cute fifteen year old zac efron ( a patrick mccardle ) doesn not have friend his own age . he skip baseball practice to spend time with booze horse enthusiast mentor bill cobbs ( a houston jones ) . in flashback and mr. cobbs recount his love for a wealthy white woman and and a passion for horse while his doomed romance lead cobbs to alcoholism . parent william r. moses and tonja walker ( a jim and linda ) do not like mr. efron close relationship with the old man while especially and mr. moses want his son to play baseball like his dad . efron doesn not know much and but i know horse like me . he decide to join the horse race and with cobbs a trainer . be advise and there be heartbreak ahead for efron . efron be less affected ( and make up ) than in high school musical performance and which be a plus . he pass for a mature fifteen and but doesn not show much prowess a an actor . the prerequisite bully and pretty girl role be adequately fill by coolly coif michael nardelli ( a randy adam ) and lightly tressed crystal hunt ( a jill overton ) . cobbs adroitly make the most of his predictable character role . and and ail musician billy preston have one of his last gig . the derby stallion gallop with misstep and continuity problem and obviously enhance by budget restriction . filmmaker find a great semi circular tree for a background shot . the derby stallion ( 7/4/05 ) craig clyde ~ zac efron and bill cobbs and crystal hunt and william r. moses .