It's like having wings
is the only way to describe it.
You're a part of the animal.
He does all the work, and you do all the flying.
Ain't no feeling in the world like that.
No, sir. No feeling like it.
Did you win?
First and only time I rode the Derby, and I won.
Well, the horse won.
I was just along for the ride.
Just once?
Just once.
It didn't have any meaning for me after that.
I only did it then to keep a promise.
Who too?
Somebody who's been gone a long time.
So you never rode again, ever?
Not in a Derby.
I trained me a few steeple chase champions though.
So why didn't you?
Ride again, I mean.
I got my reasons.
Am I getting too old to remember things
or are you supposed to be at baseball practice?
No, I just wanted to come here.
Do you remember when I was a kid
and you used to play songs for a quarter a piece?
Well, I've got $1.65 right here.
Oh, that's nice.
So how many will that get me now?
Well, that'd probably get you two songs
with the adjustment for inflation.
How old are you now, boy? 15?
Almost 16.
Well, then you can call me by my given name.
Houston.
Last time I checked.
Lubrication.
You sure?
Yeah, I'm sure.
All right.
Just that sometimes folks ask for one thing,
they really want something else.
Well, I just wanna hear you play.
All right, all right.
You're getting too pushy.
Weren't that pushy when it was a quarter.
Come on, guys. Come on.
Let's go down to two.
Come on, turn it!
All right, turn it.
There you go, there you go.
Bring it on home.
Are you trying to kill me?!
What do you think this is, a cardiac ward?!
Now hustle!
So Jim, your boy gonna show up for practice?
Hour late, third time this week.
I know, I'll talk to him.
Now do me a favor.
Line one out there to second.
You sure?
Oh, yeah.
The gates are down, the lights are flashing,
but there ain't no train a'coming.
Wake him up.
All right. He's your son.
So why are you skipping?
Huh?
Baseball practice.
You've been here three times this week.
I don't like baseball.
Oh.
Is that why you joined the team, 'cause you don't like it?
No, I joined because my dad
wanted me to,
not because I did.
I see.
You tell him?
No.
I don't lie about it though.
Sins of omission.
Of what?
Sins of omission.
You know something and don't say it,
that's just the same as lying sometimes.
You know, part of being a man is telling the truth,
even when it's not safe.
I don't understand.
Well, you probably will if you think about it.
There's a stop sign there, Randy.
Hey, man. We're gonna get killed!
Guys, wait up!
Hey guys, over here!
This one looks good.
What are you gonna do with that rope?
Very... Ready?
Very funny.
Okay, I get it. Ha, ha, ha.
Rock and roll!
Woo! - Woo!
No, guys! Guys!
Oh my god, what are you doing?
So why didn't you tell him?
I don't know.
He just wants me to do it 'cause he was Mr. All American.
Or was until he got injured.
Uh-huh.
Well, you still ain't answer my question.
He wouldn't listen.
He never listens.
Besides, he'd blow a gasket if I quit.
You make him sound like my tractor.
So what do you wanna do?
That's the problem.
I don't know.
I know horses like me.
Huh, boy?
Tell your folks that.
That's really lame, guys.
Come on.
Better check these out.
Come on, guys.
Come on.
Come on, that's not cool.
Oh.
Looks like I won Jones's lottery for the day.
Do I have a winning ticket as well?
Oh, you know what? I think you do.
You aren't gonna take that, are you?
What are you, the produce police?
Look, if old man Jones doesn't want people
to take his money, he oughta keep it locked up.
Who's he?
He's just a drunk.
You're new, so you don't know.
He's nothing. He gets what he deserves.
I heard he has nice horses.
Glue factory wouldn't be interested
in his broken down nags.
I also heard that he was a champion trainer and rider
when he was younger. - Yeah, yeah.
Well, you heard wrong.
You want a champion?
I'm it.
My man Randy here is the fastest steeple chase rider
in the county.
In the state.
Look, I'm cutting you some slack, Overton,
'cause my dad just hired your old man.
Look who's coming.
Uh, McCardle.
Makes sense. Losers always hang out with losers.
Who is he?
Patrick McCardle.
His dad played in the majors.
A couple seasons with the Indians. It don't mean diddly.
I've gotta go home.
Mommy's worried?
I promised.
Wear your Boy Scout uniform next time.
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
What'd you guys do this for?
Hey. What ever happened to hi?
Spastic Patrick gets right to the point.
Jerks.
What? You saying we had something to do with this?
Well, I can write it down if you want.
Hey, we're innocent.
Aren't we?
What, you got attacked by killer tomatoes?
What's it to you?
Look, you've got no right to do this.
Houston Jones is my friend.
You need to work on who you pick as your friends.
Well, you can just leave his stuff alone from now on.
You threatening me?
No. I'm telling you.
Hm. You want me to educate you?
Take your best shot.
Not even worth the trouble.
Patrick?
Yeah.
Come in and eat.
Why are you so late?
Busted.
Mind your own business, please, girls.
Is that all you're having?
I'm not very hungry.
Never stopped you before.
I'm sorry I missed practice.
That's the third time this week. Where were you?
Around.
Oh, well that narrows it down.
I was talking to a friend
and lost track of time. - What friend?
A guy.
Houston Jones?
Maybe.
It's a simple enough question. Yes or no.
What is this, the Inquisition?
Don't take that tone with me.
I ask, you answer. That's the way it works.
Now were you with that old man or not?
Yes.
I told you I didn't want you to see him.
Why can't I see him?
Because I said so.
That's not a reason.
It's good enough in this house.
Well, I won't always be in this house.
Freeze.
You have not been excused.
Can we talk about this later, please?
Please.
Go on upstairs, Patrick.
I'm not hungry.
Me too.
Don't even think about it.
I'm busy, Tammy. Go bother your sister.
Got a minute?
Oh, yeah.
Sure.
Brought you some dinner.
Thought you might be hungry.
Thanks.
So, what's going on?
Nothing.
