Ace & the Christmas Miracle (2021)

[bunniefuu]

Ahh, sunny Southern California,

among the rolling hills
and vineyards

of the picturesque
Temecula Wine Country Valley,

where we find families busily preparing
for Christmas in this quaint town.

- Hey, Ace.
- That's Daniel.

- How're ya buddy?
- He's just ten,

but he never lets me
miss a meal.

Or a snack or two
for that matter.

The boy's my favorite human
and he is quite a special lad.

See that girl?

She's Daniel's friend Ashley.

She's only 12,
yet she races her horse Athena.

Bye, Daniel, I'm taking Athena
out to the race.

- Merry Christmas!
- Merry Christmas.

This town is all about
their vineyards and their horses.

Oh, wow, yes,
carrots are my favorite.

There you go, your favorite.

Hey, Daniel,
could I feed Ace this apple?

Sure, David.

Daniel, come on!

You don't wanna be
late for school

on your last day
before Christmas vacation!

Okay, bye!

See ya at school!

That's Daniel's mom, Amanda.

Never seen a better mom
than that gal.

There ya go buddy, now you're
all ready for Christmas.

Sorry, gotta go.

Coming, Mom!

Another Christmas in Temecula!

Where there's absolutely
no chance of a white Christmas.

No snow.

The town will be
filled with tourists,

for the California Wine Country
Annual Christmas Derby!

That's Tony, he looks ready
for action, he's got a plan,

but will he accomplish
what he set out to do?

Hi!

Hello, ma'am,
happy holidays to you.

- Tony Romano here.
- Merry Christmas.

That's a cute looking
little monkey you got there.

Hello there, poochy.
Look at you, poochy-coo!

- Look at you, little monkey.
- Oh, say, "I'm not a monkey."

- Oh, she's not a monkey?
- She's a Maltese.

Oh, she's so cute.

What's her name?

This is Coco Chanel.

Coco Chanel, look at you!
Coco Chanel!

Yes, please, come right in.
The bug problem.

Let's do it.

Beautiful home
you have here.

Thank you, thank you so much.

Right this way.

I hear them in my kitchen.
They are driving me crazy.

That clicking sound
they make.

Oh, yeah,
that happens all the time.

They are right under here,
under the sink.

- Right here?
- Yes, right here.

Do you see anything?

Just give me a minute.

I wanna be thorough here.

Hm, you've got
some infestation here, lady.

This is gonna take at least
a couple of treatments.

This is what it's gonna take.

Get out of my house,
you loser!

You're nothing
but a scam artist!

Leave, I said to leave!

Your loss, lady.

With baby due any day now,

I really need this
taken care of, like, now.

Congratulations to you
and the mister,

'cause babies
are a beautiful blessing!

Look, I wanna help you out,
Tina, I really do.

So how long is it gonna take
to get rid of them?

And when could you do it?

Look, Tina, it's Christmas

and my schedule's
already packed,

but maybe we can
work something out.

That's gross!
You need to leave!

- Right now!
- If I leave now, lady,

you're still gonna have those
pesky crickets for the holidays.

And you don't want that, do ya?

At least I won't
have you in my house.

Well, hello there, Amanda.

Hey, Ace.

You're out here a bit late.

This can't be good.

What's going on?

Look what
I got for you, buddy.

There you go.

- Ah.
- Oh...

Yeah, right there.
Yeah, that's the ticket.

There's something
I need to tell you.

I know you're not
gonna understand it,

but you know that you are
so special to us.

And Daniel loves you so much.

And I love Daniel.

And I promise you,
you're gonna be well taken care of.

You'll have
all your favorite apples.

What's apples
got to do with this Amanda?

Settle down now buddy,
okay.

I promise you,
everything's gonna be okay.

Settle down, huh?
How can I settle down?

You haven't told me
what's going on!

Something doesn't sound right,
Amanda!

I just...
I need to do this for Daniel.

And I know
how much you love him.

I do love Daniel.

It's just Brandon's business
has been hit so hard,

and the way that he has been spending
money lately, it terrifies me.

I am so worried
for Daniel's future.

I know you don't understand
what I'm saying,

but if you did,

I know that you would
do anything to help me

take care of Daniel.

Wouldn't you, buddy?

Of course, I would.

You're such a good boy.

Okay, one more.

- Alright, buddy.
- You keep distracting me with my apples,

what's your plan?

Oh, I understand, Amanda, I do.

And you're right,
I will do anything for Daniel.

Anything.

Get out of my house!

I know what you are!
A rip off artist!

I will call the police!

I catch you
with your jar of crickets!

Take your stupid
Santa cap with you!

But, but lady,
I could explain!

Well, that's something.

Tony gets thrown out
of three houses in a row,

and at Christmas.

Something's up with this guy,
and it doesn't look good.

Uncle Vito.

My favorite uncle.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah, business is not so good.

Alright.

I'll be right over.

Okay, bye.

Uncle Vito, Aunt Rosa's pizza
is yummy as always.

I love the sausage and pepperoni the best!

Oh, that's so good,
I love to hear that.

Oh, thank you, my Bella.

Go enjoy!

Bye!

Hey, here ya go,
Uncle Vito.

Maybe this Santa cap

will give you more luck
than it gave me.

What took you so long
to get here?

What are you talking about?

I came straight over here
as soon as you called me.

All right, all right.

I got a sure thing
for you, okay?

Now... listen, listen.

- You listening?
- I'm listening.

This filly has come in fourth
in its last two races,

and from what I'm hearing,
she's ready to place second.

She's gonna come in second,

so what I'm thinking,
is you bet at the show, huh?

And it's a sure thing!

Don't mess me up on this one,
Uncle Vito.

I need this one now!

Look, I don't know what you're
talking about, now listen.

Tony boy,
I know you're gonna win. Hm?

Maureen O'Reilly.

Oh...

McDougal Enterprises,
meeting all of your driver needs.

This is Doug McDougal,
how may I help you?

It's me, numb nuts.

