A misfit group of New Mexico cowboys find themselves on the journey of a lifetime when they learn their crooked-footed racehorse qualifies to run in the Kentucky Derby. Based on the true story of Mine That Bird, the cowboys must overcome impossible odds even before they reach Churchill Downs and the land of Kentucky’s blue bloods.

Judge George (Harvey Keitel) brings his young wife, Nathalie (Cameron Diaz), to a remote island for a vacation. But while George accompanies their only neighbor — Nathalie’s childhood friend Lance (Craig Sheffer) — on a fishing trip, Nathalie spends time with her ex, Kent (Billy Zane). When Kent ends up dead the next morning, Nathalie tries to hide the evidence before her husband gets home. After the body is found, the events of the previous night unravel, with unexpected revelations.