At L$, Well said, someone told me once that horses are their happiest when running, that’s why on the wild one will find them running for no apparent reason.

Patricia don’t base your opinion on a complete group, just for the actions of one. Activist sometimes make the mistake of repeating what they hear without knowing the facts and act based on wrong info. Example, people say that non organic food is bad for the earth, when in fact is the other way around. My point, you are wrong, as Hitler was, spreading hate based on iinformation you have that misleads others.

I was just llooking to see if it was OK to see the movie tonight, or to wait for it to arrive to the video store. Patricia, because of you I am on my way to the movies, YEAH!!!!

In every sport, human or animal, you will find bad if you look for it. In every corner of LIFE, you will find the bad if you look for it. Its a shame that most of the time, the people who are enlightening us to the bad have no clue, no experience, no investment of which to speak from in regards to the horse racing world. I come from a horse racing background. Over 40 yrs in the industry. And no different as in any sport, you will have people who break all the rules…and people who truly love what they do and never break one. The comments above are obviously very biased, but the truth is this. Most race horses go to different careers after a short career of racing. We (as in our race team) will give a colt about six tries on the track to see if has the speed. If he does not, our colts and fillies go on to the hunter jumper, english, dressage, or some other event more suitable to the horse’s temperment and athleticism. Perhaps they go to good homes for people who want to just ride and some of ours have gone to riding camps for children. The problem comes in play with people who purchase horses like they were a pet, grow tired of the responsibility and just like dogs to the pound, horses end up places they should not or never intended to be. As a veteran horse owner and trainer it is my responsibility to see that my horses go to responsible and loving homes. And I do.
Bottomline: don’t come on a review site to review a movie to bash and dramatize your beliefs concerning horse ownership—dont critize other people’s right to see a movie as you say to propagandize a film that you obviously just paid $10 to see. If you truly feel as you do, why did you even walk thru the doors to the theatre?? If you are as steadfast in your moral convictions as you profess yourself to be, then prove them by not attending and go take your
activist beliefs concerning horse racing and horses to a site more appropriate for them with people who will agree with you and aren’t here to read about a movie review.

A ponderous (Ironic given that Secretariat himself was a world record setting racehorse) film which falls short of the mark. It fails to adequately pay tribute to the great horse himself – in fact misses the point entirely by substituting Hollywood schmaltz for authenticity. The facts are warped around in order to create dramatic effect but unfortunately dramatic effect is lacking in several key scenes. The film ends up being more about Penny Chenery (not that she is an uninteresting subject and certainly worthy of this closer look given what she faced being a woman in a world traditionally dominated by men) and is played with dignity and grace by the wonderful Diane Lane. Being a rabid fan of Secretariat since age 13 and having read everything written about him, not to mention re-watching every one of his key races hundreds of times and saving every news clipping relevant to his races and subsequent retirement, I am hugely disappointed in this film. The movie plods along with formulaic injections of humor here and there (delivered deftly by John Malkovich as Lucien Laurin) tedious dialog, an overall lack of animation and then cheats the viewer of the awesome spectacle of the pamorama of the races themselves . (the moments in the film we are all waiting for). Much of appreciating Secretariat’s accomplishments comes of witnessing the races from a distance (the grandstand view) where the margins of Secretariat’s triumphs on the track as well as the teletimer clocking the record setting times are oddly missing. The throngs of people rushing down to the rail (as in the Preakness), the hands up in the air when Secretariat opens up his remarkable 31 length lead in the Belmont along with Chic Anderson’s memorable “call” (the verbage used in the film version of the “call” was inaccurate and frankly unworthy of Chic Anderson’s authentic amazement ) of the spectacle are sadly absent. I would have appreciated seeing panorama as well as close-up cinematography more successfully blended in order to heighten the real-life drama that was Secretariat! While the close-up views of the horse running down the track, the angles from which they are shot are well-done there needed to be so much more in order to communicate adequately the spine tingling unfolding of what one was actually witnessing. I also believe the film would have been greatly enhanced and emphasized by a stronger musical score. Secretariat himself was “epic” and a more powerful, dignified score reminiscent of Randy Newman’s score for “The Natural” would have better suited this occasion. I had to keep myself from laughing at the moment in the film when Secretariat rounds the final turn (the camera focuses on the turn BEFORE Secretariat appears in order to emphasize the fact that he comes into the turn as the lone frontrunner -actually a nice touch photographically ) to come into the straightaway toward the wire in the Belmont and suddenly something akin to the “Hallelujah Chorus” kicks in full throttle, overpowering the eardrums and undermining the extraordinariness of Secretariat’s astonishing stretch run! Sorry folks – “Secretariat” deserves so much better than this! Go to Secretariat.com and buy the documentary DVD instead. I give this Disney effort a C+.. (Diane Lane is the best reason for seeing the film and delivers a quality performance that truly compliments Penny Chenery herself, a real-life class act!)