How did May end up owning the show horse, Donegal?

Josh, the farm hand, tells Paige how her mother got Donegal. May was working for a Kentucky millionaire and when the man became ill, his wife left him. May stayed and took care of him. As a reward for her loyalty, the man gave her Donegal, the sire of a bloodline that dated back to Seattle Slew. May then went to North Carolina with the express purpose of finding a farm she could rent in order to earn the money needed to show Donegal. Josh also lets Paige know that despite Donegal's phenomenal success in the shows, the farm lost ten thousand dollars the year before.