Product Description

Featuring heroic thoroughbred champion BARBARO. Award winning documentary film following 6 horses and their connections on their journey to the 2006 Kentucky Derby. 40,000 baby horses are born each each year. Only 20, however, will make it to the gate in the Kentucky Derby. Known as the "most exciting two minutes in sports", the Kentucky Derby looms as every horseman's ultimate goal. Just to get a horse to the gate in the world's most prestigious race defies all odds.

"Engrossing... Three Stars (out of 4)." - Sports Illustrated

"Riveting... Compelling, Expertly Paced." - Washington Post

"Thrilling." - San Diego Union-Tribune

"Compelling." - Boston Globe

"Essential... 5 stars (out of 6)" - Time Out New York

"Wonderful . . . a Splendid Movie." - New York Post

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #65707 in DVD
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Formats: NTSC, Color, Widescreen, DVD
• Running time: 98 minutes

Customer Reviews

Could have been better, but still good.
(Note: originally reviewed February 2008.)

The First Saturday in May (The Hennegan Brothers, 2008)

Sometimes synchronicity works in mysterious ways. The Hennegan Brothers set out to film a documentary about trainers trying to get their horses to the Kentucky Derby (of 40,000 foals born in the U.S. Every year, a maximum of twenty make it to the Derby), and they happened to choose the year that spawned one of the most-followed sports stories of the new century: Barbaro. Talk about lucking out.

Despite this being a movie about the Kentucky Derby, it's far less about the horses than it is about the humans. The movie focuses on the trainers of six horses who are on the Derby trail: Lawyer Ron (Bob Holthus), Achilles of Troy (Frank Amonte, Jr.), Brother Derek (Dan Hendricks), Jazil (Kieran McLaughlin), and Barbaro (Michael Matz). The Hennegan Brothers spend a good deal of time in the shedrow and on the backstretch with the trainers and their families, just talking horses. It's the personalities of the trainers, and the stories surrounding them, that make this movie so watchable. We do get to see highlights from the races that get the horses into the Derby, but the movie doesn't really focus on the horses until the Derby itself, at which point we get a condensed version of the post-Derby Barbaro saga that everyone who's ever watched two minutes of ESPN seemed to follow.

It's probably the faintest possible criticism, maybe even a left-handed compliment, to say that a movie should have been longer. That's the case here; as much as I enjoyed the stories behind the horses, they came in a manner that seemed a bit on the impressionist side. Great approach for making a horror movie. Not so much a documentary. And it would have been nice to get a little more focus on the horses; it is, after all, a movie about getting to the Derby. (At the very least, full films of the races shown would have been nice.) When the movie does focus on the races the horses need to run to make bank for the Derby, it gets somewhat choppy. Trying to follow six horses in a ninety-seven minute film is bound to do that. A two-hour running time might have worked better. (Brad Hennegan said the original cut of the movie is three and a half hours long; I'd give my right arm for a copy of that cut.) Still, it's a minor annoyance; this is a movie well worth watching for horse fans (and, judging by the reactions of some of the audience, who made it clear in pre-film chatter they didn't know from racing, even for non-horse fans).

The movie's been stumping along the festival circuit, but it will be getting a nationwide release on April 18th. Check it out-- it's worth it. ****

A look into the Jockey/Horse world...both tough to get into
If you want to learn about what it takes to get into the Kentucky Derby and if you enjoy watching beautiful horses move at their true speed, this movie is for you!

Great documentary about the road to the Kentucky Derby
After watching this film I can see why it received multiple awards. I felt like I had an all-access pass to the barns of some of the best trainers in the business. From the backstretch barns at Aqueduct to the Derby itself, this film covers it all. Not only the stories of the horses, but the stories of the people who work with the horses - from the amazing story of Michael Matz, to the tragedy that befell Dan Hendricks, to the workmanlike Dale Romans and Frank Amote (and their sons), to the racetrack lifer Bob Holthus. I recommend this film to all who wish to see what really goes on behind the scenes on the road to the "First Saturday in May"!