It’s been a summer of changes for July Carter, who has left the high stakes racing season at Saratoga with not only a young filly to call her own, but also an unexpected boyfriend. Change, it appears, is good.

But as the Thoroughbreds return to Belmont Park for fall races, July is caught up in all of those summer changes. With Kali struggling at her new barn, college applications to write, and her relationship with Beck frustratingly undefined, July doesn’t know what to tackle first. On top of it all, her mother is back in New York to ride Lighter, the barn’s most promising–if completely crazy–colt, stirring up trouble in the shedrow, which now sits mostly empty.

When Lighter goes lame during a workout, July simmers over. And when Beck decides that she might be too much for him, July finds herself staring down another change. This time, it’s unwelcome. This time, her heart is on the line.

Fans of Stay the Distance will be eager to return to July’s story of family relationships, new love, and the exciting world of Thoroughbred racing.