A Horse for Danny (TV 1995)

Danny is a smart little girl. She lives at the track where her uncle is a horse trainer. She knows her uncle needs just one great horse to make his name.

Director:

Dick Lowry

Writer:

Remi Aubuchon

Stars:

Leelee Sobieski, Robert Urich, Ron Brice

Cast

Credited cast:
Leelee Sobieski	...	Danielle 'Danny' Fortuna
Robert Urich	...	Eddie Fortuna
Ron Brice	...	Gerald
Gary Basaraba	...	Solly
Erik Jensen	...	Mooney
Ed Bruce	...	Harland MacVie
Karen Carlson	...	Mrs. Slauson
Brian Michael	...	Kent
Ed Grady	...	Mr. Baynes
Randal Patrick	...	Charlie
Stuart Greer	...	Slick
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Emerson St. John	...	Jockey

Storyline

Danny Bara is one eleven-year-old girl who is nobody's fool. She lives at the track with her uncle Eddie, a horse trainer in the race circuit. Danny knows the horses. Danny knows the scams, and just how and when the races are fixed. Danny knows the odds makers-they depend on her for the inside story. And Danny knows that things are going to go nowhere for Uncle Eddie unless he can make his name with one great horse, a horse "you can ride into the money." Danny has found such a horse. Tom Thumb, a yearling up for sale, has champion potential and she knows it. She isn't fooled by Noel Ferguson, a big-time trainer who is talking Tom Thumb down. And when Moe Tully arrives in town, Danny knows it can only mean one thing-that races are going to be fixed. But there's opportunity in that for her. Placing her bets before school and picking up her winnings after, she is soon able to bankroll Uncle Eddie, along with her friend Gerald, a groom at a competing stable who is ready to stake his ...

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Plot Keywords:

horse | horse actor | character name in title

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Taglines:

It's one great season on the racing circuit

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Genres:

Drama | Family

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 April 1995 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ein Pferd für Danny

Filming Locations:

Henderson, Kentucky, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Signboard Hill Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Turning Off to the Races

Precocious eleven-year-old Leelee Sobieski (as Danielle "Danny" Fortuna) won't make friends with kids her own age, which worries uncle Robert Urich (as Edward "Eddie" Fortuna). Instead, the cute tomboyish little Ms. Sobieski like to hang around the racetrack, with stableman Ron Brice (as Gerald) and bookie Erik Jensen (as Mooney). Showing good horse sense, Sobieski persuades Mr. Urich to invest in a rambunctious yearling. He's quickly ready to send off to the races, but will "Tom Thumb" bring home the bacon?

"You know what you're trouble is," Urich tells Sobieski, "You're too old for your age."

Probably, the cute kid acting wiser than her years was supposed to be this dull TV movie's main appeal. This story may also be attempting originality by discarding some "kid with a horse" film clichés - there is no traditional young romance, no traditional tear-jerking scene, and young Sobieski doesn't even ride "A Horse for Danny" to his climactic big race; instead, Brian Michael (as Kent) takes the reigns. There is some ending drama on the track, though. The autumn Kentucky locations are the highlight.

**** A Horse for Danny (4/8/95) Dick Lowry ~ Leelee Sobieski, Robert Urich, Ron Brice, Gary Basaraba