Anyone who has been involved with horse racing long enough will tell you it is a game of extreme highs and lows. As such, it is not surprising those are the events that usually garner attention. Meanwhile, the quiet day-to-day actions of people go by largely unknown by most.

The following is one of those quiet stories. It involves good people doing right by a horse for no other reason than kindness.
In 2010, Fantasy Lane Stable made headlines when tragedy struck in the midst of the Triple Crown trail. The operation's trainer, Alan Seewald, died unexpectedly five days before Uptowncharlybrown ran in the Grade 2 Coolmore Lexington Stakes at Keeneland that spring.

“
It's like a standing joke, If Brian [Montefusco] is going to get involved, we don't want that horse.
” -- Bob Hutt, Fantasy Lane founder Seewald was more than just a trainer to those who make up the partnership of Fantasy Lane. The group's founder, Bob Hutt, considered Seewald a friend, a brother. And "Charly" was the best horse they had ever had.
Uptowncharlybrown skipped the Kentucky Derby and Preakness but ran in the Belmont. He finished fifth that day, but was disqualified to last after a fluke incident involving a weight falling out of his saddle during the race.
That season was a tough one for the folks that make up Fantasy Lane, but it did not alter what the partnership strives to attain. Started in 1999, the operation now has more than 400 members, but Hutt aims to maintain a family-like experience for the group.
That is where Brian Montefusco, his wife, Erica, and a filly named Rainbow Road come in. Odds are, you are unfamiliar with the trio.
Although Fantasy Lane only buys one or two horses a year, it has enjoyed steady success. Recently, in addition to Charly, there has been the talented multiple stakes winner R Betty Graybull (who just had a date with Awesome Again), and this season, everyone is excited about One Sock Down.
Well, almost everyone.
Brian and Erica have been members of Fantasy Lane for about four years. And in all fairness, they are excited about One Sock Down's future. They just wish they were going to be a part of it.
That is because they have a special talent of always picking the wrong horse. They passed on Charly and all of Fantasy Lane's other stakes winners for, well, horses that turned out to have issues or lack of ability. Including Rainbow Road.
"It's like a standing joke," said Hutt. "If Brian is going to get involved, we don't want that horse. We have had stake horse after stake horse and he buys the wrong one, year after year. It is scary. Whatever they buy, I already know there is trouble."
The Montefuscos have had to watch from the sidelines every time Fantasy Lane achieves success. But whether it is a testament to the familial vibe of Fantasy Lane or the fact the Montefuscos are just good people -- and I suspect it is a little bit of both -- this good run of bad luck has not deterred them in the least.
A nicely bred daughter of Bellamy Road, Rainbow Road's main issue on the track was the fact she couldn't stop growing. Her nickname was Cha Cha because for every step forward, she took two back. According to those at Fantasy Lane, the 4-year-old filly is just shy of 18 hands.
Because of her size, she didn't even make her racing debut until last December. She also ran in January, but both times she finished up the track. The decision was made that she just wasn't meant to be a racehorse. It put too much stress on her ankles.
That is when the Montefuscos stepped in.
Prior to Rainbow Road's second start, the couple got to spend time with the filly. They were going on a cruise but made time to visit Gulfstream Park before setting sail. For Erica, it was love at first sight.
"She was just not at all what we were expecting," Erica explained. "They tell you don't pet them; watch out for your fingers; watch their mannerisms because they will bite you. But she was lovely and sweet and gave kisses, and I fed her peppermint candies. There was a connection with her that was unbelievable."
When the husband and wife team got official word Rainbow Road was retired, they jumped at the chance to give her a home, and on Feb. 24 she officially went from racehorse to Erica's pleasure horse. After all, a key point for Fantasy Lane is the aftercare of its runners.
Regina Schneller is a partner in Fantasy Lane, but she also serves as counsel to the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. Thus, the operation has a built in support system for rehoming its runners. But when it came to Rainbow Road, everyone knew where she was headed.

“
If I ever found out a trainer I used let a horse go to slaughter, we would be done … I have no tolerance for that.
” -- Brian Montefusco, Fantasy Lane "These are our children, and we live and die with them," said Hutt. "We find homes for every horse we have. We love our horses. Erica taking Rainbow Road gives me and everybody great joy."
Brian echoed those sentiments, saying: "I never want to be associated with anything that allowed a horse I had part ownership of to ever find its way to a kill pen. I would get out of racing. If I ever found out a trainer I used let a horse go to slaughter, we would be done. And I would make sure everyone knew about it, too. I have no tolerance for that."
So, now Rainbow Road calls Ponca Hills Farm in Omaha, Neb., home. According to Erica, she has settled in nicely and still loves to give kisses. As further proof of how passionate the partners of Fantasy Lane are about their horses, Erica posted a video on YouTube entitled "Rainbow Road comes to Omaha" so they could see her in her new environment.
"She is smart, so I think she is going to want something to challenge her," Erica said about future plans for the filly. "What that is, I don't know, but we will keep her entertained one way or another.
"They keep telling me she'd make a fantastic jumping horse, but I am 35, I don't bounce, and she is really tall. It would be like falling off a giraffe. I just can't see where that is a good idea, but I am going to reserve judgment, and see how I interact with her."
As far as the couple's bad luck at picking future runners, they also have a plan for that.
"I told Bob we are going to send him the money but we are not picking the horse, he is -- we want nothing to do with the selection," joked Brian. "They pick very, very well. It's just that we … don't. With Fantasy Lane Stable, you kind of feel like you win even if you don't have part of the horse. But, if you think horse racing is a good investment, I suggest you read a book on investing. It is an expensive hobby."
Even so, for the Montefuscos, it is one that has brought them a lot of joy and a new family member, even if it hasn't included many trips to the winner's circle.

Amazing I miss helping my neighbor in Kansas for 5 years raise & take care of horses they are so very Beautiful..