At The Movies: Are There Any Good Films About Horse Racing? Equine sports mean different things for everyone. For some, they are competitions between noble and marvellous creatures. For others, they are the last remnant of a time when horses were the principal means of transport. For the sports betting enthusiast, they are just another thing to bet on. And for many, they are yet another thing they don't understand. While horse racing is not the most popular sport ever invented, it has enough lovers to ensure not only its survival but its place in popular culture as well. Some horses - like Seabiscuit - have found their way into the common language, others are seen as heroes by the people in their native land - an example of this would be Kincsem, a Hungarian mare that won all of the 54 races she ran. And there are enough of them that have been immortalized on the big screen in the form of movies. Seabiscuit (2003) Seabiscuit was a small horse, an unlikely champion that started its career by losing a mere quarter of the races at the beginning of its time. Later, it became an unlikely champion, beating Triple-Crown winner War Admiral by four lengths, and being voted the American Horse of the Year in 1938. Its life was immortalized in a book called "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand and later adapted to the big screen. The movie, starring Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper, and ten thoroughbred horses playing Seabiscuit, is as much a story about the legendary racehorse as it is a tale of hope in the time of great distress (it's set in the Great Depression era). The movie was well-received by critics and audiences alike, and pocketed seven Oscar nominations. Hidalgo (2004) While it was advertised as being based on a true story, there is no confirmation that the events depicted in the 2004 movie Hidalgo, starring Viggo Mortensen, actually happened - they are loosely based on the accounts of distance rider Frank Hopkins and his mustang Hidalgo entering and winning a 3000-mile race across the Najd desert region of Saudi Arabia. It may not have been a major box office success, and the critics found quite a few things amiss about it, too, but this doesn't stop Hidalgo from being an enjoyable and lovable horse racing movie. Secretariat (2010) Last but not least, let us mention the biographical movie about Secretariat, one of the most famed thoroughbreds ever born. Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes - the Triple Crown - in 1973, for the first time in 25 years. It won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths. The movie based on its career might not have been good enough for any major awards - it's a Disney sports drama, after all - but it's a great way to spend a couple of hours in front of the screen. With popcorn, of course.