It didn't sound like nothing at dinner.
Maybe you should be asking Dad.
I'm asking you.
What's he got against Houston?
Why are you spending so much time with that old man?
He's my friend.
He understands.
Understands what?
Me.
How I feel about things,
sometimes even when I don't.
And we don't understand you?
No, Mom. It's not the same.
He's different.
And if you would get to know him, you'd understand that.
It's not him.
It's his influence on you.
You don't even know him.
How could you possibly know what kind of influence he is?
You know what I mean.
It's because he's black, isn't it?
No, it's not.
Well, then what?
He has a problem with alcohol.
You know it, I know it, everybody knows it.
You always tell me not to judge until I have the facts.
Right?
Well, what are you doing right now?
You're judging someone you don't even know.
Give him a chance.
Oh, he's had so many chances for years,
and he's never changed.
Well, I'm nearly 16, Mom.
I can make my own decisions about people, okay?
Yes, you can.
I just want you to make decisions that are based on facts,
not upon things that you hope are true.
And would it be so awful for you to spend some time
with some kids that are your own age?
No.
I love you, Patrick.
Don't forget to eat.
Neigh. Mr. Horsey wants to say good night.
Mine too.
And what kind of horses are they?
White ones.
Can't argue with that.
What kind of horse does your friend have?
My friend has jumpers for steeple chase.
What's that?
It's a race.
Are steeples horses?
No, no, no.
That's the name of the race.
I wanna race steeples.
I wanna race horses.
Yeah.
Me too.
You too?
Yeah, but you know what?
We can keep that as our little secret, okay.
Okay, only for $2.
$2?
There's no shakedowns from little girls.
Okay, I'll give you $2.
All right, way to go, outfield!
Let's go, guys.
Just meet the ball, okay?
Oh yeah, with the bat, with the bat.
We need a little bingo here.
Come on, guys.
All right. All right now.
All right, let's go!
Keep that front shoulder in there.
There you go.
Ooh, you got 'em scared, McCardle.
They're afraid of you.
Yeah, afraid you're gonna faint.
Come on now. Come on now.
Heads up. Heads up.
Be there, be there. We need you.
Aw!
Patrick, you gotta take a rip at it now.
Come on now.
Aw!
Take it easy, take it easy.
Don't move, don't move.
Nice hit, McCardle!
Way to use your head!
All right, how many fingers?
Three?
I'm kidding, Dad. I'm fine.
Never take your eyes off the pitcher.
Oh, yeah. So that's the secret.
I think you better sit out the rest of the game.
No, I'm fine.
Nah, nah, hit the bench, McCardle.
What, but coach-
- Hey, this is not a request.
You rang your bell pretty good there, son.
Besides, I got a new kid I wanna try over here.
Overton! Pinch run, now!
Me?
No, your Aunt Fannie.
Yeah, you! Go!
I think he's gonna be okay.
All right, let's get 'em up.
Get up, let's go!
All right, go ahead.
Hey.
I didn't get a chance to introduce myself.
Randy Adams.
My family owns Adams Development.
Maybe you've heard of us.
Should I have?
Everybody in the county has.
I'm the number one steeple chase racer in the state.
Is that horses?
Yeah.
Let's go!
Yeah, I can teach you all about that.
I can teach you a couple of other things too.
Well, that'd be great.
Great.
But I don't date outside my species.
Oh my.
Shut up.
All right, let's go, let's go.
Come along. Watch him, watch him.
Come along. Come on.
Now go! Go!
Go! Go!
Down! Down!
You're pretty good.
Thanks.
I'm Patrick McCardle.
Chuck Overton.
Is that your sister?
Hm?
Oh, oh, yeah. We just moved in.
So is this a pretty good team?
Yeah.
Now that you're on it.
How's the head?
A size bigger, but okay.
What caused that?
I don't know.
I got distracted.
Seems to be happening a lot lately.
Well, it won't happen again.
You've got talent, Patrick.
I can see it, the coach can see it.
Everybody does but you.
I don't know about that.
I do. You could be better than I was.
Once again, your opinion.
What is it that you want? I mean, really?
I'd like to know.
I don't know.
I'm not sure.
You don't really care, do you?
I care.
If you cared, you'd push to reach your potential.
No, no. I care, you push.
I just want you to be a success.
No, you want me to be you.
I'm not you.
Well, we finally agree about something.
You missing practice again?
No, we had a practice game today.
I got beamed, so the coach sent me home early.
Took one on the melon, huh?
You hurt?
No, not so far.
Yeah.
Probably not enough brains in there to hurt anyhow.
Yeah, that's for sure.
My parents don't want me to come over here anymore.
'Cause of this, ain't it?
Yeah.
They're worried about how it looks to people, I think.
Can't says I blame 'em.
I can.
No, you can't.
They're your parents. Parents got responsibilities.
Yeah, but they don't know you.
Everybody knows me.
It's true that sometimes folks worry too much
about what other folks think.
Truth be known, that's what started me on the booze,
worrying about what other folks was thinking.
What happened?
Life happened.
Who's this?
Julie Gillette.
Her daddy was Judge Harlin P. Gillette.
In them days,
they was like the Adams is now.
Owned most everything,
including the best stables and horses hereabouts.
I worked for him.
I took care of his stable, trained his horses.
Julie was the judge's only child.
What are you doing? You know better than that.
There's nobody around.
You can't be too sure.
You worry too much.
Well, somebody has to. You sure don't.
What's this?
A harmonica.
Mm-hm.
Thank you.
Let's go riding, just the two of us.
Nah, I can't. I gotta finish my chores.
Please?
I can't.
Come on.
Always had her way, that one did.
She's the one who started me to riding,
training timber horses.
Hey Leonard, where you been?
Go on now.
So timber horses, what's that?
Jumpers.
Originally, horses that could jump over falling trees
in the woods were called timber horses.
The name stuck.
Yeah, she loved to ride.
And I loved her.
So what happened?
