Sometimes the greatest champions come from the most unexpected places. At just 11 years old, Breana Carsey had already spent five years chasing her biggest dream: raising a baby horse from foal to racing champion. When her father Brian finally surprised her with an Ohio standardbred foal in 2013, she knew her moment had arrived. She named him MJB Got Faith—a tribute to her family’s initials and the deep faith she held in his potential.
But not everyone shared Breana’s optimism. MJB wasn’t your typical champion prospect. As a runt from modest breeding stock, Brian had serious doubts about his son’s investment. “I really loved him,” Breana says simply, but her father saw things differently. When Brian suggested selling the foal, Breana’s response was unforgettable: “There’s no price, Daddy.”
Caught between his daughter’s determination and his own skepticism, Brian felt the weight of the decision. “I’m talking to my wife and it’s like, we really got ourselves in a mess here. And I don’t know how we’re going to get out of this,” he admitted. Still, they decided to give MJB a chance on the track. “So we take him to the races. This horse that I thought we should have gotten rid of already,” Brian recalled. “He didn’t believe in him,” Breana added with the quiet confidence only a child’s faith can possess.
The Underdog’s Rise
When MJB first hit the track, the odds seemed firmly against him. He was so slow that he barely squeaked into his initial race. But something magical happened that day—MJB won. Then he won again. And again. This little horse with no prestigious pedigree was proving every skeptic wrong, one race at a time.
The victories kept mounting until MJB qualified for the biggest stage of all: the state championship in Columbus, Ohio. As the big day approached, Brian’s expectations remained cautiously low. “I said ‘Baby, if you finish third, you should be so thankful,'” he told his determined daughter.
Breana’s response captured everything about her unwavering belief: “Daddy, if he finishes last I’m going to be thankful. But he’s going to win.”
A Champion’s Legacy
And then he did exactly what Breana predicted. MJB Got Faith—the small runt horse with no pedigree, no prestigious breeding lines, and a skeptical father—crossed the finish line as the Ohio Sire Stakes Championship winner. Breana took home $100,000, a life-changing prize for her incredible achievement.
But here’s where Breana’s character truly shines. She didn’t keep all the winnings for herself. Instead, she generously donated half to charity and committed to saving the rest for her lifelong dream: buying a farm of her own someday.
This heartwarming story reminds us why we love horse racing and why horses continue to capture our imaginations. MJB Got Faith wasn’t just racing for a trophy—he was racing for a young girl’s dream, and together, they proved that faith, determination, and love can overcome any odds.
Have you ever witnessed an underdog victory that changed everything? Share your horse racing stories in the comments below—we’d love to hear them!