Customer Reviews

Thunder and Reins

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first Saturday in May is the celebration of American Thoroughbred racing, as the eyes of the world gazez upon the historic Twin Spires at Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby.

And what fans view are the finished products; perhaps not realizing that the maxiumum of 20 racers have made the grade from a total foal crop of 30,000-plus a mere three years before, with jockeys who have clawed their way to the top of the game while overcoming injuries and - for some - terrible personal demons, along with the trainers & owners, who spend years of blood, sweat and tears on trying to capture lightning in a jar for turf immortality.

The DVD is an insider's view into the real story of the road to the most famous two-minutes in sports, with the glory, sadness and frustration captured as it happens. The run for the roses has many stories and the documentary does an outstanding job in capturing those special - and, oftentimes, very personal - moments that make the path a long and winding road for those good enough to chase the dream.

A good - but very brief - documentary on the lives of professional jockeys. Just wish it had been a little longer ... maybe a good documentary series on PBS?

Also, nothing was said about the state of contemporary racing -- why are jockeys still required to keep such dangerously low weight? What about the over-breeding and the fact that thousands of TBs end up going to kill auctions? Where are the female jockeys? I didn't see a single one in this film yet they do work in the business and there are professional female jockeys out there.

A great film but would have been better had they discussed some of the real controversies around this zillion-dollar sport that kills so many horses and jockeys.

This DVD was an excellent depiction of jockeys and what really goes on behind the scenes.