Why don't you look at
your caller ID, doofus.

Oh, crap!

How'd you
get this number?

Open the door, let's go!

Shush, you little punks!

Never mind that.

Uncle Vito gave me
one of his sure things.

Why don't you come on over to The
Pub and meet me there about 4:30.

I can't. I'm at work.

I'm already late,
I'm doing my last drop offs,

and then Christmas vacation
here we come.

Hey, what are you doing dude?
Come on, open up!

- I've got somewhere to be!
- It looks like he's on the phone.

Fifteen minutes tops,
you're already running late.

What's another few minutes?

Tony boy, I'm in.
I'll be right there.

All right, you little hooligans,

you're
the last of the Mohicans.

Get in, sit down,
grab on, and pipe down!

It's about time, dude.

h*, h*, h*.

How are you
on this bright, sunny day?

Sunny day.

You know the routine.

Nobody goes through these doors

without being cleared by me.

Well, uh, actually,
I just dropped by to see Big Freddie.

You remember me, don't cha?

No, can't say I do.

You know, my Uncle Vito.
Mama Rosa's Pizzeria.

My Aunt Rosa and my Uncle Vito.

Him and Freddie go way back.

All right, go on in.

But make it quick.

Big Freddie
has a lot of appointments.

All right, no problem.

Don't you already owe me, Tony?

Well, uh, I paid you back.

I mean, I'm almost done
paying you back.

You know, but I... I'm trying
to pay you back, yeah.

Oh, yeah, right.

So I am supposed to
be dumb enough

to give you more
when you already owe me?

Do I look like a dummy, Tony?

Of course not, Big Freddie.

You're the smartest
business man I know.

I kinda look up to you,
you know.

Well, if you think
I'm that smart, Tony...

now why do you think
I'm gonna give you more money

when you haven't paid me back the
money that I already gave you?

Now that ain't smart,
is it, Tony?

I was thinking, you know,

I mean, I'm always good for it,
you know that.

Plus, I never said nothing,

I never say nothing
about your fee.

That is true.

You have never stiffed me.

Not yet anyway.

All right,
how much you need now?

- Twenty thou.
- Oh!

You still owe me,
and I'm gonna give you 20 more?

It's a sure thing, Big Freddie.

It's the Annual Christmas Derby.

The purse
is one million big ones.

Million?

Sure thing, huh?

Says who?

My Uncle Vito.

Uncle Vito.

That loser
wouldn't know a sure thing

if it punched him in the mouth.

Never mind my uncle, okay.

I'm good for it, Freddie.

- You trust me.
- Trust you?

I don't trust nobody.

I don't even trust
my own mother.

It's a sure thing this time.

All right.

I'm gonna give you
the 20 large...

you're gonna pay me back,
all of it, by Christmas Eve.

All of it, with my fee.

Or there's gonna be
circumstances.

That is a Big Freddie promise.

But-but that's only a week.

Yeah, a week.

You got a problem with
the timeframe there, Tony?

You expecting to lose your shirt
or more of my money?

"Sure thing" you said.

You listen to me,

I'm gonna send Joey and Jasper

to see you Christmas Eve.

One way or the other,
you are gonna pay Big Freddie back.

Or there's gonna be
some big problems.

And you don't want no problems
on Christmas, now do ya, Tony?

No.

No problems on Christmas.

Hey, you do the right thing.

Understand me?

I'll be right back, kids.

I gotta handle
some business real quick.

Can I bring you back anything?
No?

Good, great, grand!
Bye-bye!

Dude, come back!
I have to get home!

I have to get
my hair and makeup done!

Don't worry, little missy,

I'll be right back
and get you home right on time.

I'm sh**ting a cover!

You can't just leave us here.

Come back!

Hello, sir.

May I interest you
in Robert Renzoni's

- Big Fred's Red?
- I'm good, I'm good.

I'm just waiting for a friend.

It seems as if someone
is trying to get your attention.

How ya doing, you baboon?

Well, baboon you say?

Well, I can only assume
that a baboon won't appreciate

the finest wines in all of this
beautiful Temecula wine country.

We're good.
No wine for us.

What are we doing, Tony?

Where'd you get all that cash?

Can we have two beers please?
And thank yous.

Business has been
picking up lately.

And just in time for
the Annual Christmas Derby.

Hey, it's me.

Now where'd you
really get the money from?

Okay, I borrowed it.

How much did you borrow?

All of it.

Here you go.

All right,
so what are you betting on?

Listen, 20 large,
race number three,

horse number five,
Dolly's Pride.

All she's gotta do is show,
and we're set.

Why that horse?

Uncle Vito
says it's a sure thing!

Oh, no,
not one of Uncle Vito's tips!

He's never right, Tony!
You know that!

Listen...

this is what
we've been waiting for.

This is the kind of bet will get us out
of debt and change our lives forever!

All right, fine.
Where'd you get the money?

I borrowed it.
Why does that matter?

It was Big Freddie,
wasn't it?

Don't you already owe
Big Freddie a lot of money?

So?!

You must have a death wish,
my friend.

Big Freddie's not
gonna do nothin', okay.

I'm probably gonna get him back
the money way before Christmas Eve.

Oh, man, my cop stash
is coming in!

Ooh!

Oh, so delicious and so fresh.

Oh, the lady made 'em,
just made 'em.

Ooh! Ooh, I want
a gluten-free one.

Let me see, which one
did she say was the gluten...?

Was it the chocolate
or the vanilla?

Ooh.

Chocolate.

I've been very gluten sensitive
since my colonoscopy,

and healthy choices are part of
a healthy lifestyle.

Car 21, what is your 10-20?

This is Car 21.

I'm at Seasons Street
and California Avenue, over.

I have a 207A at The Pub.

I have a 207A at The Pub,
do you copy?

Always interrupting
my donut time.

Welcome folks, to The California
Wine Country Annual Christmas Derby.

I'm your announcer Chip Starr,
here to call the races for you folks.

