters and a couple of intrigues that almost leave you guessing. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED --M - those who enjoy horse stories should like this one - except for those idiot trainers that start the yearlings.