Gaudenzia, Pride of the Palio

From the Publisher:

An idealistic young man trains a workhorse to race in this triumphant story from Newbery Award–winning author Marguerite Henry, back in print by popular demand.

The Palio horse race is held in Siena, Italy, each year and dates back to medieval times. Giorgio Terni is an idealistic young man who dreams of becoming a horse trainer and riding in the Palio. He forges a relationship with a beautiful horse named Gaudenzia. No one else believes that the mare will ever be more than a workhorse, but Giorgio senses something in the horse, and he’s determined to teach her to trust people again—and to prepare her to race.