Luck of the Draw
Diana Tuorto
Booksurge Publishing (2008)
ISBN: 978-1439203637
Reviewed by Shawna Thompson for Reader Views (09/2025)
Luck of the Draw is told from the perspective of Lucky, a dark brown colt who often finds himself trailing behind and overlooked when it comes to proving himself as a racehorse. Diana Tuorto has crafted a story of willpower, never giving up, and finding happiness.
Living on Jill and Lucien’s farm, Lucky learned that he was not born to be a racehorse like the other horses. During this time, he met his handler, Freddie, who was kind and a little scary. Lucky’s mom was his role model, and the best advice she gave him was “Always obey your rider or handlers and you’ll get along and live a good life like I have.” (pg.3) Suddenly, the next day, he was taken away from his mother to train, and he never saw her again. Not long after, Lucky was soon introduced to Cannonball, a Triple Crown hopeful, and his journey began.
Excited to start learning to train and race the other horses, Lucky is thrown into several workouts. In one of his first races, he was racing and almost to the finish line when another horse took a tumble. He realized that everything could be taken away without warning.
Following Lucky onto the farms, training facilities, and stalls brought it all to life for me. I enjoyed all the different characters of Platinum Blond, Ivory Black, and Sea Eagle. They all have different personalities that match their breed. Watching them interact with Lucky shows how every horse has its own place in the racing world, just like people. It reminded me of how friendship and rivalries can shape not only a horse’s career but also the way we connect with them as readers.
I like how Luck of the Draw is laid out into chapters. I plan to use Lucky as an inspirational lesson for my classroom. We will discuss how the story is in first person, the responsibilities of animals, and introduce what dressage is and what it looks like in a show ring. The best age group for reading would be emergent readers, but younger children would enjoy it being read to them.
The pacing and ending feel natural, carrying the story to a close without ever feeling rushed. I also appreciated that Diane Tuorto dedicated this book to two of her special horses, Puppy and Barbaro. That adds a special and meaningful touch for readers. It shows how deeply connected she is to the world she writes about. I would love to collect her other horse books and add them to my library.