Patrick McCardle: (Zac Efron) The son of a former baseball player, 15-year-old Patrick is expected to be a baseball star one day. The trouble his, he doesn't like baseball. When an opportunity arises, Patrick works up the courage to tell his dad the truth - that he wants to race in the Derby Cup.
Patrick is a good kid with a lot of integrity. He is honest and tries to give people a chance. Patrick is not just good with people, though, he is very good with horses too. His connection with his horse Rusty allows him to learn to race like a pro in a very short amount of time. He also relies on help from his friends Houston and Jill.