Disney is making a movie called Secretariat, based on the true story of the race horse! Secretariat won the Triple Crown in 1973, or winning the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. Only 11 horses have ever won that achievement and the last horse to do so was Affirmed in 1978.
The film will open in theaters on October 8th. To read more about the film, check out comingsoon.net.
Here is the trailer:
Actual footage of Secratariat running in the 1973 Kentucky Derby:
A couple shots from the movie:
I am excited to see this movie! I really like true stories made into movies, and I love horses.
I think that this movie is also coming out at a good time to bring a little hope back to the racing world, a reminder that even the most impossible of prospects can turn out for the best. I saw this article the other day: Gamble Sours for Many Kentucky Horse Breeders. The article explains that many horse farms are not doing well and are now up for sale. Money going through horse auctions and races has decreased in the past couple years, so even the best horses are not going for the money they once did nor earning as much by winning or breeding. The Pimlico Race Course, which hosts the Preakness Stakes is going through bankruptcy. The Belmont Stakes is also in jeopardy this year if enough money cannot be raised. Sadly, what happened to the housing market in the US has happened to the racing world – many no money down loans based on the idea the prices and value would always be rising for horses. The article quotes Arnold Kirkpatrick as saying, “We bred too many horses, overborrowed to do it, and are now caught trying to sell them to people who don’t want them.”