Oh, well I knew it couldn't be.
In, you know, those days,
folks thought different about that kind of thing.
I guess I just couldn't help myself.
I'm going to marry you.
Dreamer.
I am.
Somehow, I just don't think the judge
is gonna take to you marrying some colored stable boy.
All I know is that I love you, and that's enough for me.
It ain't enough for your family.
My family isn't marrying you, I am.
This is beautiful.
Why are you giving it to me?
Because you're going to wear them in the Derby.
I'm going to enter you on our horse.
Hey, you were pretty buff then.
Buff?
You know, built.
Oh.
Yeah, I worked hard back then.
But you did ride in the Derby?
True.
That was later though.
So you never got married.
No, we never got married.
Picture of a champion.
I can see the papers now.
Houston Jones wins the Derby Cup.
Now you've got enough imagination for both of us,
I'll give you that.
It'll happen.
Julie-
- Promise. Promise you will.
For me.
I promise.
And after you accept your winnings,
we'll announce our engagement.
We'll send out engraved invitations
and the papers will run the notice.
That's not gonna happen, Julie. Not here.
I'll make it happen.
No, you won't.
You can't change people's minds,
I don't care how much money you've got.
Nobody's ready for the likes of me
marrying the richest white girl in the county.
You can't change facts.
You can't stop me!
I'm going to tell my father now. Tonight.
Julie, wait.
Julie, wait, don't do this.
This is not the time.
Julie!
So that's why you only raced one time.
I promised her, and I kept my promise.
The judge knew that I was the last one to see her alive.
So did the sheriff.
Lord what a mess that was.
I took to the bottle right after that.
I come back to my home place and ain't left since.
Riding the Derby
is the absolute best feeling a man can have,
that and falling in love.
Both of 'em are like sailing in the wind.
Houston Jones has won.
The Derby Cup goes to Houston Jones.
You ever think about riding the Derby?
Uh, no.
Not really. I don't know anything about it.
You didn't know nothing about baseball neither
before you tried it.
Yeah, but even if I did, I could never beat Randy Adams.
You know that, do you?
No, everybody knows that.
Oh, I guess I missed it in the news.
Come on, you know what I mean.
He's got the best horses, he's got the best trainer,
he's got the best everything.
Rich don't mean nothing.
He just hasn't had suitable competition.
Can I ask you something?
Mm-hm.
Do you, or, you know, have you ever
trained somebody to ride in steeple chase?
Nah. I train horses, I don't train people.
Oh, yeah.
Well, nobody's ever asked me before.
Are you asking?
Yeah.
Jim?
Cookie burglars, 10 o'clock.
You have the right to be kissed!
And you have the right to be tickled!
And I have the right to those cookies.
Now go upstairs and get washed before dinner.
Go, go, go, go!
Cookie thieves come in all ages, huh?
But only one supersize.
Did you talk to Patrick?
Uh-huh. If you can call it that.
I need details.
Well, nothing.
He just doesn't really know what he wants right now.
Well, he is just 15.
He's three years away from college. He should be prepared.
For what?
Did you know what you wanted to do when you were 15?
Actually, I did.
I wanted a letter in baseball for four years,
and make the honor roll, go on to college on a scholarship,
graduate, go to a farm system, and then on to the majors.
Where you promptly destroyed your shoulder,
left baseball, and became a wonderful daddy.
Well, at least I had goals.
How do you know Patrick doesn't?
What are they, honey?
Maybe he's sorting them out.
I think Patrick is so much like you,
that that is why the two of you are butting heads.
You ever think of that?
I'm married to Dr. Phil.
And you are a lucky man.
Dinner's still 20 minutes, honey.
I made my decision.
I wanna quit baseball.
You love baseball.
No, you do.
I'm no good at it, never have been.
The only reason I ever started
is because you wanted me to.
Then we'll work on it together.
No, see I wanna try something different.
In this family, we finish what we start.
Honey.
What do you want?
Steeple chase.
What?
The Derby.
Horses are expensive,
not to mention training and lessons.
It won't cost a thing.
It won't? Why?
I know someone who will train me for free.
Houston Jones?
Yes.
And I know you don't like him, but it's because-
- No, no. - You don't know him.
If you'd give him a chance- Absolutely no!
- Why? - Because I said so.
That's not a reason, that's an excuse.
Isn't steeple chase dangerous?
Not more dangerous than getting
hit in the head with a baseball.
But you don't know anything about the steeple chase.
So I'll learn.
You asked me what I wanted to do, Dad.
This is what I wanna do.
I know it's gonna be hard,
but anything worth having is hard.
Isn't that what you always say?
I just want a chance.
Too months, and we'll see.
Thanks.
Yes.
They said yes.
I've got two months.
All right, you know the deal.
Do what I say when I say, no question.
I know, I know.
All right, let's take a trip.
Huh?
♪ I've been traveling on the road so long ♪
♪ Cover many miles when I am gone ♪
♪ Met good people everywhere
♪ Had fun while I was there
♪ But I can't run away from my dang home ♪
Houston, what are we doing here?
This is Randy Adams's place.
Sometimes you gotta go behind enemy lines
to accomplish your mission.
What?
Will? We've got some company here for you.
Well, look what the dog drug in.
I'm looking for a no-account named Will Gentry.
You seen him?
Every morning in the mirror.
Patrick McCardle, meet Will Gentry.
Hey, how's it going?
Oh, good, good, good.
All right. Cool.
Will and I trained at the Gillette back in the day.
More like prehistoric days, isn't it?
Yeah, you got that right.
So how you doing?
Ah, I can't complain.
Coop training for Randy?
Yeah, yeah.
Strong as last year?
Stronger, maybe.
Does our offer still stand?
It does.
So you're gonna race?
Yes, sir.
Ah. And Houston's gonna train you?
That's the deal.
That's a good deal.
Well, in that case, Patrick, meet Rusty.
Oh, wow.
Hey.
How you doing?
He's beautiful.
Yes, he is.
