Description:

Gabriel, a twelve-year-old recently freed slave and talented jockey, is burning up the horse track—and stacking up wins for his former master, Mister Giles.
When Mister Giles asks him to ride Aristo, a powerful but unpredictable horse, in the prestigious Saratoga Chase, Gabriel jumps at the chance to compete against some of the greatest jockeys in the business. But as he begins the journey to Saratoga, he finds that high-stakes horse racing can be a nasty business as he works to keep Aristo safe and fend off horse poachers and jealous jockeys.
Gabriel also learns the difficult lesson that being freed is not the same as being free. More than ever, Gabriel misses his father, who is fighting with the Union Army. Who else can he trust?
In the second book of the Racing to Freedom trilogy, Alison Hart continues to explore the complex relationships of the Civil War. The result is a gripping story that vividly brings to life the danger and drama of a time when war and issues of race and freedom divided the country. Background historical material and photos are included. **

Review

“There is enough excitement and suspense along the way to keep readers interested. The narrative is well written and the major characters have depth and realism.… This follow up to Gabriel’s Horses (Peachtree 2007) is part of a planned trilogy but stands on its own.”

“Thrilling horse racing once again frames a stirring Civil War story in the second title in the Racing to Freedom series.”

From the Inside Flap

In the second book in her historical fiction trilogy set during the Civil War, author Alison Hart continues to explore the complex relationships between black and white, slave and master, and North and South. The result is a gripping story that brings to life the danger and drama of a time when war split the country and human beings were divided into the owner and the owned based on the color of their skin.