Kentucky Dreamer

Golden Filly #4

by Lauraine Snelling

Having won the Santa Anita Derby, Trish and her horse look forward to competing in the Kentucky Derby, until a series of misfortunes interferes with their dream

Genres: Horses, Young Adult, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Animals, Childrens, Middle Grade

173 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Award-winning and bestselling author Lauraine Snelling has over 80 books published with sales of over 4.5 million. Her original dream was to write horse books for children. Today, she writes adult novels about real issues centered on forgiveness, loss, domestic violence and cancer in her inspirational contemporary women’s fiction titles and historical series, including the favorite, Blessing books about Ingeborg Bjorklund and family.

Lauraine enjoys helping others reach their writing dreams by teaching at writer’s conferences across the county. She and her husband Wayne have two grown sons, and a daughter in Heaven. They live in the Tehachapi Mountains with a Basset named Sir Winston ob de Mountains, Lapcat, and “The Girls” (three golden hens).

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this series very much. A girl who lives on a horse farm in Oregon wants to be a jockey. Finally, her dream is coming true. Just as it has come true, her father dies of cancer. After this, she learns to cope with his death by turning to God. The one thing I did not appreciate about this book was the whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing throughout the series. But, overall, I definately enjoyed them.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grade: B+

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tricia has just finished winning the Santa Anita Derby! She celebrates with her friend, Rhonda, who joined her mother & brother to watch! Tricia & her father, Hal, drive back home to Vancouver, WA. Spitfire, the winning horse, loads easily. They stop on the way back to visit Hal's friend, Adam Finley. They had visited there on the way down to Santa Anita. They discuss Tricia going to California for the summer, but Tricia's mom's worrying might be a problem. The immediate plans are to enter into the Kentucky Derby. Tricia's hoping to take Firefly to Kentucky too, but she's having problems with her legs. She's congratulated for her win at Santa Anita by when she's announced as a jockey at Portland Meadows, where she's riding as a jockey, as well as by other owners that she's riding for & jockeys. She's riding a horse in a race that has never raced before, when there's an accident...will she make it to Kentucky?

[Rena Sherwood]

Horrible series for teens. There are many factual errors about horse racing here, let alone the errors about Christianity. (And now it's completely out of date.) Snelling cannot even keep track of her own characters. One of the horses suddenly changes genders in this book. The series also centers on a black colt with no golden filly anywhere. The protagonist's problems are basically impossible to relate to.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is obviously fiction as no woman jockey has won the Kentucky Derby, but I loved the story. I now want to visit Churchill Downs, even if not for the Derby, just for a race or a tour.

[Rivkah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book. The writer makes you really identify with her charatures. I Found myself thinkin' "man can't something go right for her?"

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been a while since I have read this book but I remember that I loved it!

[Lady Loki Silver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the others it is my favorite series and I love everything about it