Coop, you can tie him up over there, would you?
Mr. Adams is retiring him.
Oh, really? What's that mean?
He's not racing him.
Why?
He doesn't think he's fast enough.
Oh. Well, what do you think?
I think like Houston thinks.
What do you think?
I think people spend too much money nowadays,
and they run around-
- No. About the horse, Houston.
Oh, oh, the horse?
Well, I believe he's got another race or two in him.
Yeah.
Well, that's what I think.
Well, that's good, 'cause he's yours.
What?
Did I say that in a foreign language?
You didn't.
But how?
I paid $5,000 for him, that's how.
And he's worth five times that.
25,000?
I drive a good bargain, don't I?
So you spent $5,000 on a horse for me?
Would you rather I had spent it on somebody else?
No.
But why couldn't I train on one of the horses at your place?
The Derby ain't like riding a bike.
You just don't hop on the first one you see.
The rider and the horse gotta match up here and here,
like you're one.
You ain't gonna win no other way.
That's right.
You aren't gonna win diddly with that horse.
What's going on?
Your dad's selling Rusty.
Mm. About time.
He's not good for anything but dog food.
Can't cut it.
Well, what are you doing here, McCardle?
Checking out the horse.
What for?
Are you writing a book?
I bought the horse for the Derby.
This horse? A Derby jumper?
Who's riding it?
Me.
You? Now that's gonna be a treat.
I'll tell you what, Coop and I are gonna be training
a little later today.
Stick around.
You can watch how it's really done.
That boy was born a horse's ass
and he been losing ground ever since.
Ain't that the truth?
Wait, so where did you get $5,000?
Well, I didn't rob no bank or nothing like that,
if that's what you mean.
♪ I am an old man who has seen it all ♪
♪ I want to alert you so that you won't fall ♪
♪ I want you to always think big and don't think small ♪
♪ I want to share my wisdom
Did you tie Rusty up outside?
Rusty is tied up and ready to go.
So when do we start?
Right now.
Muck out that stall,
and then bring that horse on in and put him inside.
But I thought we were-
- That's not our deal.
What?
Remember our deal? No questions.
I say, you do.
Well, go on in there. Muck out that stall.
Pick up that apple picker.
The what?
It looks like a pitchfork, don't it?
We call that an apple picker.
So why do you call it an apple picker?
Well, you see the floor of that stall?
Take that, pick yourself some apples.
All right.
I am finished.
Good.
Well, you can go on home.
Wait, when do I get to ride?
When I say you get to ride.
Came to see if you started riding yet.
And what do you care?
I don't.
That old loser can't teach you nothing anyway.
Look, man, why do you have to call him that?
I'll call him whatever I want.
He's forgotten more about steeple chase
than you'll ever know.
Yeah, he's forgotten everything.
Old man can't even find his head with both hands,
and you got him training you.
That's rich.
Yeah, well he used to be the best.
He was squat.
He couldn't run a lawn mower, let alone a race.
And how would you know?
Everything's handed to you.
What's that supposed to mean?
Nothing.
Take out the trash.
Just kick his butt.
Is that what you want, Derby boy?
You want me to kick your butt?
'Cause I can do that.
You can try.
What's this?
The wannabe's a fighter now too?
Go for it, Randy.
Come on, guys.
You are so busted.
Why? What did we do?
The sheriff's cruisers are pulling everybody over on ATVs.
I just saw 'em like a mile back.
Maybe it has something to do with all the vandalizing.
Let's split.
This isn't over.
What are you doing hanging out with those losers?
Come on, they were just showing me stuff.
Oh, yeah.
Showing you stuff like how to get
on the inside of a jail cell.
Is the sheriff really coming?
Eventually.
You catch any more balls with your head?
No.
No, not this week.
What are you doing around here anyway?
I'm actually training for steeple chase.
Steeple chase?
You ride?
Yeah, yeah.
But the guy that lives here is training me.
Do you have a horse?
I do, actually. His name's Rusty.
Nice car.
Thanks. I just got my license.
I made a deal with my parents
that I'd keep an eye on Chuck if they'd let me get a car.
Well, I better go.
Thanks.
For what?
Your timing.
My timing?
Yeah.
It's really good.
Okay.
Did you fart?
You did. Ew, gross.
I did not.
Mom, Annie's telling lies and farting.
We do not use that kind of language in this house.
What is that awful smell?
Is it me?
I was cleaning stalls all day.
Ugh.
Does that help you ride better?
Is it that bad?
Sorry, but my horse doesn't know any better.
Your horse?
Yeah, his name's Rusty.
You have a horse named Rusty.
Houston bought him for me.
Houston Jones bought you a horse?
Yeah, apparently he's been saving.
How much?
- 5,000. - Dollars?
Yeah.
Houston Jones spent $5,000 on a horse?
Yeah.
Well, where did Houston Jones get $5,000?
He didn't rob a bank.
I'm thrilled.
I think we need to get to know Mr. Jones
a little bit better.
A lot better.
Whew.
Well, thanks for inviting me out here.
It was a lot of fun.
Yeah, I thought it'd be a good idea
for you to see Randy jump.
Yeah, good idea.
So why do you wanna race in the Derby?
I have a feeling.
Oh, a feeling?
Yeah. I don't know, it's hard to explain.
Have you ever felt like you knew something inside
even when you really weren't sure?
Yeah.
Well, it's like that, but...
I mean, I know I can do it, I just don't know how I know.
Well, do you think you can beat Randy?
He's good.
Well, he's trained.
Yeah.
Houston says there's a difference between riding and racing.
Who's Houston?
He's the guy who's training me.
You know, he's having a barbecue in a couple of days
if you wanna come by.
Yeah, are you sure?
Yeah.
Okay.
So it's a date then.
I guess so.
Gravy.
You gotta learn his confirmation.
Each muscle, how it works.
You gotta show him with every stroke
that you're gentle but firm.
You gotta make him see that if he wants to be good,
he's gotta do whatever you tell him to do.