It's a beautiful day
in the Temecula Wine Country,

so sip a little,
sit back and enjoy!

Here we go folks. Our first meet
with a lot of pretty ponies.

First time with us is Filly
For Phyllis and Stretch Adam.

There she is, Dolly's Pride.

Dolly's Pride, here we go!

Here you go, Gino, enjoy!

Thanks, hon.

Best of luck to you, man!

I got money
on that little gal, too.

She broke my heart once before,

before but not my bank account,
thank God, you know what I mean?

Oh, I know what you mean.

I don't usually pray
to win a bet

because I figure, you know,
God has better things to do.

But in this case.

Amen.

Two guys praying
for the same thing.

Double the odds, right?

Ah, what do I know, cheers.

Right, bud?

Okay, folks,
they're in the gates,

and, they're off!

Hello Kitty Girl takes the lead!

My Kid's Allowance
following closely behind,

with Dolly's Pride
a strong showing in third.

C'mon, Dolly's Pride!
C'mon, you're a sure thing!

C'mon, you're supposed to be
a sure thing! C'mon!

And here comes
Filly For Phyllis

right behind Dolly's Pride,
who is losing some steam.

C'mon, Dolly's Pride, c'mon!

Stretch Adam now in third behind
Hello Kitty Girl and Dolly's Pride.

Come on! Come on!
Yeah, Dolly's Pride, come on! Come on!

Dolly's Pride
is still falling, folks!

- No!
- Ask Your Mom takes a strangle hold on first

while Stretch Adam
pushes for second,

neck and neck with Hello Kitty
Girl, two lengths behind.

This may be
a photo finish folks!

Come on, Dolly's Pride!

We need this win or else!

No wait! Buster Blue is on
the outside making a challenge.

But Ask Your Mom holds his own!

Wait for it!
And the stallion takes it!

What a race, folks!

There's your winner, folks,
Ask Your Mom,

- followed by Stretch Adam...
- No!

...and Hello Kitty Girl!

Ah, folks, Dolly's Pride
brings up the rear.

She's nearly placed
her last few races.

Sure came up short today.

What a shame folks.
Such a shame.

Sorry, man.

I think
we're gonna need two more.

Pronto!

Please and thank yous!

- Help us!
- Yeah, coming.

Everybody okay?

All right,
everybody off the bus.

C'mon on out,
one at a time, c'mon.

I lied.

I've been gouging prices
on my customers

for the past three months.

Trying to save enough money
to pay off my debts.

What?

Yeah, you shoulda seen me,

releasing crickets
in my customer's kitchen.

Got thrown out of three mansions
in one day over.

Well, maybe over my prices.

Or some off color
remark I said.

And I still can't
pay back Big Freddie.

I mean, look what
I just lost right here.

And he gave me the deadline
of Christmas Eve.

Ah, crap!

I forgot about those kids
I left out on my bus.

There's the guy
who kidnapped us!

He made me
miss my photo sh**t!

Sorry, pal, gotta go.

Where you going?

Freeze!

You're under arrest,
hold still.

You have the right
to remain silent...

Yeah, yeah, I know the spiel.

Been watching Law and Order
for years!

Hold still.

I got my Miranda card
right here.

This is so much easier in
the Academy

on a practice dummy.

You have the right
to remain silent.

You have the right
to an attorney.

If you can't afford an attorney,
which looks like you can't,

one will be present at the time and
then one will be paid for by the state.

- Do you understand these rights?
- Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

A dummy never talks back.

Why's your friend
getting arrested?

He kidnapped some kids to hang
out with me and play the ponies.

- Well, how did you do?
- I lost.

It was supposed to be
a sure thing.

So my uncle said so.

I'm sorry we were
a bit cranky earlier.

- You should be.
- I am.

So how much did you lose?

Don't you think that's a bit
of an intrusive question?

Well, I'm an intrusive woman.
Sue me.

I lost a lot,

and if I don't
pay it back by Christmas Eve,

I'm a dead man walking.

Wow!
What the heck were you thinking?

I wasn't thinking!

So you're an exterminator, huh?

Yep.

What's your specialty?

Well, you know,
your rats and roaches...

you know,
your common garden snakes,

and crickets,
and whatever bugs ya.

Got you covered.

Well, that's pretty funny,
bug puns.

I like that.

Yeah, so, what's the damage?

- What do I owe you?
- Don't worry about it.

Listen, I don't need your charity.
What do I owe you?

After the way you gambled today,
I think you do need my charity.

- I'm sorry.
- No, you're not.

Sorry, not sorry.

Well, thanks for reminding me
what a loser I am.

Maybe I'll come back and lose some
more, if I'm not dead in seven days.

Wait a minute.
Let me get your number.

What, are you trying to
ask me out for a date?

Actually, no, but I have a money opportunity
that'll solve all your problems.

- Is that so?
- Maybe.

No promises, but maybe.

Daniel, there's something
I wanna tell you.

Mommy has made some plans

for Ace to go on a little trip.

Oh, is that
what you're calling it?

A trip? You mean like a vacation?
Where to, Mom?

Just somewhere close by
and just for a couple of days.

How come, Mom?

Well, you know
how special Ace is to us.

It'll just be a few days and then
he's gonna be right back home.

Ace sure is special.
He's so smart.

He's like a big dog to me.
I love Ace, Mom.

I know you do, son.
I know you do.

And Ace, he loves you so much.

Well, we better hurry up.
We got a big day ahead of us,

and we've got a lot
of Christmas shopping to do.

- Come on, Ace.
- A big dog?

Oh, come on Daniel, can't you
come up with a better comparison?

I sure don't wanna
go on any trip.

If only I could stay home and
look after you like I always have.

Hey, man, thanks for everything.

- Absolutely.
- I'll see you at the poetry reading next week?

Yeah, for sure. And remember,
I'm gonna challenge you

for that title you've held
the last two years straight.

The Annual Christmas
Chili Cook Off Championship.

Are you gonna make that gluten-free
recipe you told me about?

Yes, sir, it's a winner.

