Angry and defiant, thirteen-year-old Devlin believes hes unwanted. His younger siblings, who have also been in foster care, are now back home with his mother, who is in an abusive relationship. Hes fed up with changing schools and foster homes, and tries unsuccessfully to run away from his foster-uncles farm. Then, when he meets a horse about to become dog tucker, Devlin makes a deal with his foster uncle and takes on the job of saving it. Through his involvement in the harness racing scene, he is instrumental in unravelling a racing scandal.