Best Horse Racing Movies To Watch Before The Kentucky Derby

Sometimes, the truth is stranger- and more interesting, and more beautiful- than fiction.

Horse racing is, like all sports, a real-life drama. The sport is filled with so many elements of good storytelling: rags-to-riches heroes that people can root for, rivalries that get the masses invested, and even the occasional villain.

That’s why many of the best horse racing movies, instead of being fiction, are based on the real life stories of racehorses and the people who care for them.

As the Triple Crown, the climax of many an American three-year-old Thoroughbred’s career, approaches, here are some horse racing movies to whet your appetite.

Phar Lap (1983)

Phar Lap was the greatest racing champion from Australia, and his journey to Mexico for the prestigious Agua Caliente Handicap was one of the earliest examples of a champion traveling overseas to prove his dominance on a global stage. The movie focuses heavily on the bond between the chestnut gelding and his stable boy, Tommy Woodcock, who shows such loyalty to Phar Lap that he steps in front of bullets aimed at the horse during a morning workout. Woodcock and Phar Lap travel to Agua Caliente for the big race, but tragedy comes on the heels of triumph.

Don’t Miss This Scene: In the Agua Caliente Handicap, rumors spread that the other jockeys will be going out of their way to box Phar Lap in and prevent him from winning. Phar Lap’s owner, David Davis, demands that Phar Lap and jockey Billy Elliot change their running style last minute- a decision that Tommy Woodcock knows will be disastrous. Will Phar Lap have a chance to run his real race?

Secretariat (2010)

Secretariat is a horse that many believe is the greatest racehorse of all time, and this Disney live-action film demonstrates many of the reasons why. The horse that owner Penny Chenery won on a coin toss literally went on to save the farm when he was syndicated for a record six million dollars. He was a sensation in the Kentucky Derby odds and didn’t disappoint bettors.

After running into traffic in his first start, Secretariat became nearly unstoppable as a two-year-old, at the end of the year being one of only three horses (at the time) to be honored as Horse of the Year at age two. His record-smashing syndication comes that winter, but in order for the deal to be carried through, he has to prove his mettle at age three and win some of the greatest races in history. At first, things seem to be going well, but a sudden dull loss in his final Kentucky Derby prep puts everything in doubt.

Don’t Miss This Scene: Sham, the runner-up in both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, looks to be running better than ever in preparation for the Belmont Stakes. His trainer and jockey plan to engage Secretariat early in the race, but when Secretariat’s competitive instinct is ignited, something magical happens.

Seabiscuit: An American Legend (2003)

One of the most lauded sports movies of all time, Seabiscuit: An American Legend was an Academy Award Best Picture nominee. The movie strings together the stories of unheralded trainer “Silent Tom” Smith, half-blind jockey John “Red” Pollard, and down-on-his-luck owner Charles Howard. All of them come together at the height of the Great Depression to see their equine charge, a plain-looking lazy-acting colt named Seabiscuit, rise to stardom.

Don’t Miss This Scene: Seabiscuit is made to challenge for the title of “Horse of the Year” for 1938 against War Admiral, the blue-blooded Triple Crown winner owned by the irascible Samuel Riddle. His regular jockey, Pollard, is in the hospital recovering from an injury, and has been replaced by George Woolf (played by real-life champion jockey Gary Stevens). The match race is scheduled at War Admiral’s home track, and he is a notoriously fast breaker, which is a big advantage in a match race. Can Seabiscuit overcome the obstacles and prove that the little guy can become a true champion?