60 seconds out of the starting gate, Jockey Syd Paul is riding for her life. Blindsided from nowhere, she's attacked during a race by a fellow jockey and friend. Forced to fight for her life atop a fast and furious thousand pound horse galloping at top speed, Syd struggles, fighting for her life in disbelief, while only inches away, the other jockey falls to his death. Shocked and battered, without a moment to think, Syd turns from the nightmare behind her toward the finish line just ahead and wins the race. Bloodied and beaten into a bruised lump of flesh, Syd finds herself dazed and in the winner's circle, flashing back on what just happened. WTF, she thinks, watching the instant replay unfold like bad reality tv. From the video replay there's no question. Syd looks guilty as the gates burst open just like a hundred times before. Only this time Syd battled another jockey to the death and then went on to win. Bleeding and head swimming, the single question remains: Why did my friend attack me?
She finds a shocking truth: some unidentified person will go to any length to control the jockeys and the outcome of certain races. One jockey has died and others will follow. Syd is forced to accept help from police detective, Joe McQueen. He's drop dead attractive with the tenacity of a pit bull and the sensibility of a good ol' boy. He thinks Syd should stay home and cook dinner like a good girl.
Unsure of placing her life and her future into the hands of a complete stranger, (McQueen), Syd sets out to find the answers and keep herself safe, knowing she's only one golden ticket away from her dream of riding in the Kentucky Derby. But in the next race, she'll be riding not only for her career, but for her life.