And it helps the effects
of eating beans too.

Boy, do I know!

Come on now, Dougie,
your ride's over there.

It was a pleasure meeting you,
high five.

Last chance on the donuts.

- All right!
- Take it easy!

What the heck
happened to you last night?

- What do you mean?
- What do I mean?

What do you mean,
what do I mean?

What happened to you
after you got

dragged out of there
by the police?

And then this morning,

you come out
of the police station

with your new bestie,
talking about poetry readings

and a chili cook off?

Yeah, so they booked me for
kidnapping and child endangerment.

Child endangerment?

They were a bunch
of bratty teenagers.

Yeah, so, I'm thinking I'm definitely
going to prison for the rest of my life.

But the cops got a bunch of
calls from the kid's parents

saying they don't
wanna press charges.

So, what happened?

Well, then the other kid's
parents call,

they don't wanna press charges,

they're calling the precinct
and City Hall, too!

- So... What, why?
- Well, that's what I say!

Well, it turns out a cement
truck turned over on my route,

would've flattened the bus,

so actually,
I saved all their kids!

How great is that, huh?
I'm a freakin' hero!

So you're like
the Teflon Dougie, yeah?

Yeah, I am!

You didn't get trouble at all?

Well, I did get fired,

but I was gonna quit
that job anyway.

And what about
creepin' on that crush?

That art teacher.

Well, I'll get another job
at the school.

Maybe as a teacher?

A teacher?

Are you serious?

Good luck with that, pal.

All right, so what happened
with you last night?

Actually, it went really,
really good.

I, uh, I started talking with
that beautiful barmaid at The Pub,

and she asked for
my number, too.

- That's great, pal!
- I know.

Yeah, but,
it really doesn't matter.

Why?
I mean, that's great news!

You need good news!

Yeah, but when Big Freddie
finds out...

I can't pay him
on Christmas Eve, I'm done.

- Oh, and also, by the way, we got evicted yesterday.
- What?

Yeah, I fell asleep at the
apartment last night in the car,

and when I woke up,
I found this.

Tony's phone, who dis?

Come on, give me the phone.

Amanda you say?
It's Dougie!

- I said give me the phone!
- I met you last night!

- Yeah, at The Pub!
- Give me the phone!

Yeah, I got hauled outta there
with the cops.

Made a big scene.
How ya doing?

Hello.

Hey, Tony, glad to hear
your friend's okay.

Yeah, yeah, he's okay for now.

So how are you
feeling this morning?

I'll survive, hopefully.
How you doing?

Hey, I just wanted to call
because I might have a way

that you can
earn that money that you owe.

Put her on speaker.

Really?
Sounds good to me. How?

I'd rather talk to you
about it in person.

Is there any way
you're available to meet me now?

Okay.

Okay, well,
I'm house sitting right now

at my brother's house
while he's out of town.

I'll text you the address.
Meet me here in an hour?

You need this thing
done right now?

Do you wanna wait for that guy you
owe money to knock you off first,

or you'd rather make it
to another Christmas?

We'll be right over.

Okay, until then.

What could she need us to do?

If Amanda has a way
of helping us pay off our debts,

it's worth listening to.

We got no other
options anyways.

Very true.

This could be the Christmas
miracle I've been praying for.

- Hiya!
- Well, is Amanda around?

Daniel, I thought I told you to get
Mommy and to not answer the door?

But I didn't let them in.
I just opened the door

and they were already
standing there.

Alright, why don't you
just go play for a little while

and I'll get you when lunch
is ready, okay, sweetie?

- Can we go visit Ace?
- Sure.

Sorry about that.

No, it's okay.

You know,
cute kid you got there.

Thank you.

Come on in.

Boy, your brother must have a pretty
k*ller job to afford a place like this.

You could say that.

Um, can I get you guys
something to drink?

- Coffee, soda...
- I'll take a whiskey.

What are you bothering
the nice lady for, huh?

She offered us
soda and coffee, huh?

Right?

- We'll just take a coffee.
- Okay.

Why don't you guys just go outside and
have a seat and I'll be right back.

I think you hit the jackpot
with this one, pal.

What do ya mean?

Look at this place!

This chick
is rolling in it, man.

No, her brother is.

She's the new barmaid
at The Pub, remember?

Oh, so you think her brother's
gonna let her be poor?

This chick could be
the meal ticket

we've been searching for
our whole lives!

- Our lives?
- Yeah, our!

Whatever she needs doing,
me and yous gonna do it together.

Wonderful.

Thanks for coming on
such short notice, guys.

Thanks for the opportunity.

Yeah, the opportunity to...

What are we doing here?

Ow! Stop doing that!

You know I bruise like a tomato!

So, Amanda,
can you fill us in

on exactly what you would
like us to get done?

So, my brother, he has been
racing horses for years,

and his biggest winner is Ace.

And that's the horse
I need your help with.

I just need you
to take him away for a while.

Just until I can get some
funding for my brother situated.

Funding?
What does that mean?

I just need you to take Ace a
while and keep him somewhere.

- So you need a horse sitter?
- No, not exactly.

You see my brother,
he made a bet

against his arch enemy,
Renzoni's eldest son,

that Ace can beat his horse
in the New Year's Day Derby.

So what you're saying is you don't want
your brother's horse to run this race?

Not really.

Why would your brother

race his horse that can't win?

Because, sadly, my brother

is easily manipulated
into doing things he shouldn't.

Like cheating
on his wife of 12 years

and leaving her without a dime.

Or starting a family
that he abandoned.

Or ignoring his only child.

Or getting himself into bets
and races that he might not win,

risking everything.

All because his pride

cannot back down
from a longtime rival!

Whoa, sounds like
a real piece of work.

Oh, come on!

Tony!

Leave him alone, he's not wrong!

Brandon is a piece of work.

So in other words,

you want us to horse nap Ace

so he can't run in the race?

What's that
supposed to accomplish?

Everything that you see here,

my brother's entire estate,
is on the line.

