And They’re Off(2011)

While Dusty (Sean Astin) and his assistant, Julian (James “Lil JJ” Lewis), are chatting in the former’s office about how they need to make some money (since they haven’t won much of that in the races that their horse, Caveat, has competed in thus far), Julian picks up and continues reading a magazine that he brought in. Dusty asks him what he is reading, and Julian reads aloud an advertisement about the upcoming San Joaquin County Fair and tells Dusty that his sister, Bonnie (Tyra Colar), is going to be entering herself in the fair’s pie-eating contest. He also mentions to Dusty that, among other things going on at the fair, there is going to be a horse race as well. Intrigued, Dusty takes a look at the advertisement and sees that the race is the Bunson Swine Mile, and it is going to be offering a $65,000 purse to the winner. Dusty decides to enter Caveat into it, but he knows that he is going to have to look for a new jockey to ride him for this race, since it takes place towards the end of Dee’s (Cheri Oteri) three-week suspension (which she got for trying to rough up a fellow jockey following the conclusion of Caveat’s previous race because she believed that he was deliberately trying to prevent her from winning).

After calling a bunch of agents for jockeys and getting nothing but rejections, Dusty phones Dee and leaves a message for her telling her to call him back as soon as she can because he wants to talk to her about something (that being that he is seeking out another jockey to ride Caveat in the Mile). Just then, a young jockey, Martin Romero (Luis Chavez), enters his office, having been informed by his agent that Dusty needed a rider for Caveat, but as they chat about it, Dee suddenly walks in. After Martin informs her that he and Dusty are talking about the upcoming Bunson Swine Mile, she gets upset with Dusty for trying to obtain the services of another jockey for it, but Dusty tells her that she will still be on suspension when the race happens and he is just doing what he has to do. Later on, as the documentary crew films Dee while she is working her forklift job at a bulk store, she complains to the crew about Dusty’s decision but acknowledges and accepts that her fiery temper was what caused her to get into the situation that she is in. Moments later, a male customer comes up to her seeking her help with finding something, but she ends up venting to him about how she isn’t having a good day because she is a jockey who should be riding Caveat for Dusty, a trainer whom she loves, but instead, she is working here because of a suspension that she only has two days left to serve. The customer suggests to her that she try to find a way to get the suspension reduced, and if she can, then maybe Dusty will take her back. Excited, Dee thanks him and runs off.

While Dusty, Julian, Martin, Dusty’s father Ken (Martin Mull), and Caveat’s owners make their way to the fair together, Dee has a meeting with the stewards to try to convince them to reduce her suspension so she can compete. In addition to promising that she will never attack another jockey again, she tells the stewards that she feels that her temper cost Dusty what could have been his first victory in years, and she would love to have the opportunity to do her job today in the Bunson Swine Mile so she can make it up to him. Soon after, the stewards show her a video that Dusty recorded and sent to them, where he vouches for her and explains that he and the team really need her. When it ends, the stewards inform her that they will grant the reduction and let her ride today. Elated, she hurries into her car and rushes over to the fair.

She makes it just before the race can start, and with Ken’s help, she gets Martin removed from both Caveat and the jockey uniform. When she rides out to the starting line, she gets noticed by Dusty and his crew, who are quite happy to see that she was given the okay to participate in this race. Dee then proceeds to ride Caveat to his first victory in a photo finish, and she kisses Dusty afterward, who is thrilled to have finally trained a horse to a championship.

Sometime later, Dusty and Dee are shown taking a walk with the documentary crew. Dusty tells the crew that he will be letting Caveat rest for a couple of months at the horse farm, and he has expanded his pony concession (which he runs as a side job) to include llamas, which has been very well-received by the kids. Dee tells them that she is still working her job at the bulk store, and she also reveals that she and Dusty have gotten engaged and their wedding will be taking place in the near future.