His parents had just dropped ten million dollars on yearlings. Her parents suddenly had ten million dollars to blow on a five-hundred-acre second farm. Her father had changed the banking passwords and hadn’t given her a good explanation why. If that wasn’t damning enough, the private feud between the Capital Hills Brites and the Arden Farm Montgomerys had gone public this year, and it was the only story the racing press cared about. At the end of October, a Verona Downs Stakes race would take place. Six horses were entered. Shenanigans and Hijinks were the favorites. The feud and the Stakes race had even made the cover of Sports Illustrated. And creepy Tyson Balt had been at her parents’ house and no one would talk about it. “That doesn’t sound good,” Julien agreed. “I don’t know much about the farm, but I do know last winter Dad said they’d budgeted for four million for yearlings.” “I triple-checked. They bought twenty-two yearlings for five million and then bought a four broodmares and four stallions—ten million total.
