Your Favorite Horse Racing Movie?

[Zippy Chippy]

They're all good (the ones that I've seen) but i keep a soft spot in my heart for Tim Conway and The Longshot.

[Ocala Mike]

"Casey's Shadow." Around the time it came out, I was just getting into QH racing as a track had just opened on Long Island. Always liked Walter Matthau.


Ocala Mike

[Zaf]

Let It Ride is Hilarious, but just saw Secretariat this weekend and have to say I Loved It ! :ThmbUp:

Z

[BlueShoe]

This topic has come up before, and once again go back to my original opinion and answer. Not strictly a racing picture per se, it is a 1956 black and white "film-noir" considered one of the best ever in that class, and has a bit of a cult following. It is an early Kubrick work titled "The Killing", and revolves around the robbing of a racetrack, the theoretical perfect crime that cannot go wrong. It features a group of individuals, all with diiferent flaws and reasons for trying to pull off the heist. Fine cast of character actors, and the racetrack shots were filmed at Bay Meadows.

[eastie]

my fave was one of the worst ever. The original Story of Seabiscuit. The shots of the hosses on the farm were so awesome that the rest of it didn't matter

[v j stauffer]

Casey's Shadow

[JustRalph]

This topic has come up before, and once again go back to my original opinion and answer. Not strictly a racing picture per se, it is a 1956 black and white "film-noir" considered one of the best ever in that class, and has a bit of a cult following. It is an early Kubrick work titled "The Killing", and revolves around the robbing of a racetrack, the theoretical perfect crime that cannot go wrong. It features a group of individuals, all with diiferent flaws and reasons for trying to pull off the heist. Fine cast of character actors, and the racetrack shots were filmed at Bay Meadows.

Blueshoe......

Just finished it via Netlix. Great Tip!! Classic example of Film Noir (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_noir)

Great stuff. The lighting effects used in the interior shots were great.

[depalma113]

Lucky Number Sleven

[douglasw32]

LET IT RIDE, Then the new secretariat movie

[joanied]

Let it Ride and Casey's Shadow...Let it Ride really does a great job with race track characters, the ambiance of the track...I never get tired of watching it...
Casey's Shadow has to be one of the best race movies ever...the entire cast was incredible, and it's one of the few race movies where they get the 'technical' stuff right...like calling a baby horse a foal (and not a colt), stretch front legs in the saddleing paddock...and the slow motion footage of the All American was totally awesome...
I liked Phar Lap alot too...the latest Seabiscuit movie, although it had some real corny parts, overall, was very good.

I just saw the Secretariat movie a couple of weeks ago...we sometimes have to wait here in small town Wyoming...but they did hold it over an extra week, so guess folks went to see it...I went in with my eyes wide open, I read all the reviews here and at other places...and I was still disappointed in the movie...I thought you could kinda 'see' the actors acting...even Malkovich didn't seem his usual comfortable self in his acting...it seemed forced, if that's the right word...but the things that got me were things they could have made better...why did they film jockey's walking around in the barn in their silks...why did they show 'Turcotte' sitting on a bench, in his dirty silks, with his saddle...just dumb stuff like that...it sure didn't show what it's really like on the backside or in the jocks room...and I didn't think the Belmont Stakes scene even half way captured the granduer of the race.
It was Ok, but it's a shame they couldn't have had a larger budget and made it worthy of the big red horse.

[andicap]

Well, Let it Ride and The Killing are both good choices. I would also argue for "The Sting," which centered on a horse racing bookie operation as well as the Marx Bros. "Day at the Races." (Except for the overly elaborate and lengthy musical numbers. Seems legendary MGM producer Irving Thalberg died before the movie was completed, thus the flab.)

"Get your tootsie-fruitsie iiiiiiice cream."

Not to put it up there with the best, but my little girl did enjoy "Racing Stripes."

[surfdog89]

Let It Ride because of the wacko characters in the movie. I was a mutual clerk for years in Oregon and Northern Ca and those characters I have seen.

[LA Racing Lady]

My vote is for Casey's Shadow.....movie was based loosely on family of Hall of Fame jockey Randy Romero. :cool:

[GaryG]

Hot to Trot with Bobcat Goldthwait

[Cardus]

The opening scene to "Guys and Dolls": "I've got the horse right here, his name is Paul Revere..."

[trotter2229]

Must go with a betting movie first.

Let it Ride
Seabiscuit
Secretariat

[therussmeister]

The opening scene to "Guys and Dolls": "I've got the horse right here, his name is Paul Revere..."


Fugue for Tinhorns (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl6MHgh1vFQ&feature=related)

[mrhorseplayer]

Let it ride the characters and how he comes up with some of his wagers is funny. Never get tired of it. Have not watched secretariat yet but intend to.

[JustRalph]

Let it ride the characters and how he comes up with some of his wagers is funny. Never get tired of it. Have not watched secretariat yet but intend to.

If you read jay cronley .....the writer........ you can see where he gets it.