I can tell him all that with my hands?
Only way to tell him.
Your hands, your body, your movements.
That's what he responds to.
He responds to you.
Hey, come on.
Let's go. Go.
Good boy.
These are our girls,
Tammy and Annie. - Oh.
- Hi. - Hi.
Well, hello. How you doing?
Good.
Are you all having a good time?
Yes.
Did you meet my dog?
Yeah.
Yeah, that's Leonard.
You wanna go play with him?
Okay.
It's all right, you can play with him.
Thanks for inviting us, Mr. Jones.
Call me Houston.
Houston.
You grew up around here, didn't you?
Yeah, yes, I did.
Well, it's good to see
you're still the prettiest lady in the county.
Of course, this young lady here
may give you a run for your money down the road.
You played for Cleveland a few seasons, ain't that right?
Yes, I did.
You had a good arm too, before the surgery.
That's right.
Yeah, I try to keep up on stuff.
I understand you bought my son a horse.
Oh, yeah, that's true.
Can I see it?
Of course you can.
The ribs are gonna be done pretty soon though.
I'm sure we can wait till after dinner, honey.
Don't you think?
Yeah, I have to apologize to you folks.
I'd offer you a libation to go with the ribs,
but as of recently, the Houston Jones stable has gone dry.
If you get my drift.
Yes, I think we do.
A party and we weren't invited?
That's just wrong.
How could they do that to us?
I don't know.
We should show them how we feel.
We will.
These are the best ribs I've ever tasted.
Thank you.
Yeah, mostly I just cook for me and Leonard.
He's not that generous with the compliments.
How long you lived here?
Most of my life, except for a time
when I worked over at the old Gillette place.
My great-great granddaddy bought this land
right after the war between the states.
So what about the horse?
Oh, yeah. Can I show him?
Oh, now's as good a time as any.
Young Patrick's got somebody
he's just dying for you to meet.
All right, you guys wanna go?
- Yeah. - Let's go.
Is he yours, Patrick?
Sure is.
He's pretty, huh, Mama?
He's beautiful.
He's cool.
He's good.
He's expensive.
Time was when Rusty there
showed a lot of promise as a Derby stallion.
Previous owners gave up on him.
Patrick and me, well,
we wanna see if we can't get him racing again.
Can I talk with you alone?
Sure.
Mr. Jones.
Call me Houston.
Houston.
I'm just gonna come out and say this.
I'm not really comfortable with you
giving my son a gift like that.
It's a lot of money.
And frankly, I don't know what you hope to gain
by investing so much.
He's only 15.
I understand your concern.
I probably should have asked you folks first.
You see Patrick has a kind of magic.
He does.
You know what I mean?
I'm not sure.
It's been a lot of years since I've seen that sort of bond
between a man and an animal.
But your boy come along, and to tell you the truth,
I just couldn't help myself.
We are talking about my son, aren't we?
That boy and that horse,
that's a union that happens once in a lifetime,
if you're lucky.
You really believe that?
I don't believe that. I know it.
The question is will you believe it.
Wouldn't I learn better if I was on him?
Then you couldn't see.
What?
Unless you got x-ray vision,
you can't see through the horse when you're riding him.
You gotta see how Rusty moves
from the ground's point of view,
then when you mount it, you can feel what he's doing.
No need to see. It's the only way.
I told you to work him. He sucks.
You were hired to train that horse
so that I could ride him in the Derby and win, nothing else.
He needs his rider, not his trainer.
You were hired to train him.
Train him.
I don't have time for this small crap.
You just do your job and keep your mouth shut,
end of discussion.
I know, I know.
You should be riding him, you've told me.
Pay attention to what you're doing.
How's he doing?
Getting there.
You know, your produce stand's empty again.
I don't have time to spend on it.
Well, I do.
I appreciate it, but there's no need.
No, I mean, I really wanna do it.
I love business stuff,
and my dad says I'm pretty good at it.
I would like to keep it open.
Well, what kind of split you figuring on?
I don't know, say, 60-40.
Well, who gets 60 and who gets 40?
We can flip for it.
I think I'm ready.
You do?
Yeah, is Rusty my horse?
Yes, he is.
Then I'm ready.
Well, he's your horse, but you ride by my rules.
Then what's the use?
All I do is exercise him,
clean up after him, and feed him.
He ought to ride me.
That could be arranged.
Patrick.
Look at that.
He followed me.
That's 'cause he trusts you.
He does?
Yes, why do you think you've been doing all this work?
To gain his trust.
He wasn't gonna just give it to, you had to earn it.
So what's that mean?
It means you're ready to ride.
Finally!
Long day?
You know, same as always.
How'd it go?
Well, I finally get to start riding tomorrow.
That's a good thing, isn't it?
Yeah.
You know, if you wanted...
What?
Well, your business and practice is tomorrow.
If you didn't have any-
- Any what?
Nevermind.
I should go inside, I've gotta hit the book.
All these weeks you've been pestering me to ride,
and now you get your chance, nothing.
What's your problem, boy?
I'm just making sure everything's right.
That's all.
Okay.
Looks good.
Okay.
Ow.
I'm okay, I'm okay.
Fine.
Okay, let's do this again.
Just swing your leg on over.
Swing the leg over, okay.
All right. Come on, Rusty.
All right.
Now the main thing to remember is to let him know
what you want him to do.
Okay, you trust your voice now, understand?
All right.
So how do I make him go?
Well, just press your heels into his flanks
and talk to him like you did when you lunged him.
Tell him to walk. Start there.
All right.
Rusty, walk.
Whoa!
Are you okay?
Compared to what?
That's showing him.
Go on, try it again.
I think you're wearing him down.
That's more like it.
Get him used to you being there now.
Ease into it.
How you feeling?
Like I'm on top of the world.
Ain't it the truth.
That's better.
A little better.
So.
Ugh.
Isn't this fun?
How'd I get roped into this again?
Because I'm buying the ice cream later.
