15 year old Callie Kristofferson rushed through the door to her house after school. "I'm going to Robyn's house, mom! I'll be back before dinner!" she yelled up the stairs as she dropped her book bag in the entryway. Callie was back outside before the screen door had a proper chance to close. Callie jumped on her bike that was parked on the side of the garage and went peddling down the street. The tree�s early spring leaves made shadows on the pavement as Callie rode by. She crouched low to the bike's handlebars and imagined herself riding Mighty, a black Thoroughbred race horse, racing to victory in that coming weekend's horse race.

Callie was an ordinary teenage girl, doing something very out of the ordinary; she was about to become only the third female jockey in history to ride in the Kentucky Derby. Not to mention she would be one of the youngest jockeys in recent history. She was ridiculed by many that said she could never make it because she was "just a girl" in a man's sport. But, in just a few short days, she would be there, riding the big underdog to win. And Callie was ready to prove all the disbelievers just how wrong they were.

And if Mighty won, he would become the first ever Minnesota bred horse to win the race. It would also prove Tim Johnson, Mighty's trainer, to be a legit Thoroughbred racehorse trainer. Many thought differently because Mighty's home, Thundervalley Farm, wasn't a stable specifically designated for raising and training race horses only. It held many breeds of horses, from the show jumpers to draft horses, to the trail and lesson horses. Although it holds a handful of racehorses as well, Thundervalley was mostly a boarding and lesson facility. All previous racehorses were raced locally, and Mighty was their first ever big stakes racehorse.

Callie finally arrived at her best friend Robyn Emerson's house. She parked her bike beside several others on the driveway, and let herself in. She waved hello to Robyn's mother who was in the living room watching televison with Robyn�s younger brother Randall, and walked to the end of the hallway where Robyn's room was located. She could hear lively chatter inside. Every Monday after school Callie and her friends met at Robyn's house. They called it a club meeting, even though it held no specific purpose besides just hanging out.

Callie entered Robyn's room. Robyn's room was covered, from the floor to the ceiling, with posters. Many were of popular music acts pulled from all of the popular teen magazines. Several others came from various horse-related magazines. Posted up above Robyn's desk was a collage of photos taken of Toby, Robyn's blue-roan Quarter Horse gelding, and other horses that called Thundervalley Farm home. Callie sat down on Robyn's bed covered with a daisy and sunflower print blanket, listening to the other girl's conversation about the events and gossip of the day.

"When are you leaving to Kentucky?" Robyn asked Callie, changing the subject of the conversation.

"Well, Mighty is leaving tomorrow afternoon. I�m going on Friday after school. I'll be coming back late Sunday afternoon," Callie answered. "Luckily, I won't have to go to school the next day. They're giving me a day or two off. I might be out for the rest of the year if the media attention is high because Mighty does well."

"Uncle Tim was telling me that Mighty was the longshot to win," Vanessa Johnson, the youngest of the group at 14, commented. "I thought for sure after your past races he would be higher in the odds."

"Yeah," soon to be 16 years old Jessica Carson included. "Second place in the Santa Anita Derby is really good."

"Well, the only thing all the racing pros remember is the fact the horse from the unknown farm lost by nearly ten lengths to the star colt of the big racing corporation," Callie replied with slight annoyance. The press had denounced Thundervalley Farm quite a bit for not training race horses exclusively. How could they not understand you don't have to be a huge race horse facility to have good horses?

�That�ll all change soon enough, Cal,� the red headed Pamela Smith assured. �Anyway, you could be missing the rest of the school year? Hate to not see you at the end of year school barbeque.� The girl�s high school always held a big party on the last day of school. There would be lots of food, games and music.

�I�m gonna try my best for it to not come to that. It would be a pain to have to make up finals,� Callie cringed at the thought. She would have to come in during Summer break to make up anything she misses. �So, Jess, how is your driver training going?� The girls chatted away for another half an hour or so before they all left for home.

That evening Callie had a tasty dinner of spaghetti and meatballs with her mother, Laurie. It was an only child, single parent household. Callie�s father had died when she was very young. Being the only source of finance had been rough on Laurie. She was a freelance photographer and journalist, and the assignments lately had been few and far in between. But she had recently been giving a high paying assignment, doing a photo essay for a top wildlife magazine. The downside: she would be missing going to Kentucky to see Callie race in the Derby.

�I�m so sorry I can�t make it to you big race, honey,� Laurie told her daughter again. She was very disappointed in not having the chance to go see her daughter race in the biggest Thoroughbred showdown of the year.

�I told you before mom, it�s okay,� Callie replied, sneaking a piece of crust from her garlic toast to their black lab/shepard mix Boomer. �There�s still the other two races of the Triple Crown. Sure, the Kentucky Derby is the better known of the three, but if and when we win that the next two will have even more fanfare.�

�I know it doesn�t make up for me not being there, but I got you something for while you are on the road,� Laurie got up from the table and returned a few seconds later with a shiny gift bag full of colorful tissue paper. Laurie handed it to Callie before sitting back in her chair.

�Aww, mom! You didn�t have to get me anything,� Callie carefully pulled the contents out of the bag and pulled off the tissue paper surrounding it. It was a book she had been planning to read for a long time, Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand. �Wow, I been wanting to read this! Thanks mom!� Callie got up to hug her mother. �I gotta try and save it for the day of. Derby Jockeys have to check in to the jockey room early in the morning and have to stay the entire day leading up to the race that afternoon. I�ll need something to keep me occupied.�

Later that night, after feeding and checking on her pet Mongolian Gerbils, Jasmine and Nala, Callie got ready to go to bed. As she passed her desk she glanced at the new book sitting on top of her folded laptop. She grabbed it and stretched out onto her bed to just skim through the pages. Her mother had purchased the special collector�s edition which was full of old photographs.

Callie looked in awe at the beautifully shot black and white photos of the horses and people of horse racing history. Callie�s mind began to drift into daydreams of having a similar book being published 50 or even 75 years from now, chronicling the life of the one and only Mighty. Her train of thought was broken as Boomer leapt up onto her bed. Callie look up and saw her mother standing in the doorway.

�What happened to saving it for Saturday?� Laurie asked with a smirk.

�I was just looking at the pictures,� Callie responded with a laugh. She took one last look at the image of Seabiscuit in full flight down the backstretch and closed the book. She placed it back on her desk before slipping between the bedcovers for the night. Boomer made himself comfortable down at the foot of her bed. �Good Night, mom.�

�Good night, Cal. Sweet dreams,� Laurie replied before turning off the lights.

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