A crippled, Italian-American boy, scarred by rejection and ridicule, falls in love with horse racing and seeks to validate himself by becoming a jockey. When his initial success wanes, he nosedives into the underbelly of the racetrack, hooks up with the Mob, and paints himself into a horrible corner. This raw, yet touching story, paints a vivid picture of life on the streets of "Italian Harlem" in the 1950's and 60's, while also taking a nostalgic, behind-the-scenes look into the subculture of the racetrack at a time when horse racing was still in its heyday.