What?!
That's all I get is a lousy ice cream?
Good deal, huh?
Well, that wasn't so bad.
What, the ice cream?
The mucking.
It depends on your point of view.
Some people like nature, and some people have allergies.
And some people like nature but also have allergies.
Mm-hm.
Yeah, my dad says sometimes what you don't say
speaks louder than what you do.
And what does that mean?
It means who you really are shows more than what you say.
Well, you have a smart dad.
So do you.
Yeah, I just wish he felt the same about me.
How do you know he doesn't?
He doesn't.
Well, have you asked him?
No.
Why?
I'm afraid he might tell me the truth.
What?
You've got something right there.
- Oh my god. - No, no, no, no!
That's it, Patrick.
It looks good, Patrick.
Knees tight, full seat, two point.
You're looking good.
You're looking good out there.
Come on, that's the way to do it.
All right, he's ready for the jump now.
Come on, take him on around.
Come on.
Okay, Patrick.
Let's take him over the jump.
You did it!
Oh my gosh! - Good, good, way to go.
Hey, look at your son.
I've been watching.
Like I said, the boy's got a gift.
Wow!
And he scores.
I've had just about enough of this.
Stop it right now.
I want you off of my property now.
Why?
What did we do?
Don't make me call the sheriff.
Sheriff.
And tell him what?
Tell him about your destroying personal property,
trespassing, vandalism.
You think anybody's gonna believe you, old man?
You know what I think?
I think you're losing your mind.
That's what I think.
Yeah.
I think you backed your truck into this crummy little stand
and you don't even remember.
That's what I think.
Don't you, Donald?
Abso-freaking-lutely.
Go on now, get off my property.
I heard McCardle's looking better.
Is that true?
You think he's got a chance
at the Derby against me?
I don't.
I think he's got just about as much chance
as some snot-nosed spoiled brat
being anything other than a good-for-nothing freeloader
when he's grown.
That's what I think. What do you think?
You've run your last race, old man.
That's a promise.
Hey, what did you guys do?
Houston, what happened?
Hey, are okay?
I'm all right.
I'm just having a little trouble breathing.
Oh my god. Call 911 now.
No, no need.
Randy and Donald did this, didn't they?
Something like that.
Somebody's gotta stop them.
Hurry!
There went all your hard work, Jill.
You don't worry about that. That can be fixed.
Don't worry, don't worry.
I got you, Houston.
I ain't never been to no hospital,
I ain't gonna start now.
Yeah, but what can it hurt to have a doctor look you over?
How's it gonna help?
He's refused. I can't force treatment.
So that's it?
That's it.
And his pulse is stable now,
but I can't tell you for how long.
You really need to get a doctor
to look at that heart arrhythmia.
It's always had rhythm, just like the rest of me.
You have to do something.
Why?
Why? Because they wrecked your property.
What good would it do?
Somebody ought to knock Randy's lights out.
And would that make that somebody any better than him?
I don't think so.
It's getting late, you two should go home.
Okay, but just promise us
you'll go to the doctor first thing in the morning.
I ain't got no doctor.
Besides, everything that happened to me,
I brought on myself.
Leonard'll look after me. Won't you, you old lion?
See?
He's better than any doctor I know.
The horse is so pretty.
How's he going so fast?
I hope he'll let us-
- How's he doing?
I'll be danged if he ain't the best
natural rider I have ever seen.
It's because of you.
Nah. It's because of him.
He found something he wanted to do and he's doing it.
Well, I've never seen him this excited about anything.
Mr. McCardle, there's something I'd like
for that boy of yours to try,
but I'll need y'all's permission.
Y'all better not be wasting my time
out here, Houston Jones.
I've got plenty of things to do.
I know that, Orvil, but just give the youngin a chance.
Just like the corral, no difference.
Yeah, except a zillion times bigger than the corral.
Now Rusty's gonna get excited
being back out on a real track.
He's gonna wanna give you everything he's got
right up front, but you hold him back.
Make him save it.
Now you'll know when to turn him loose.
You'll feel it, or you'll feel him telling you.
Now you just trust your instincts, understand?
I'll try, Houston.
No, no, no. Don't try, do.
It's simple enough. Just trust yourself.
I do.
Let's do it.
Okay now.
Get set.
And go!
Oh my god.
Thanks for wasting my time.
Oh, you don't owe me no thanks.
I sure wish you would let me
waste just a little bit more though.
Guide him on back with the knees, boy.
That's it.
Close.
How'd he do?
Two hundredths of a second close.
Meaning?
He squeaked by.
Well shut my mouth wide open.
I'll mark it so you can enter him.
So what do you think?
I think baseball's overrated.
So I made it. I qualified, right?
Now that's to be considered.
- To be considered? - What does that mean?
They'll rate your score against the others,
post it in the papers next week.
Oh, man.
Hey, boy.
What's going on?
You're a good team.
Yeah, but I'm not sure that's enough.
What's that mean?
I don't think anybody can beat Randy Adams.
I've seen him ride.
Winning's not just about riding,
it's about what's in here,
and Rust has got it.
You got it too, you just have to believe it.
You know, after all is said and done,
it takes two things to be a true champion,
a winner's spirit and a winner's heart.
Now you've got it, and Randy don't.
It's that simple.
Yeah, well whatever happens,
thanks for giving me this.
You got a gift, son.
Don't do like I did. You hold on to your gift.
Don't you lose it.
Keep it.
Promise?
I promise.
That'll do.
I found him, Julie.
He's got the gift.
Me and Leonard got us a home too.
Patrick's family, good people.
A long time coming.
Long time.
Interesting article.
Hm?
List of qualifiers for the Derby.
Yeah?
Well, are you gonna tell us or what?
You made it.
Congratulations, honey.
I knew you would.
Made what?
She's copying me.
- No, I'm not. - Yes, you are.
You are.
See? She's copying me again.
Girls, your brother just made the state Derby finals.
Yay!