It's his estate against
Renzoni Vineyards and Farms.

And this property,
it's half Daniel's.

Wait, Renzoni, as in,
Roberto Renzoni?

As in the owner
of the Renzoni Vineyards?

And the Renzoni Estates?

One in the same.

The Renzoni family own half this
town and most of the vineyards in it.

So why don't you want
your brother's horse to race?

I do want Ace to race,
but before that happens,

I want my brother
to have to pay to get Ace back.

Pay?
You mean like a ransom?

I mean, I wouldn't call it
that exactly.

But if you do this for me,

I can give you
a large sum of money.

Maybe even enough
to pay off all your debts.

- Really?
- Really?

It's the only way I can think of

to give my son
what rightfully belongs to him.

Sounds like you and your brother
have some bad blood between yous.

Everybody's
got something, right?

Yeah, that's for sure.

Look, Ace still gets to race
against Renzoni's horse,

probably win.

My brother will have to give up
some of his precious money.

And maybe Daniel and I
will finally get to be able

to find a decent place to live
and not have to struggle so much.

A fee you say? A large fee?

A large fee.

Tony.

I really need you
to do this for me.

Please?

It's for Daniel's future.

All right,
we'll do it for you, Amanda.

Now where's the victim?

Well, who have we got here?

Easy, boy.

Are these guys taking me

on that trip you've arranged?

Hi, Ace.
How are ya, buddy?

That's a fine specimen
of a horse you got there.

Is he friendly?

Usually.

Usually?

Well, he doesn't often interact

with somebody
trying to kidnap him.

- Kidnap?
- Point taken.

All my years of
faithful service to this family,

this is what
I get for Christmas?

Easy, boy.
Easy, big fella.

- Whoa, whoa!
- Who you calling fella, fella?!

Watch out!
The horse is coming in hot!

Why don't you
lower your voice, huh?

You're scarin' the horse
to death over here!

He's not scaring me!

If you think
you're gonna take me away,

- you better think again, fella!
- Whoa!

That's it. Come on, pal.

Open your eyes.

Glad to see you're still alive.

What the heck happened to me?

You want them
to tell you what has happened?

I'll tell you,
you little punk, you!

That's what you get for trying to
take me and do who knows what with me!

You really think
I'm stupid enough

to let you take me
without a fight?

What the heck?

Come on, pal,
try and stand up.

Come on, lean on me.
That's it.

Why don't you just take him

to wherever he was
gonna take me!

That'll show him!
No need for that trip Amanda.

Okay, it's time
to get you in the house.

Come on, pal,
you need an ice pack.

Better yet, leave him here with
me, let's see how tough he is.

I'll just give him
another Glasgow Kiss.

That'll fix him right up!

Well, hello baby, impressed?

Okay, let's get you
on the couch.

Ooh, lay down, okay.

I'm gonna go get you
an ice pack,

and I'm gonna
call the doctor, too.

I'll be right back.

She's gone now.

So tell me, Tony boy,

what the heck
is going on here?

What's with all
the talking horse stuff?

What's your angle here, pal?

There's no stinking angle
here, Dougie!

When I woke up,
this horse was talking to me!

C'mon, Tony!

Stop pulling my leg now!

No, I'm not.

When I banged heads
with that horse,

I was out like a light.

And when I came to,
that horse was talking to me.

I'm telling ya!

I think you got a real
head injury here, my friend.

Amanda, hurry up
with that ice, will ya?

Great news.

Spoke to the doctor,

he's in the neighborhood,
he's on his way.

Just keep this on your head.

Amanda? Are you there?

- Right here.
- Amanda, how long

has your brother
had that horse for?

A long time, why?

Because that horse
is talking to me.

Has there ever been
a problem with the horse?

No, why are you asking me that?

Mom, doorbell!

I'll get it!

Dr. Hans, thank you so much
for coming so quickly.

No problem, I was
just at your neighbor's place.

- Oh, good.
- Excuse me.

Guten tag.
Pleasure to meet you.

Hello, Doctor,
nice to meet you.

Let me... let me...
Oops, this way.

Have you breathe deeply for me.

Um, no, Doctor...
Tony's the one that's hurt.

It's the one with the ice pack.

Ah, got it. Yep.

Okay, then,
I'll listen to him first.

So, okay.

Okay, so...

Mm-hm.

Mm-hm.

Oh.

Doesn't seem to be
anything wrong with you.

Tell me, are you
experiencing, um, any headaches?

No, Doc, I'm okay.

I told 'em
I was gonna be all right.

I don't need a doctor.
Okay, no worries.

Mm-hm. Sit up please, sit.

I want to look at your ear
with my otoscope.

My otoscope.

Never mind, I don't need to
look at your ear canal,

your tympanic membrane,
or your ear drums.

Tell me, are you
hearing a ringing in your ear?

No, Doc, no ringing in the ears.

But I hear a horse talking.

Excuse me?

He said he heard a horse
talk to him!

Wait, Mom, did he just say

that he heard Ace talk to him?

Well, Ace and Tony,

they banged heads,
and then Tony passed out,

and when he came to,
that's what he told us.

That's hysterical.

Ace, a talking horse?
Too funny, Mom.

So, you heard a horse talk?

That's what I said, Doc.
It's talking to me.

And I think he understood
everything I was saying.

And have you heard any other
horses talking to you?

I mean, before this horse
spoke with you today?

I don't deal with
a lot of horses,

but only when I play the ponies.

How about other animals?
Do you hear them speak with you?

No, not really.

Only when I hear them squeal.

When I...
When I get 'em cornered.

He's an exterminator!

Uh-huh, yeah. So...

I'm gonna be okay, so I wanna
just say thank yous, okay.

Please and thank yous.

He must be right,
he's a doctor.

Look at that medical bag.

Uh-huh.

Okay. Here's my card.

If you develop
any more symptoms,

I want you to call me.

Okay?

Okay, you got it, Doc.

And thank yous.

Keep an eye on him.