You can read him at the link below:

http://search.espn.go.com/jay-cronley/

From ESPN:
Jay Cronley lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma and writes for the Tulsa World daily newspaper. He has written eight novels, five of which have been the basis for feature films. Those include: Funny Farm starring Chevy Chase, Quick Change starring Bill Murray and Geena Davis and Good Vibes,

[nearco]

Champions is far and way the best horse racing movie ever made. Best racing footage, best training footage, best acting (what other racing movie has an actor the calibre of John Hurt playing the lead character?).
Plus the main horse character, Aldaniti, actually played himself in the movie... how cool is that?

You can watch the whole movie in ten minute clips on youtube. Part one.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0dilqfsE3w

[OntheRail]

Although you never see a horse in the movie... as far as Horse Racing Movies go.

You have to add The Sting to the list.

[BlueShoe]

A 1963 black and white film that is virtually forgetten and almost never mentioned is "Wall of Noise". Quite good from an accuracy and realism standpoint, much of it was filmed at Hollywood Park. Real life then track announcer Harry Henson was used in the racing scenes.

[Richie]

let it ride and pharlap

[Actor]

This topic has come up before, and once again go back to my original opinion and answer. Not strictly a racing picture per se, it is a 1956 black and white "film-noir" considered one of the best ever in that class, and has a bit of a cult following. It is an early Kubrick work titled "The Killing", and revolves around the robbing of a racetrack, the theoretical perfect crime that cannot go wrong. It features a group of individuals, all with diiferent flaws and reasons for trying to pull off the heist. Fine cast of character actors, and the racetrack shots were filmed at Bay Meadows.Bay Meadows had given permission for Kubrick's crew to film. Lucian Ballard (who later directed The Black Stallion) and a crew of ten exposed thousands of feet of film at the track but upon returning to Hollywood Kubrick did not like any of their stuff. Alex Singer was dispatched to Bay Meadows for a weekend with an Eyemo camera and several hundred feet of film. The Eyemo is limited to 100 foot loads of 35mm film, meaning Singer could only shoot about one minute without reloading.

One of Singer's shots is of horses breaking from the starting gate running straight at the camera. He got the shot by walking out on the track, lying face down and starting the camera. Afterward, track security dragged him off the track and threw him out, telling him not to return. The shot is in the movie.

Another shot of a horse being shot by one of the robbers is actually stock footage of a racing accident.

[trackrat59]

Let It Ride is my favorite. I have it in my Ipod and watch it every time I fly. I never get tired of watching it and it makes the time flying seem quicker.

The first few times I watched Let It Ride I kept picking up little gems in the movie I had missed before. My all time favorite is that the young girl with the braces in the movie who is with Sid, her name is Evangeline. I didn't pick up on that the first few times I watched the movie.

The actress who played Evangeline, Cynthia Nixon did well for herself. She's in Sex and the City.

Thanks everyone for listing your favorites. Some of these movies I've never seen but I plan on watching them. Truthfully I love any movie about horse racing. Even if it's clearly not the greatest movie it keeps me entertained because it's about racing.

[BlueShoe]

Bay Meadows had given permission for Kubrick's crew to film. Lucian Ballard (who later directed The Black Stallion) and a crew of ten exposed thousands of feet of film at the track but upon returning to Hollywood Kubrick did not like any of their stuff.
Thanks for the additional insight into the making of this film. An old racetrack friend works in the movie industry, and he once told me how notorious Kubrick was for shooting endless takes and being very difficult to work with. When he made this film he was only 28 and really just starting out, so it is a bit surprising to hear that he was so demanding even then.

[Rackon]

Champions is far and way the best horse racing movie ever made. Best racing footage, best training footage, best acting (what other racing movie has an actor the calibre of John Hurt playing the lead character?).
Plus the main horse character, Aldaniti, actually played himself in the movie... how cool is that?

You can watch the whole movie in ten minute clips on youtube. Part one.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0dilqfsE3w

You beat me to it - Champions is a great racing movie and everyone who hasn't seen it should do so without delay. Lots of Blockbusters still have it on the shelf and probably Netflix too. This one is my favorite racing movie.

I love Let It Ride, and even though it's corny, I have a real soft spot for Seabiscuit; I just LOVE the racing footage, particularly that shot from the jockey POV of the clear homestretch...tears me up every time. Phar Lap is also very good, and I do like Casey's Shadow.

The Killing is a great film, from a great filmmaker, who was obsessed with his personal vision from his very first directorial effort. Kubrick never fit comfortably into the US studio system...which is one reason he hi-tailed it to UK.

I have a soft spot for the old Racing Game series shown on PBS Mystery in the 1970s-early 80s. It was an adpatation of Dick Francis' Sid Halley books (with a couple of new mysteries thrown in to flesh it out). Mike Gwilym was a perfect Sid. Soundtrack was pretty cheesy but it still holds up pretty well.

As charming as The Sting may be, I just can't see it as a racing flick. To me, a racing movie has to have racing or a race track at its center and be about it in an essential way.

[dansan]

PharLap by far

[andymays]

Has some Horse Racing in the movie.

The Pope of Greenwich Village - Trailer - (1984) - HQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nRMXwmD84Y


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsMIShagjH4&feature=related


YouTube - Artificial "Inspiration"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsRcsLAUTLw&feature=related

[Beachbabe]

Casey's Shadow.
Walter Matthau was excellent & the "kids" who played his kids were as real as real can be.

[Overlay]

A Day at the Races