And it says here that the winner
will get a college scholarship.
Did you know about that?
No, I didn't.
Looks like you might wind up like your old man after all.
Yeah.
But first I gotta win.
How did he get a time trial in the first place?
He is a beginner.
Does it matter?
Look, no one can touch you anyway.
What are you worried about?
I'm not worried.
McCardle is toast, and I am gonna make sure
he gets burned from both sides.
We've got lots of stuff to do.
We should get started.
Where's Houston?
Maybe he's still in the house.
Where's Leonard?
- Houston. - Houston!
Houston.
No.
- Houston. - No.
Houston. Wake up, buddy.
- No. - Houston.
Houston.
You ready?
He was all alone.
That's the way it is.
We go out the way we come in.
Alone.
I loved him.
He loved you too.
And he was proud of you.
So am I.
Not just for making it into the Derby,
but for something else.
What?
Your integrity.
Going after what you believed in.
Becoming a man.
I don't know if I can do it now.
We've got plenty of time to talk about that.
♪ Soon I will be done with the trouble of this world ♪
♪ Trouble of this world
♪ Soon I will be done with the trouble of this world ♪
♪ I'm going home
♪ To live with my Lord
He loved and was loved.
He cared first for his brother, then for himself.
Nothing can ease the pain of this loss
except the knowledge that he now rests
in the arms of the almighty.
- Amen. - Amen.
Washed in the blood of the lamb. Clean.
To be raised up in the last day.
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
We bring nothing into this life,
we take nothing out of it, as it should be.
And Houston Lee Jones, we, your friends and loved ones,
celebrate your good and valued life.
May goodness and mercy go before you always.
We commit your remains to this hollowed ground.
Amen.
Rusty needs to be ridden, Patrick.
It's been three days.
I'm not entering the Derby, Jill.
What?
Why?
- Who are we kidding? I'm not good enough.
Not good enough?
Houston thought you were good enough.
Houston's not here.
Without him, it's completely different.
So you're just gonna quit after all your hard work,
and Houston's, and ours?
You don't understand.
You're right, I don't understand.
I thought Randy was the loser.
Look, you've got no say in this.
I've made my decision, so just drop it, okay?
Houston was wrong about you.
You don't have the gift.
You don't have the guts either.
After all you've been through, why?
I can't do it without him.
I just can't.
Can't or won't?
Take your pick.
It was you on that horse, honey.
It was always you riding Rusty, not Houston.
I'm not ready.
Not now.
I've seen what you can do. We all have.
You and Rusty, that's nothing short of a miracle.
It's not a miracle.
It's not gonna be good enough either.
You know what's funny?
I was dead set against you entering the Derby.
Now I think I believe in it more than you do.
I'm afraid you're going to regret
not finishing what you start
and quitting on something that you worked so hard for.
Well I've made my decision.
I can see that.
Are you looking for somebody?
No.
Okay, well this is the Jones's property.
Not anymore.
What are you talking about?
Well, the county foreclosed.
They can't do that.
Well, they already did.
At least tomorrow.
Sorry, ma'am.
You know, if there's anything that you need
or want in that house, I'd go get it now.
You understand?
Oh my gosh.
This is all about Patrick.
What's this?
I'm here.
What do you want?
If you're just gonna chew me out some more,
make it quick, okay?
- He left this for you. I found it in his house.
What is it?
I don't know. There's a note on it.
It's dated the day before he died.
These are his racing socks.
They're yours now.
Patrick, if you're reading this, then I'm gone.
Ain't I?
I gave up my chance
to wear these a long time ago.
Can't think of anyone deserves to wear 'em more than you.
I tried to teach you everything I know.
Can't do no more.
From here on, how far you go is up to you and Rusty.
I'm proud of you, boy. Mighty proud.
You're a good man,
and I'm glad I got a chance to know you.
Love Houston.
Me too.
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,
and welcome to the 103rd running of the Derby Cup.
The horses will be on the track for the post parade
in less than 30 minutes.
How's that?
It's good.
Just make sure it's tight.
Real tight.
All right, zip it up.
Now when he comes off that last jump,
he's gonna wanna stay in the middle.
You've gotta take him right to the rail.
Don't tell me how to win, Coop.
I'm not telling you how to win,
I'm telling you how to ride.
Yeah, well you don't need to tell me anything.
Hello?
Hi, Jill.
When?
He is?
We'll be right there.
What?
He's riding.
That's great!
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
We've only got an hour, we gotta go.
Come on. - That's right.
Let's go, let's go. Come on.
No way.
No, it won't start.
Are you kidding me?
Pop the hood, Jill. Pop the hood now.
Okay, try it now.
You know what, we should call my dad.
No, no, not now!
What?
I forgot to charge it. It's out of battery.
Houston never had a phone.
This is not good.
I've seen good before, and this is definitely not it.
We're screwed.
Lewd, and tattooed.
Shut up, Chuck.
It's a record crowd here
at the famed Beaucart Track,
and post time for the Derby Cup in 20 minutes.
♪ God bless America
Where are they?
They should be here by now.
Keep looking.
Get off of me.
Look, let's not get him teed up.
We still got 30 minutes to the bell.
Are you the defending State Cup champion?
No. No.
That's right. I am.
You think you can remember that, Cooper?
I won't have to.
What are you doing?
What's it look like, Einstein? I quit.
Linda.
Stay with the kids. I'll be right back.
Where are you going?
Oh my God. I cannot believe this.
If I had my four-wheeler, I could go get help.
Oh, thanks.
If I had a ham sandwich, I wouldn't be starving.
Guys, it's my fault.
I should have stayed in the race.
No, no, don't beat yourself up.
I'll take care of that.
Yeah, she's real good at that.
What's the problem?
Dad.
Mr. McCardle, the truck won't start at all.
All right, let's pop the hood.
How do you...
There we go.
Let's see, excuse me.
Ladies and gentlemen, coming on the track now,
the defending state cup champion Justice
with Chucky Randall Adams aboard.