- I'll see myself to the door.
- Okay, thank you, Dr. Hans.

Amanda, I can't see it,

but, yeah, I think it says something
about a horse doctor on here?

What kind of doctor...
He's a horse doctor?

Well, I did the best I could
in an emergency, Tony.

I mean, he gave you
a thorough exam didn't he?

He did, Tony.
He checked everything on ya.

Listen, I'll be back in a few.

Where are you going?

I'm going to finish
what I started.

What did he start, Mom?

Um, Tony started a new book
for our book club, sweetie.

Now don't you think
that you should just rest

and maybe not finish
what you started?

It's getting late.

No, I'm gonna be good.

I'm all right.

Listen, I can get someone
to fill in for you, okay.

You probably need your rest.

I mean, you did bang heads
with a horse.

No, Amanda.

I need to do this myself.

Oh, you back for more,
you little horse thief?

I'm not hearing this.

Heck, you can hear me,
and I heard you!

Trying to make off with me.
Try again and see what happens!

How am I hearing you talk?

I just don't get it!

Maybe this is your punishment

for even making
an attempt to take me

from the only home
I've ever known.

I'm sorry about that, Ace,
but my back is against the wall.

If I don't pay back the money I
owe, I'm a dead man.

Is that all this is about?
Money?

Why didn't you say so?
I've got money.

Well, actually, Brandon,
he's got a ton of cash

from me winning
so many races all these years.

Amanda says that you'll lose
to Renzoni's horse.

Have you no idea
of my pedigree?

My bloodline dates
all the way back to Arabia,

before we were
brought to America.

I am a true
Arabian thoroughbred.

All about the heart.
Most people don't get that.

A horse with a bigger heart
is more likely to succeed,

because the heart is stronger and can
pump more blood throughout the body.

I've got all the right moves,

and the speed to take down
Renzoni's puny pony.

Does no one have faith in me?

I do, fella, but I just gotta
get this over with.

Hold your horses there, mister.

Wow, nothing?

Your attempt with comedy
is worse than Dougie's.

Eh, okay,
that wasn't my best.

But I have one more option.
How about this?

What if I help you
win a couple of sure things,

you get the money
to pay off your debts,

plus some to keep for yourself.
How's that sound?

- So how you gonna do that?
- Take me to the track.

I can talk to a few of the horses
there, pull a favor or two.

Wait, what? You can talk with
the other horses?

Trust me. I've got a lot
of friends who owe me favors.

I can make this happen.
You could even test me.

Bet the way I tell you
on one race and you'll see.

What are you doing, Tony?

Nothing.
I was just thinking.

Still hearing voices, pal?

No, but I think I got
a better idea to make the money,

instead of horse napping
this magnificent horse.

Well, looks like
we've got a deal!

And I'm gonna show you all

what loyalty and friendship
is all about.

Take me to the track!

Mom, look at all the horses!

What, Daniel's never been to
the track before?

Oh, he's been around horses
all his life,

but he's never been to
a race track before.

Looks like Daniel's
having fun.

So, what are we
doing here anyway?

Oh, you'll see.
You'll see.

Alright, big fella.

Hey, how's everybody doing?

Good to see ya.

Hey, Champ,
good to see ya again.

Take me over to the horse down at the
end, I recognize him.

Yep, just what I thought!

That's Sir Blake,
we go way back.

A fine thoroughbred.
Heck of a racehorse!

Take me to him.

What's happening, bro?
How ya been?

Haven't seen you in a minute.

Who do you race today?

Well, they've got me
up against Bradley's Gal.

Wow, Bradley's Gal!
Really?

But haven't you beat her before?

I can't believe it,
I hear them both.

What's happening here?

Why is that so surprising?

You hear me
so you hear my friends, too.

Now shush, I'm negotiating.

A bit overrated,
isn't that spunky little filly?

I need to ask you a favor.
I need a sure thing.

Step over here
for a moment, Blake.

Alright,
put your money on Bradley's Gal,

and we'll throw this one
for you, my friend.

He would do that for you?

Yes, I would do anything

my friend Ace asked me to do.

We go way back to when we were
just colts in Wellington Farms.

Okay, Bradley's Gal to win.

And thank yous!

So you are talking to the horse.

You could talk to a horse?
Cool.

Wish you could hear me, Daniel.

Calm down.
Trust me, it's gonna work!

That's the same thing you said when
your uncle gave you that "sure thing".

- Where did that get ya?
- That was different.

Yeah, now you're getting betting
advice from a damn horse!

Ooh, you swore, Mom!

Now you gotta put five bucks in the
cussing jar as soon as you get home.

I'm sorry, sweetie.
I know that was very bad of Mommy.

Not as bad as Tony bringing
us here and wasting our time.

It's not a waste of time.
Ace says it's a sure thing!

Plus, I don't have
any other options.

You're listening to a horse
who you supposedly hear speak.

Excuse me for being
a bit skeptical.

Look, let's just make
a test bet, okay.

Nothing crazy, all right?

If he loses, we go home.

Fair enough?

That sounds fair to me.

Are you kidding me?
Don't encourage him!

He needs a psychiatrist.
We all need to go home.

Come on, let's just go
and get some lunch.

C'mon, Daniel,
I bet you're hungry.

I'll race ya!

Daniel.

Oh, never mind!

I'm gonna go
place the test bet.

It seems like
I don't have any other option.

What about
that Christmas miracle

that you said
you've been praying for?

It could happen,
if you believe.

Whatever, Tony.

Skeptics be gone!

You'll see, Amanda.

I hope you're right
on this one, Ace.

Trust me,
you won't regret this.

No risk, no reward, right?

You're both falling back
into the same trap

that got you into this mess.

We have to make sure this
talking horse thing is for real.

How do you expect to get ahead
by betting like this?

And all of this on the word
of a so-called talking horse?

And not only that, the only guy
that can hear him talk

is the guy
who butted heads with him.

I trust Tony.
I believe in him.

Dougie, you're a good friend.

But you are loyal to a fault.

