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Thoroughbred #52
Perfect Challenge
Melanie Graham knows Image is Triple Crown material. The problem is, the filly is too smart for her own good. She's difficult to train, hates to be stabled indoors, and fights with other horses. But if Melanie is going to run Image in the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont, the filly is going to have to get over herself.
For practice, Melanie takes Image to Florida to run in an easy fillies-only race. But when Melanie gets to the track, she discovers that her father has entered Image in the prestigious Florida Derby instead. He badly needs the purse money to save his failing business and he truly believes Image can win. Melanie is doubtful. Will Image rise to the challenge?
For practice, Melanie takes Image to Florida to run in an easy fillies-only race. But when Melanie gets to the track, she discovers that her father has entered Image in the prestigious Florida Derby instead. He badly needs the purse money to save his failing business and he truly believes Image can win. Melanie is doubtful. Will Image rise to the challenge?
176 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 8, 2015
I have loved the series since I was a child I wish they would put them back in print I'm sad that Joanna Campbells bosses were pushing her to do books so often which was too much for her I wish they would of given her a chance to the series at her own pace.
December 13, 2024
Interesting cover, huh? Too bad that doesn't happen in the book.
I usually give the later Thoroughbred books one star or zero stars, but compared to most of the others, this one is a fun read. The Melanie and Image books were mostly written by the same author, Alice Leonhardt, who does the honors here again. Having just one author for a storyline helps keeps consistency, which is something the Thoroughbred series seriously lacked.
Image is up to her old tricks, making her one of the most interesting horses in the series. This time she's getting ready for the Florida Derby, which used to be a major prep race for the Kentucky Derby. It's been gone in prominence for about 20 or 30 years, with the preps in Louisiana and California taking over.
For some reason, they didn't take Pirate with them to calm Image down, so the gang winds up having to buy a miniature horse named Baby. Unfortunately, Baby winds up disappearing later on in the series. She's just suddenly never mentioned ever again.
This was about the hottest Jazz and Melanie ever got -- having sandwiches by the pool. Yeah, that's what all young guys fantasize about. In the real world, there is NO WAY a young, red-blooded rock star is going to have a girlfriend without sex. It just was such a ridiculous situation, it got to be really funny. It's either laugh or cry at this point.
The series must not have been selling so well, since the publishers featured a contest in this book. The prize was actually pretty descent -- trip to a Kentucky "horse farm" and unspecified race track.
The horses Image races against include Instant Replay and Speed.com, the latter of which has a big role in the Triple Crown to come.
I usually give the later Thoroughbred books one star or zero stars, but compared to most of the others, this one is a fun read. The Melanie and Image books were mostly written by the same author, Alice Leonhardt, who does the honors here again. Having just one author for a storyline helps keeps consistency, which is something the Thoroughbred series seriously lacked.
Image is up to her old tricks, making her one of the most interesting horses in the series. This time she's getting ready for the Florida Derby, which used to be a major prep race for the Kentucky Derby. It's been gone in prominence for about 20 or 30 years, with the preps in Louisiana and California taking over.
For some reason, they didn't take Pirate with them to calm Image down, so the gang winds up having to buy a miniature horse named Baby. Unfortunately, Baby winds up disappearing later on in the series. She's just suddenly never mentioned ever again.
This was about the hottest Jazz and Melanie ever got -- having sandwiches by the pool. Yeah, that's what all young guys fantasize about. In the real world, there is NO WAY a young, red-blooded rock star is going to have a girlfriend without sex. It just was such a ridiculous situation, it got to be really funny. It's either laugh or cry at this point.
The series must not have been selling so well, since the publishers featured a contest in this book. The prize was actually pretty descent -- trip to a Kentucky "horse farm" and unspecified race track.
The horses Image races against include Instant Replay and Speed.com, the latter of which has a big role in the Triple Crown to come.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews