Beyond the Homestretch

How does a big city office worker become a rural Texas savior of retired racehorses? This wild ride of a read takes armchair adventurers behind the scenes of horseracing -- gorgeous, quirky horses, colorful jockeys and trainers, gallop girls -- while depicting the unexpected life lessons animals can offer. In 2002, drawn by a childhood dream, Reardon quit her Washington, D.C. job and moved across country and cultures to open the racehorse adoption ranch LOPE that has now saved hundreds of retired racehorses and washed-up Thoroughbreds from slaughter (and worse). The distinct personalities of horses like Tawakoni, the son of a Kentucky Derby winner, and Endofthestorm, the speedy bay who required an emergency tracheotomy, give Reardon an unforgettable apprenticeship in facing fear and finding a new life.