And you should not let Tony
drag you down with him.

Welcome folks
to the third race

at The California
Wine Country Racetrack!

Chip Starr back with you,
and the weather has been a dream folks!

Did you guys want another?

There she is, number four.
Mother's Favorite Son!

Okay, here we go.

Let's see if Ace
knows what he's talking about.

They're in the gates
and they're off!

Jumping out into the lead
is Cody's Promise

with Lady Nadine close behind!

Okay, here we go.

Here comes Please Take My
Wife followed by Problem Child!

Sir Blake falling off fast.

Here comes Mother's Favorite Son
overtaking Cody's Promise!

And here comes Please Take My
Wife in front of Cody's Promise!

But coming on strong
on the outside

is Mother's Favorite Son
in first,

followed by Cody's Promise
and Lady Nadine!

Oh, this is a heck of
a horse race folks!

Here they come now,
spinning out of the turn!

Mother's Favorite Son
and Cody's Promise

now neck and neck,
and down the stretch they come!

Mother's Favorite Son is pulling
away from Cody's Promise by a length!

But wait, here comes
Sir Blake out of nowhere!

Can he do it, folks!
Can Sir Blake capture first!

And at the wire,
it's Mother's Favorite Son

for the first place win!

Sir Blake in second
and Cody's Promise in third!

Wowser!
What a race, everybody!

Yeah!

We won! We won!

We did it!

- How much did you bet?
- Well, not too much.

It was a test bet, but I bet on
Mother's Favorite Son to win,

and she won,
just like Ace said she would!

Yeah! Did we just win money
from a tip from a talking horse?

Yeah, we did!
But it's just one race.

We need to try one more.

We gotta make sure
this is for real.

You know, you're right.
Yeah.

This could be some dumb luck.
Let's go talk to that horse!

It's a sure thing.

Go for it!

Listen to me,
and listen to me good.

Bradley's Gal to win.

Take all the winnings we got,

and everything else we have
and bet it all.

Are you sure?

- No risk, no reward, right?
- Darn right!

Your friend
does run strangely.

I think he was dropped on
the head when he was a baby.

That explains it!

Well, Merry Christmas, folks!

And now what
you've all been waiting for,

The California Wine Country
Annual Christmas Derby

for the million dollar purse,
folks.

Yeah, well my whole heart and
wallet are in this race, you know.

- What's wrong?
- Nothing.

Just ready to win this race!
This is the big one, Tony!

We gotta win this one!

We're gonna win this race.
You with me?

And they're off!

And this is it, folks.

Will Bradley's Gal
take the top prize today?

Wouldn't ya know it folks,

Bradley's Gal going out
for the early lead followed by...

Yeah!

Well, well, if it isn't
Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb.

These are for you,
beautiful lady.

Well, is that how you
treat your friends?

Are we friends?

I kinda feel like
we're more or less

temporary business partners.

Fair enough,
so can you please let us in?

I don't want to.

Amanda, please,
we have some good news.

We do.

Fine. Talk in the kitchen,
Daniel's sleeping.

What's with the strut?

Let's just say this bag
was weighing me down.

What's this?

That's your finder's fee.

Half of our winnings,
50/50 split.

You, me, and Dougie.

The big one, Amanda.
The million dollar purse!

Shut up.

This is for real.

The horse that Ace told Tony
to bet on, 50-1 odds!

There's something to this.
This ain't luck!

No way.

Amanda, open your eyes.

We've been blessed with
an unexplainable gift

that's gonna make
us all very wealthy.

This is the Christmas miracle
I've been praying for!

You two guys really
care about each other, don't you?

Yeah.

We've known each other
since the first grade.

I've known him all my life.

He didn't have a family
so we adopted him.

We made him
an honorary Italian.

Now that's funny.

With a name
like Dougie McDougal,

I just don't see him
fitting in your Italian family.

Or passing as an Italian.

Yeah.

Yeah, you know, he's, uh...
he's my best friend.

Well, how 'bout you?

Any special lady in your life?

Huh, the only lady
in my life is lady luck,

and she's dealt me
a very cruel blow.

What about you?
Anybody special?

Well, I was... I was married,

and I thought it'd be forever,
with Daniel's Dad.

But that ended pretty badly.

A lot of lying and cheating.

And I was so anxious
to get full custody of my son

that I signed the divorce papers
without even reading them.

I signed away everything,

and I have been
struggling ever since.

I'm really sorry that you
had to go through that.

I'm just still so mad

that he wrecked my
happily ever after.

It's not healthy
to keep those feelings inside.

You're gonna lecture me
on unhealthy feelings?

I know, I know.

Tony, you can't
get ahead in life

because you are
constantly gambling away

every good thing
in your life.

You need to invest
into what's important to you

and stop trying to win
the easy way.

You-you're involved in it, too.

True, but it's not
gonna be forever.

It was a one and done for me.

It can go on forever
with Ace by my side.

That horse knows
what he's talking about.

He does.

You don't believe me,
do you?

No.

I believe in you, Tony.

Well, I don't, Amanda.

I'm nothing without that horse.

You are just like Brandon.

Maybe.

I wouldn't mind being like that.
I mean, look at this place.

This is all a facade.
Brandon's in debt.

He's been selling off assets
left and right.

Racing Ace
against Renzoni's horse

is his last ditch effort to
hold onto anything. Trust me.

You do not
want to be like Brandon.

Just be Tony.

Mom, I had a nightmare.

Okay, sweetie, I'm sorry.
Let me take you back to bed.

You okay?
Why such a long face, Tony?

What's got you troubled?

I don't know
what I'm gonna do with my life.

Well, maybe that's why
you met me.

What do you mean?

Maybe I'm here to show you

that you aren't a loser.

I mean, ever since you met me

you've been
a pretty big winner, right?

Yeah, for now.

But what happens when
you're not around anymore?

You don't need me
to be a winner, Tony.

You always were.

You just needed to
see it first-hand.

Now you have.
Now you know it.