Oh, you should have seen us.
We made sure that Randy is going to win today.
I think Randy's cute.
I think I see something.
What?
- Hold this, would you? - Yeah.
Somebody pulled the plugs off the distributor cap,
probably on purpose.
Randy Adams.
Yeah.
That idiot Donald.
Jill, will you try to start this up?
Yeah, sure.
Here.
You did it.
You're amazing.
You think so?
Well, part of the job description, you know?
Yeah, I know.
Thanks, Dad.
Anytime.
You might get out of here. I'll follow you.
Whoa, we don't have much time, guys.
Shut up, Chuck.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the horses are on the track and headed to the start
for the 103rd running of the Derby-
- For Houston.
All right, you gotta go.
I know, really, I haven't even warmed him up yet.
There's no time.
He's right.
Good luck.
Go.
On three. One, two, three.
Get your stirrups.
Okay. Knock 'em dead.
All right.
Oh boy.
- What's up? - Hey.
I need to tell you something.
What?
I believe in you.
Did she kiss him, Mommy?
I think she's just checking his lips, that's all.
I do that sometimes.
Me too.
Hey, there's another rider, Patrick McCardle.
He's very qualified.
Hi, Dan.
Hi.
It says here you withdrew voluntarily.
Yeah, that was a mistake.
I'd like to race.
Well, you've qualified and you're here.
Horse?
Rusty.
Trainer?
Houston Jones.
You've got 30 seconds to post.
Thank you.
Come on, let's go.
Here's the final runner in today's cup,
number one, Rusty,
with jockey Patrick McCardle,
a horse trained by the late Houston Jones.
Decided to show up after all, huh?
You ready to watch my tail the rest of the race?
Nobody's ready for that.
Stay out of my way, loser.
Come on. Justice, go.
Go.
Under starter's orders.
The flag is up. And they're off!
It's Justice to the front.
Randy Adams really wants that early lead.
Sage Surprise in pursuit from the second spot,
followed by Shenanigans.
He's falling back!
It's okay. It's just part of his strategy.
And Rusty is the trailer.
I can't watch.
All jumping well
up and over the first fence.
He's gonna wanna give you
everything he's got right up front,
but you hold him back.
Make him save it.
Justice enjoying an uncontested lead.
Slow down, boy.
Easy, easy.
The second spot, followed by Shenanigans,
then comes Eat My Dust, Serenity Sam, Rusty,
and Alex Madness is the trailer.
I can't find him, Daddy.
Wait 'til he gets down the home stretch.
It's Justice pounding along in front.
Randy's got a handful of horse.
Followed by Shenanigans, then Sage Surprise,
Eat My Dust, Rusty,
then comes Alex Madness and Serenity Sam
at the back of the pack.
Justice, move it!
They've reached the midpoint in this classic,
and the leader Justice unchanged.
Sage Surprise remains in the second spot,
Shenanigans moved up a notch,
and Rusty is starting to close the gap.
You'll know when to turn him loose.
Just trust yourself.
Serenity Sam and Alex Madness
is at the back of the pack.
McCardle makes his move,
with just left.
Justice in front,
but here comes Rusty to challenge for the lead!
Back off!
Whoa!
He can't do that!
That's not fair, you scum bucket!
Tight quarters there
for both horses... All right, boy.
Show me what you've got.
Come on.
Justice with Randy Adams
trying to hold on to that lead, but he's tiring.
It's a race to the wire.
Let's go, boy. This is our shot.
Here comes Rusty between horses.
Justice is beat.
Patrick McCardle on Rusty, trained by Houston Jones
wins the Derby Cup in the final stride.
What a performance by this rider.
We won, Houston!
We did it! We won!
What a performance!
This has to be the most incredible victory
in the rich tradition of the Derby Cup.
How about that, Rusty?
We did it.
On behalf of this year's Cup,
I present this trophy to Mr. Patrick McCardle.
Congratulations.
You were right.
It's like having wings.
Can we keep Leonard?
♪ Winner
♪ A winner
♪ Born to be a winner
♪ A winner
♪ Born to be a winner
♪ Everybody wants to be comfortable ♪
♪ But nobody's willing to do
♪ The little thing it would take ♪
♪ To make someone comfortable too ♪
♪ Winner
♪ A winner
♪ Born to be a winner
♪ A winner
♪ Born to be a winner
♪ Nothing ventured nothing gained ♪
♪ Life deals the hand that you must play ♪
♪ If you can win more than you lose ♪
♪ You'll get to play another day ♪
♪ 'Cause you're a winner ♪ Winner
♪ Yes, you know you are ♪ A winner
♪ Yes, you are
♪ A winner
♪ Because you were born
♪ Born to be a winner
♪ You're a winner ♪ Winner
♪ A winner
♪ Born to be a winner
♪ Nothing ventured nothing gained ♪
♪ Life deals the hand that you must play ♪
♪ If you can win more than you lose ♪
♪ You'll get to play another day ♪
♪ 'Cause you're a winner ♪ Winner
♪ Don't you know you are
♪ A winner
♪ Yes you are
♪ A winner
♪ Because you were born
♪ Born to be a winner
♪ You're a winner
♪ Winner
♪ You were born
♪ A winner
♪ Born to be a winner
♪ Nothing ventured nothing gained ♪
♪ Life deals the hand that you must play ♪
♪ If you can win more than you lose ♪
♪ You'll get to play another day ♪
♪ 'Cause you're a winner ♪ Winner
♪ Don't you know you are
♪ A winner
♪ Yes you are
♪ A winner
♪ Because you were born
♪ Born to be a winner
♪ You're a winner
♪ Winner
♪ A winner
♪ You were born
♪ A winner
♪ Born to be a winner
♪ Winner
♪ A winner
♪ Born to be a winner
♪ A Winner
♪ A winner
♪ Born to be a winner
♪ Winner
♪ A winner
♪ Born to be a winner
♪ A winner
♪ Born to be a winner