HORSERACING TV TO PRESENT NETWORK DEBUT OF AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY, "THE FIRST SATURDAY IN MAY,"
ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29
Arcadia, CA, Oct. 22 -- HorseRacing TV (TM) (HRTV) will offer racing fans an entertaining, unique viewing opportunity when it presents the exclusive network premiere of the critically-acclaimed documentary, "The First Saturday in May," on
Wednesday, October 29 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.
Directed by the Hennegan brothers, John and Brad, the 90-plus minute documentary has received rave reviews from many segments of the entertainment community, and earned numerous awards at festivals across the country.
"The First Saturday in May" first debuted in theatres in 20 cities this past April, and it was tremendously well-received. The Hennegan brothers generously donated 25 percent of the box office receipts to the Grayson Jockey Club Research Foundation (
www.grayson-jockeyclub.org).
The unique documentary adroitly chronicles the journey of a dedicated, yet diverse, cast of six accomplished trainers -- among them Dan Hendricks, Kiaran McLaughlin, Michael Matz -- as they prepared their horses for the gruelling, yet compelling, 2006 Kentucky Derby trail.
In addition to providing an inside look at the resilient people who dedicate their lives to the sport of Thoroughbred racing, the film also features never-before-seen footage of a young Barbaro – the star-crossed superstar who captured the hearts of the world, first as he made history on the racetrack with a memorable Kentucky Derby triumph, and then as he bravely battled complications from a catastrophic leg injury and laminitis.
Over a 16-month period, the Hennegan brothers shot more than 500 hours of footage and traveled more than 150,000 miles from U.S. racetracks to the United Arab Emirates to document every major horse race on the way to the 132nd Kentucky Derby.
(To see a trailer for the film, reviews and more information, please go to
www.thefirstsaturdayinmay.org).
HRTV's showing of "The First Saturday in May" is the third such independent production to debut on the network. HRTV also premiered "On The Muscle: A Year in the Life of a Thoroughbred Racing Stable" and "Laffit Pincay, Jr.: All About Winning" for other independent production companies. "On The Muscle," produced by Pony Highway Productions, was honored with the 2006 Eclipse Award for National Television Feature.