Nikki Latrelle's mother suddenly dies, leaving the thirteen-year-old girl in the hands of a pedophile stepfather. Escaping his attempt to assault her, Nikki flees through the nighttime streets of Baltimore. She climbs a razor-wire fence into Pimlico Racetrack, the place she and her mom spent their happiest days together. Nikki's drawn to horses, knows how to ride, and dreams of being a jockey. But how can a runaway with no ID, no family, and no income survive?She needs to earn money, yet hide from both the police and her stepfather who relentlessly search for her. As these men close in, a groom named Carlos helps her escape. Carlos has problems of his own, but through him, she meets the old horse-trainer Ravinsky. Will the old horseman take her under his wing? Risk his status and reputation to help her? And what evil has befallen Carlos's young son, Pedro? The boy is missing, and Nikki senses evil forces are at work. Because she knows too well how it feels to be alone and frightened, she puts her life on the line to find Pedro.