So, do you think
I should keep gambling?

I didn't say that, Tony.

Gambling can only
make things worse.

Sometimes it's better
to bet on yourself,

instead of an animal getting
ridden by some little guy

whipping it's back end
around the track.

Wow, Ace, that's exactly
what I needed to hear.

Of course,
what are friends for?

Hey, Ace,
do you mind if I sleep here?

What?
You wanna lay in the muck?

Yeah, I do.

Well, at least
use my blanket.

Night, Tony, sweet dreams.

Uh-oh, this can't be good.

- What the heck!
- What the heck is right.

Who the heck are you?
And what are you doing in my stables?

Your stables?

Brandon.

How the heck
do you know my name?

I'm a good friend
of your sister.

Sister?

Yeah, Amanda.

Amanda's not his sister!

Oh, I'm sorry. How ya gonna get
yourself out of this mess, Tony?

Amanda!

Where the heck are ya?

Dad, Dad, I'm so glad you're home!
I missed you!

Hey, buddy, I missed you too.
Where's Mommy?

Did-did you just say Dad?

Yup, he's my Dad.

Have you met Mom's
new book club friend, Tony?

And his friend Dougie.
He runs funny.

Brandon,
what are you doing here?

- What am I doing here?
- Yeah.

What are you doing here?

You were supposed to
get your stuff and leave.

And who are these two?

Do me a favor, buddy,
go upstairs.

Mommy and Daddy have to
have a talk right now.

But you only just got here.

I know, I know.
I'll see you soon.

It's okay, sweetie,
go up to your room.

- Daddy?
- I can explain.

You were supposed to be
gone the whole week.

Yeah, well, my conference
ended early, okay.

And never mind me.
Again, who are these two?

Amanda, what-what's going on?

- I can explain.
- Yeah, Amanda, explain.

Brandon's not my brother.

- He's my husband.
- Ex-husband.

- What?
- I'm so sorry I lied.

But, but, but you...

What-what about Ace
and the race?

Ace doesn't have a race.

Amanda, you said to me

to hold Ace until...
until we get the ransom?

Ransom!

Tony, listen...

I've heard enough, okay.

That's it, I'm out of here!

What's with all the yelling?

And who is this
tall drink of water?

Amanda's brother, I presume?

No.

It's her husband.

Ex-husband.

Wait, Amanda
married her brother?

Does Daniel know this?

Are you the kid's father
or his uncle?

You two, out of my house now!

- And you, you better start...
- I just don't understand

what could have driven her to come up
with a scheme to have me kidnapped!

And this new
friend of hers, Tony,

he's not such a bad guy.

Just a little mixed up, too.

Here you go, Big Freddie.

Fifty-thousand bananas!

h*, h*, h*.

Look what Santa brought me.

Don't tell me Uncle Vito
came through.

No. No, not really, Ace. Hm.

Who?

Yeah, never mind.

You know, Tony,
I always knew you had it in you.

And I'm glad you did
the right thing.

She wasn't that
great of a chick anyway.

Don't let her get you down!

She played me like a fool.

I thought we had
some kind of connection.

She just used me to get back at
her ridiculously handsome husband.

- Ex.
- Whatever.

Here you guys go.
Compliments of your Uncle Vito.

Thank yous.

Hey, man,
look on the bright side.

At least you
got yourself out of debt.

You made more money

then you can
ever spend in a lifetime.

Well, maybe not in a lifetime.

And you found out
you could talk to a horse!

Yeah, but was it real?

Or was it all in my head?

Of course it was real.
I watched it happen.

I watched us win
the million dollar purse

on the horse that Ace
told you to bet on.

How else could we have made
all those winnings?

Maybe it was just luck.

I must've convinced myself
that a horse was talking to me.

To give me the confidence
to make risky bets.

Eh.

Where are you going?

I'll see ya later.

Good afternoon, sir.
How are you today?

I'd like to place a bet.

Race number five, horse number
two, please and thank yous.

Perfect.

Okay, and how much
would you like to wager?

- Fifty-thousand.
- Wonderful.

And...

You can't get ahead in life
because you are

constantly gambling away
every good thing in your life.

You need to invest
into what's important to you.

Sir? Mr. Romano.

Mr. Romano, are you okay?

Yeah, I'm okay.

Um, never mind on the bet.

Okay.

What, you got another ex-husband
with a puppy you want gone?

Look, I am so sorry
that I lied about Brandon.

Why did you?

'Cause I thought you'd just...

I thought you wouldn't help me
if you knew the truth.

You were willing to go that far
with an innocent horse,

just to get back with your ex?

We all have our issues, Tony.

And Brandon's mine,
he drives me crazy.

That's not the half of it.

Brandon was a terrible...
terrible husband and father.

He didn't even wanna have kids.

But when Daniel came,

he was just
the best surprise ever.

And now that kid,
he is the apple of my eye.

And when I finally decided that
I wanted to file for divorce,

he had all the high-powered
lawyers and I had nothing.

But all I wanted was my son.

You had good intentions,
Amanda.

Take care of your son.

Well, I came here to apologize

for this mess
that I got you into

and to just tell you
why I did what I did.

Don't be sorry,
because out of this mess,

as you call it,
we became friends.

Right?

Right.

There's a lot of good I can do
with these race winnings.

And I will.

I owe it all to Ace.

So, in a way,
I'm grateful for what you did.

It really feels like
a Christmas miracle, Amanda.

Tony, that's so great.
I am so proud of you.

Oh, my God!

It's snowing!

As our story
comes to its close,

we find a Christmas miracle has
brought new friends together

and a better life ahead
for Daniel.

Ah, it's Christmas Eve in Southern
California's Temecula Valley,

when suddenly,
snow begins to fall softly.

Amanda and Tony can't believe
it's really snowing,

but I believe, 'cause I believe
in miracles and talking horses,

and friendship and love.

Wishes and dreams can come
true, if you just believe!

Merry Christmas to all,
and to all a good night!

This is my
Christmas miracle, jealous?