Wild Ride (2010)

This film is based on a true story, and set in the affluent world of Kentucky thoroughbred horse racing; a close-knit society with a fiercely protected reputation as the guardians of this, "the sport of kings." Not least within the ranks of these elite was Calumet Farms, a prosperous ranch operated by the family matriarch under the guidance of her trusted advisor -- a well-connected attorney who had served her family's interests for thirty years, and who helped her to build an complex empire worth untold millions in real estate, oil, stocks and bonds. And of course, horses. Calumet Farms had a sterling reputation for breeding some of the top thoroughbred horses in the country, including the legendary Alydar, whose stud services alone were worth a fortune. Their success was largely due to the direction of their ranch manager, a simple country boy with a seventh-grade education -- and a knowledge of horses that was second to none. Though he would never fit the mold cast by the upper crust, his expertise with horses was indisputable. On the surface of this idyllic, mint-julep world, the future seemed paved in gold, but behind the pastoral scenes, unbeknown even to the ranch owner, trusted advisers worked their own agenda of greed. In an elaborate, world-wide financial scheme that culminated in one grisly moment of violence, the Calumet dynasty was toppled, and the local elite, thoroughly scandalized. Scandal, however, is unacceptable for a community that thrives within a self-defined class system. It was not enough that the attorney, one of their very own, was found guilty and convicted; on the contrary, this only served to further tarnished their otherwise spotless reputation. Clearly, someone else must have been to blame. An outsider with access to the ranch's financial records and assets. Someone who would never fit their mold.