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What you want to know, right up front, about The First Saturday in May (Private Home Use DVD)
- Yes, that is the year that Barbaro won the Derby, right before his catastrophic injury in The Preakness.
- Yes, the film is up-to-date on developments in that story. In other words, if you know who Barbaro is, there are no rude surprises toward the end of the film.
- But, despite that hint, it’s not a tear-jerker because this film ends on notes of resilience, perseverance and hope.
If you’re looking for a longer version of those sentimental, packaged feature stories that you see on network TV during Kentucky Derby coverage, you won’t find it here.
Film producers and racing fans the Hennegan Brothers spent the winter and early spring of 2006 following Derby prospects.
This film is a candid view of six trips to Cloud Nine – and subsequent trips home.
Six Trainers on the Derby Trail
The journey takes us and them crisscrossing from California, New York, Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas and Dubai until most of them meet in Kentucky on the first Saturday in May.
The Hennegans take us inside the backstretch and the training barns. We see the trainers at the stable with their horses, but we also see them with their families. The trainers confide their hopes and dreams to the cameras. We see them joking with their children, dealing with vendors and sweating in the New York winter during post parades.
Pretty soon, with no disrespect to anyone, you find yourself rooting for everyone. Even though you know who won.
They’re all now real people, not the icons of racing that the TV networks make them in May.
And you wish them all good things in life. And you wish that they all could win and thrill to their dreams.
Behind the scenes with horses
You watch Dan Hendricks hold a carrot in his teeth for Brother Derek. You see Michael Matz, engrossed in a phone conversation, hearing a horse cough and, almost reflexively, backtracking to the stall to run his fingers over the horse’s throatlatch. And you see Kieran McLaughlin hanging out in the bedding with the laid-back Jazil and admitting, despite his professionalism, how attached he is to this horse.
The roller coaster ride
Regular TV coverage shows, after the race, the excitement of the winners. The non-winners often look resigned and/or stoic. Maybe there’s a consoling hug.
In “The First Saturday in May,” after that Fastest Two Minutes in Sports, we see everyone we’ve been following after the TV networks have followed the winners down to collect the roses. You see the tears of pent up energy released, especially in the family connections of the trainers.
The trainers are more stoic. After all, they’ve been there/done that so they play it cool, but the disappointment leaks out around their eyes.
Then, there’s Barbaro
We first see him as a nosey sprite in a paddock. We are charmed as Matz introduces his son to his star horse.
One fact of watching this movie — no matter which horse and trainer team we’re watching, the ghost of Barbaro hovers in our minds.
We see the celebrations in the winner’s circle. And the fade to black under the Preakness announcer’s anguished announcement that something was wrong with Barbaro.
But the movie doesn’t end there. It could have, especially if the Hennegans had been working under a deadline.
We see the outpouring of support from fans and the determinedly optimistic support of his owner Gretchen Jackson.
And, no matter how upset we are about the whole situation, we are shown that Barbaro’s injury and treatment will help horses in the future.
Ordinarily, I would never give away the ending of a movie. But this one ends on, I’ll repeat, a sweet chord of hope, resilience and warmth.
Not just a race
But the movie shows that the Kentucky Derby is not just another horse race. The Belmont Stakes may be a longer race and seal the deal on a Triple Crown, but these people dream about winning the Kentucky Derby.
They all share that dream. Whether they have large stables or a small string or even rule a nation, they all share the dream.
To win those roses on the first Saturday in May.
Now, a treat — a follow-up out-take with Barbaro and Matz’s son.
The First Saturday in May (Private Home Use DVD)
December 15th, 2008 at 9:09 am
The picture made me laugh aloud. lol. How adorable. And I, too, know how this horse feels. It’s one of those things you’d like to hide but can’t because you need help. We’ve all been there. And, btw, I’m glad Joel fixed this site for you.
~Debbie
December 15th, 2008 at 10:22 am
Isn’t he a hoot! That poor guy in the previous post who also had “Technical Difficulties” of his own. That poor baby.
Yes, thank you, Joel has extracted me from the quicksand a couple of times now.
And thank you for clicking around and checking out the site.