Racing Luck

By Mary Kit Caelsto

When Tyche sends exercise rider Brie, and her mare, Lady, to Lady Luck Stables, Ettie's pleased to have the talented young rider within her ranks. Something isn't right and even her consort, the goddess Fortuna, knows something, or someone, is stealing luck from racehorses. This is more than the usual meddling of lower level supernatural creatures. It's something more, and maybe that's way her consort has been called to the mysterious island of Rota to resume her seat on the Council of Good Fortune.

But the Celtic Goddess of Horses, Epona--Ettie to her friends--isn't without her own resources. When a member of the Seelie Court whose horses she trains alerts her to something more sinister, she believes it's connected to the theft of luck. What she uncovers is something far darker, far sinister than she ever imagined, and everything--including Lady Luck Stables--is on the line.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mary Kit Caelsto
• Release date: Dec 8, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005808860

Book preview

Racing luck

lady luck stables book 1

Mary Kit Caelsto

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Par Impar Front Matter

Newsletter CTA

Also by

Racing Luck

Healing Luck Back Matter

Hidden

Tonic Chords

Songs and Horns

About The Author

The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. Permission is granted to make ONE backup copy for archival purposes.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

RACING LUCK

Copyright © Mary Kit Caelsto, 2020

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Cover Art © 2020

Cover art by Epona Author Solutions

Book formatting by Epona Author Solutions (http://www.eponaauthorsolutions.com)

Electronic Publication Date: December 2020

This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author.

TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Par Impar and Rota are trademarks of Fortuna de Conatibus.

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Also by the Author

Women’s Fiction

Noble Dreams Series

Steady on Course

Standing on Course

Correction on Course

Walking on Course

Course Perfect

Shadbelly Faults

Husband On Board

Double Clear

Riding Double

Rosettes & Rompers

Crossed Rails

International Obstacles

Baby Green

Mare Stare

Future Courses

Western Star Series

Spins Are Wild

Turn & Burn

In the Chute

Back In The Saddle

Winning It All

Racehorses & Romance

Racing Home

Claiming His Irish Trainer

Fantasy/Magic Realism

World of the Musimagium and Radio Arcana

Hidden

Tonic Chords

Of Songs & Horns

Songs & Paperwork

Chasing Neptune’s Cat

Tempus Magic

The Pegasus Project

Pegasus In Flight

Draco Magus

Radio Arcanum

Racing Luck

Chapter One

Whispers along the backside of the track remained as common as horse shit. Whether I helped warriors, like the great Boudicea, reach heights of glory or steeled the nerves of cavalry officers during battles from ancient Celtic lands to World War I, I’d been privy to the lives of horses and their people. A more colorful lot I had yet to find. Maybe that was why the ancient Romans adopted me as one of their goddesses, because regardless of language barriers or culture, the love of the horse united all equestrians around the globe. I leaned against the wooden fence surrounding the training oval at Lucky Lady Stables, watching a young stallion show his promise with the fractions. I glanced at my stopwatch—some called me old fashioned for still using one in this age of smart phones—and clicked off the time. Not bad at all. We’d be pointing him toward the Kentucky Derby next year, though I wondered how sporting it really was to have a venture run by two goddesses play in the sport of Kings.

Great work, I told Betsy with a nod of my head. The older woman nodded curtly, about all the emotion she ever showed, then turned to catch up with the rider. She’d been my junior trainer for twenty-five years and in that time the whispers followed the female trainers with the keen eye and steady nerves who had come close or won all the major races. On this continent anyway. We refused to subject her horses to a flight overseas, and I didn’t blame her. Even traveling first class, I hated it.

He’s looking good. Tyche called and said she found a rider who might be a good fit here. I suspect they’ll be here by the end of the week. Forti, my business partner, also known as the goddess Fortuna, rested her hand on my shoulder. She had quite a bit to say about her. Maybe in her thirties. Rides well with the feel that tells us you may have blessed her. Her name was… some kind of cheese. Forti paused. Brie. That was it. And the horse was Lady.

I gasped. Brie? Small world indeed. Yes, I know her. She’ll have a job as soon as she shows up. Thanks for letting me know. Out of the corner of my eye two exercise riders led a pair of chestnut geldings onto the track. I’ve got to talk to them. I think Flame may need to find a new job, but I’ve got some leads on that.

Not fast enough? Forti turned and leaned one slender hip against the rail.

I admired it for a moment, before focusing on the horses. He hasn’t found his spark yet. I’m not sure it’s on the racetrack. I know we claimed him, but that was mostly because Dean Atkins can’t train his way out of a paper bag. In fact, I doubt he could train a dog. I snorted with disgust. I hated Dean and his training operation with a passion. He took the cheapest horses, beat them to within an inch of their life, but because they marched out onto the racetrack looking shiny and well kept, not to mention they somehow passed their drug tests every single time. I didn’t like it, and neither did a lot of trainers.

With what’s happening in California, he won’t be able to hide what he’s doing for long. Forti wiggled her long, slender fingers. She flipped her long sable braid over her shoulder.

I curled my hand around her fingers. I think we need your help. He’ll sink or swim on his own merits. There are already some who whisper that we’re too lucky as it is.

She laughed, the musical notes sending a bolt of Jupiter’s lightning down my spine. They’re just jealous. She leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. I’ve got to go. We’ll talk later. Rota’s calling.

Her words sent chills down my spine. Oysters for dinner? They were her favorite.

Perfect. Bye. She hurried away, leaving me to make the difficult decision about the geldings. I appreciated her insight, and her way of seeing which way luck would go. I understood, though. If Rota was calling that meant she had far bigger things to worry about than my two geldings. It also meant I’d have less chances to see her, and she’d no doubt be away for a while. Then again, a few years, a decade, very little of it mattered when someone lived as long as I did. I’d seen civilizations rise and fall, pandemics and wars, still I was here and so were humans… and horses.

I met the two riders by the gate. I’d like you to lightly breeze him for half a mile. Then when he reaches the pole, open him up. Let’s see what he has. Jake’s coming to get Dollar. If this guy doesn’t look like he’ll be competitive, I’d like to see Jake take him now, rather than let us run him some more. There’s plenty of horses to put on the track.

Yes, ma’am. Kel replied.

I’ll give you a leg up. I laced my fingers together and bounced the slender brunette into the saddle. Her purple and black helmet cover had a wolf embroidered on it. She settled softly into the saddle, her feet finding the irons instantly. If anyone could coax the best effort from Flame, it’d be her. The senior exercise rider directed Flame toward the gate. Your job is to push Flame without overtaking him. Keep with him stride for stride. I offered a leg-up to Shel, a seasoned exercise rider. Part of the backside whispers revolved around how I only had women working for me. Far better to have the best people for the job, and I’d found no matter the century, women had a unique bond with horses. I went to the rail and at my nod the horses took off.

A clean break and Flame moved into the lead by a nostril as I’d directed. The gelding galloped like he did in the pasture, head up, as if this were a walk in the park. I shook my head. He needed drive, a mission, something to push him forward. Paulie, the other chestnut, matched him stride for stride, neither one really going very fast.

They reached the pole. A cluck, a word, a