Genevieve Cortese was born in San Francisco on January 8, 1981. Before making her debut in television, the dark-haired beauty is already a seasoned actress on stage. She has appeared in regional stage productions such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and A Midsummer Night's Dream. On top of these, she has a drama and an English degree from New York University's Tisch School of Arts. Kristine Furillo, also called Kris, is a young horse jockey who has done time in a juvenile detention center for stealing an automobile. While working on horses in the correctional facility, she was spotted by horser trainer Pablo Betart and offered her a job training horses at Raintree Farm. Determined to put her troubled past behind her, she dedicated herself fully to the world of horse racing.