In 1865, at the end of the Civil War, thirteen-year-old Abby Joyner continues to live with her grandparents on the isolated Virginia plantation where she was raised, although they are now free. Abby's main concern is discovering what became of her mother, who disappeared when Abby was a baby.

In the mid- to late-1930s, Risky Chance grows from a spirited colt to a winning racehorse, but an injury and the Great Depression bring hardship that only a special little girl can help him overcome.