Finding herself homeless and unemployed, a short-tempered female jockey teams up with a gambling trainer to compete at the Kentucky Derby, only to find that the real prize can’t be won on the turf.

SYNOPSIS:

Leslie lives at Roswell stables where she takes care of her favorite horse Flash while David, a trainer with a fear of horses, spends his days flirting and gambling to escape a traumatic past. One day Roswell’s owner Amanda informs them that the stables and the horses will be sold and that Leslie and David are let go immediately. Flaring up, Leslie accuses Amanda of being jealous of her ever since Amanda’s deceased father took her in as a foster child, leading Amanda to move to Silicon Valley to build her tech start-up. At the same time, David receives a threat demanding he pays back his debts to his former employer John.

David goes to a betting shop where he reads an article about female jockeys, inspiring him to have Leslie run a race with Flash. After persuading Amanda of his plan he successfully appeals to Leslie’s dream to become a professional jockey, and they start training Flash. On the day of the first race, Leslie is confronted by the structural sexism in the racing industry. David bumps into John who proposes a bet wherein he defaults on David’s debt if Leslie finishes in the top three. David agrees, and Leslie places second.

Shortly after David finds out that John offered Leslie a job. Worried that he will lose her to his arch-nemesis, he persuades Amanda and Leslie to run qualifying races for the Kentucky Derby. Before she starts at the second race, Leslie gets harassed by a fellow jockey, but she prevents David from stepping in as she wants to fight her own battles. During the race Leslie notices Flash having health issues, and they place third. David and Leslie start treating Flash, during which their mutual feelings grow.

Amanda reveals that she sells her property and the horses to John who in turn plans on euthanizing Flash. David, knowing that the only chance to keep Leslie in his life is by saving her beloved horse, decides to bet against her in the last qualifying race to raise money to buy Flash. As he expected Leslie misses the podium finish but nevertheless qualifies for the Kentucky Derby. David secretly buys Flash and makes a move on Leslie while celebrating her qualification. However, she finds out about his bet and, being deeply hurt, runs away from him only to accidentally break her ankle.

David travels back to West Virginia where he takes care of Flash and eagerly awaits to hear from Leslie. At the same time, Amanda visits Leslie in the hospital and tells her about an app she developed that provides precise predictions of racing results. Finding out that David bought Flash to remain close to her, Leslie realizes that there was more to their relationship than their shared passion for racing. She travels back to see David, and they finally give in to their feelings for each other.

Despite her injury, Leslie starts at the Kentucky Derby and becomes an early leader, but falls off Flash as a jockey sabotages her run. Leslie survives and crosses the finish line to inspire other women to take up horse racing. A couple of weeks later Leslie receives a phone call from Amanda notifying her that due to her app, she could prove that Leslie would have won the race if not for the jockey's foul play. As the sabotaging jockey is disqualified retroactively, Leslie is declared the first female winner of the Kentucky Derby.

* Quarterfinalist Emerging Screenwriters Drama Screenplay Competition, Quarterfinalist Outstanding Screenplays Feature Competition, Semifinalist Table Read My Screenplay Park City, Quarterfinalist Stage32 Drama Competition, Honorary Mention Big Apple Film Festival, Quarterfinalist Filmmatic Drama Screenplay Awards, Second Rounder Launchpad Feature Competition, Official Selection Austin Lift-Off Film Festival, Semifinalist Inroads Fellowship Season 7, Official Selection Toronto Lift-Off Film Festival ("Furlong Fix")

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FURLONG FIX