Secretariat -- the movie
 

I will go see Secretariat when it comes out, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it. But I was reading this article (link removed, see below) and found the following quote by the screenwriter amusing:

“We never got to see him run as a 4- or 5-year-old,” Rich says. “The real age of maturity for a colt is five. I have no doubt he’d have made a run at another Triple Crown.”

The article was in the Portland Tribune, which can be found at portlandtribune.com, if anyone wants to risk it. I did not get any malware warning from the site (but I'm at work, which has extremely good protection).

You're scaring me... wow... I mean I know our sport requires a huge amount of learning to get into everything, but I thought most even casual fans knew that the Triple Crown was for 3 year olds only.

Did a google search for Portland Tribune and below the link it says "this site may harm your computer."

Now Nortons gave it a pass. Hmm!

But if the screenwriter Mike Rich made the quote, all I got to say is Wow!

Okay. Per this addendum to the article, turns out that the screenwriter wasn't the cluless one:

"Editorial response: That's my mistake. I misquoted Rich. 'There are major stakes races open to four- and five-year-olds,' Rich says. 'Those are the races I'd have liked to have seen Secretariat in. I have no doubt he'd have done pretty well.' Kerry"

Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

I'm sure that's how it happened.

That is a pretty big misquote.

Likely he's being paid to have the author save face.

I've wrestled with how far I am going to go out of my way to see that movie.

Those quotes, or misquotes, sure do not help my motivation to go see at the IMax.


I knew far in advance I would never want to view the Ruffian movie.

Secretariat I was up in the air on.

I'm not a fan of "reality TV" at all.

But I saw Secretariat and Ruffian real time, and the real memories are etched in stone.

For better or worse.

Real stuff.

I'm inclined to pass on "historical dramas."

There was a book on Ruffian that I read back in the late 1990's though that was outstandingly written.

I was based in South Carolina at the time, and was enlightened to her South Carolina connections that I had never known before.

The one written by Jane Schwartz was excellent.

Thanks.


Absolutely, that is the book.

Here's the book with some samples of the comfortable writing style:

http://books.google.com/books?id=MVZ...page&q&f=false

I didn't know that Outstandingly had picked up a pen in later life.

English teacher, eh?

Sheesh.


OK though, you are right.


Still a very nice book though.

Glad to hear it's well done. It's next on my reading list.

I'm going to go see it.

My position is: "If it has hooves and runs, I support it." All forms of racing, and any product that either tries to be reverent and/or increases interest.

My sister-in-law said she wants to go see it, and she participates in the bets my buddies and I put together for the big race days. Anything that gets us exposure (as long as it doesn't tear us down) is a good thing. For all its faults, it looks like the movie, being a Disney product, will be uplifting for those who see it. That can't be bad for racing.

racing would be better supported if you took your sisinlaw to the track and got her to bet more often.
i won't go see it, but that has more to do with my dislike in general for most movies. i doubt this one is much good-which is a shame, since secretariat was so good. but i saw what they did to the seabiscuit book, can't imagine this would be any better.


heck, i'd have rather they made a movie about slew. seabiscuit and this one are about rich folks with a horse. seattle slew was that groups first horse, bought for not a whole lot of money, and look what he did. now that's a tale.

I'm working on it. I have gotten a lot of friends and family to bet here and there, and they know more and are more enthusastic about racing now. It's slow to progress as many are overwhelmed with other commitments. But we're getting there. Buddies of mine are now attending tournaments too.

I agree that whatever they do will fall short of the true story. Secretariat was a horse of truly mythic proportions. He was Pegasus.

If they make a Seattle Slew movie, I'm going to that one too.

The quote in the first post is ridiculous, but the DT members who are talkin **** on a actual racing movie that will give racing some national exposure are even more ridiculous.

Outstandingly was the winner (sort of) of the first Breeders Cup Juvenille Filly race back in 1984.

I was joking.

i figure this movie will help the sport as much as seabiscuit and dreamer did.

Or Avatar.

I'm happy they made the movie for the reason you cite.

I'm just saying it's probably not going to be tremendously appealing to me, primarily because I know Secretariat's story frontwards and backwards and remember his career vividly real time.

I have a signed and numbered portrait of Secretariat on the wall in this room, along with a Ron Turcotte signed finish line photo at the Kentucky Derby taken from the infield with the Twin Spires in the background. I have his famous Belmont finish line photo from the NYRA with Ron Turcotte looking back.

I have Secretariat photographed at the finish line of The Preakness, outstretched and nearly completely airborne. I have him covered in roses at Churchill Downs, and I have him looking determined and resolute as he took the track for his Belmont.

I have his obituary from one of my favorite local newspaper horse racing writers of the day (Jack Patterson, Akron Beacon Journal) matted and framed.

All in this room.

I'll watch the movie, I'm sure.

And I sure won't diss it to anyone looking from the outside in at our sport.

Heck, I liked the thought that I was being corrected by an English teacher better.


In 1984 I thought the Breeders Cup had about as much chance of catching on as a tradition as I thought the Super Bowl had when I decided as much as a 10 year old.

Of course in that year the "Super Bowl" was called "The World Championship Game."

Then Wham-O got involved and the inspiration was set for the transition to "Super Bowl."

I've made two Breeders Cups.

Never a Super Bowl.

:tro:

Apparently in a couple weeks it's going to be one of the movies slotted for private Academy screenings. Out of the top 10 nominated for Best Picture last year, only the Blind Side didn't get screened so it's a good sign they felt it worth showing at something like this. Not saying Secretariat will or won't, but I've been hearing buzz for Diane Lane. Hey, if she just managed to get a nomination, or a Golden Globe nomination, it'll be good for the movie and be good PR for the sport. I wish Baffert's horse (named Haskin of all things) would've been able to be in the movie. Supposedly he's the spitting image of Secretariat. I'd love to see a picture.

I read the review Haskin put on Bloodhorse.com http://cs.bloodhorse.com/blogs/horse...ig-screen.aspx I think I'll be aware of the flaws, but I also don't think I'll get too bent out of shape about it. I'm a little sad there's no Riva, but they haven't managed to make Sham 18 hands so at least there's that right?

Thanks, Merlinsky.

My motivation for seeing the movie early is moving solidly up.