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BEHIND CLOSED DOORS: THE THOROUGHBRED INDUSTRY
The viewer is taken behind the scenes of the billion dollar world of Thoroughbred horse racing from the betting windows where millions are wagered every day to the stables of the superstar horses in this interesting and enlightening documentary.
Meet BOB BAFFERT, the charismatic trainer who makes winning look easy and the jockeys, whose careers could end in a heartbeat; get an inside look at what you don't seen when you go to the race track. Then it's off to the Blue Grass State of Kentucky where champions are bred and promising young Thoroughbreds are sold to the top bidder. It's a high stakes game played by high rollers who spend millions in search of racing's next Classic winner and the ultimate finish line is at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky Derby is the holy grail of Thoroughbred racing...there are races that are worth more money but none is more treasured.
Highlights of this feature are varied and include segments with owners MIKE PEGRAM and BOB and BEVERLY LEWIS whose passion for racing has taken them to the Kentucky Derby winner's circle three times combined. In his quest for the elusive Derby win, PRINCE AHMED SALMAN has turned to a winning trainer for his prized horse, POINT GIVEN. BOB BAFFERT has been the most successful Thoroughbred trainer for five years running - in 2000, horses he trained earned over $14 million, but it's his two Kentucky Derby wins that elevated him to celebrity status. Of all the horses BAFFERT has trained, there is one star who's shined brighter than the others - in its prime a horse like POINT GIVEN can be worth millions and in a career they can yield hundreds of millions of dollars. But how do you make a horse that makes the money?
The first gamble in horse racing is at the breeding farms in the Blue Grass of Kentucky. This is where the most famous names in Thoroughbred racing come from and where they go as studs when their racing careers are over. A winning Thoroughbred can bring in more money breeding than they ever won on the track. An average stud fee is about $20,000 - a fee they may earn eighty times a year. But for a true champion like SEATTLE SLEW - the only living Triple Crown winner, the price will skyrocket....his stud fee is $300,000! See the 27-year-old SEATTLE SLEW looking regal as ever at Three Chimneys Farm and a glimpse of Claiborne Farm and a few of their famous stallions: UNBRIDLED, PULPIT and SEEKING THE GOLD.
Of all the horses that leave the starting gate, more come from one place than any other - nearly one-third of all registered Thoroughbreds come from Kentucky. Buyers from around the world come to Lexington for an exclusive auction - the prestigious Keeneland July Select Yearling Sale...here they hope to find the horse of their dreams and they'll pay top dollar. While it's an A-list social event, first and foremost, this is an auction. During two days of intense bidding, more than 150 horses will go on the block and more than $63 million will trade hands.
Take a look behind the scenes as BOB BAFFERT explains what he looks for when inspecting yearlings with his keen trainer's eye and experience before steering the ones with the most potential to his clients. Next, the viewer will experience the glamour, challenge and competition of the 2001 Keeneland auction - see what goes into preparing the pavilion for the sale, the role of the auctioneers and bid spotters and witness the various buyers' strategies.
Moving right along...you'll see the amazing relationship between top trainer BAFFERT and his Thoroughbreds. It's post time at Del Mar in southern California and 30,000 fans go wild as the first race of the day thunders down the track but what they don't see are the years of preparation that goes into a two minute race. Hours before the gates open to the public, the stars of Thoroughbred racing are hard at work; the viewer will be granted exclusive access to the private world of BOB BAFFERT's stable of champions at Del Mar and will come along for the ride on a typical day for a trainer and will be exposed to the various terminology used on the track. In an exhilarating scene, POINT GIVEN is shown breezing with exercise rider, Dayna Barnes, in preparation for the Travers Stakes less than a week away and CAPTAIN STEVE is shown sticking his tongue out from his stall.
The final chapter takes you into the world of jockeys - the most dangerous job in Thoroughbred racing with interviews of GARY STEVENS and LAFFIT, PINCAY, JR.
From the breeding farms to the million dollar auctions through training and onto the track - Thoroughbred horse racing is the biggest gamble in sports...but for those who have tasted victory, it's worth every penny!
(60 Minutes)
Listing Info: | |
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Listing ID: | 22 |
Format(s) Available: | DVD And VHS |
Category: | U.S. & Canadian Flat Racing |