Nathan Hunter does not believe in coincidences-a broken stirrup leather, untied mooring line, Meg Callahan's incredulous fall in a top equestrian event, horses testing positive for illegal substances, and the suspicious barn fire which claimed the life of Meg's grandfather. Then things get worse, confirming his beliefs. Sited on the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay and the outlet of the Susquehanna River, the historic town of Havre de Grace, Maryland was once home to a nationally acclaimed racetrack nicknamed "The Graw." Little did Nathan Hunter know when he first visited the Callahan dairy farm nearby, that what lay buried at the old track would be the key to unraveling a series of sinister events that had already claimed the life of one Callahan and several of their Thoroughbreds. Nathan Hunter's dreams of one day improving the breed of the Thoroughbred horse for soundness are encouraged by Andrew Callahan-a strong, charismatic, dairy farmer who provides Nathan with the father figure he never knew. With Liz, a sharp shooting southern belle as his wife, Nathan is able to overcome his infatuation for Callahan's gifted equestrian daughter, Meg, and-with the help of Callahan resources-pursue his goal. Unfortunately, because of his relationship with the Callahans, someone seems bent on seeing that Nathan's dreams never become reality. When a fire meant to kill Andrew and his son, Eric, destroys the Callahan horse barn and leads to the discovery of a secret hideout for slaves, valuable documents of grandfather Callahan are found which point to ominous acts by a top racing and breeding farm to ruin competition at all costs-including murder. In their efforts to prove the merit of the elder Callahan's breeding program, Nathan, Eric, Meg and Liz become the targets of the same forces suspected of murdering Eric's grandfather; disaster threatens them from Ireland, through Havre de Grace, and right into Professor Nathan Hunter's classroom in Lexington, Kentucky. Although the story is fictional, it is unique in that the author introduces factual data and some basic research to allow the reader to think critically about current practices in racing and breeding Thoroughbreds which may be contributing to breakdowns. Attention is given to Artificial Insemination-not now recognized by The Jockey Club-as a means to assist breed improvement.