At long last, one of the greatest equine athletes of the 20th century will be immortalized on the silver screen. Filming of SECRETARIAT, a Walt Disney Pictures and Mayhem Pictures production, has just gotten underway, with the movie set for an October 2010 release.
Anyone old enough to have seen Secretariat (1970-1989) win the Triple Crown will understand and anticipate the significance of the movie. If you’re a bit younger, here’s why the chestnut stallion was such a big deal:
- He was the 1973 Triple Crown winner, 9th winner overall and the first one in 25 years, following Citation in 1948. He set records in the Kentucky Derby (1:59 2/5) and the Belmont Stakes (2:24)…and those track records are still standing today, 36 years later.
- His Belmont Stakes win, via a 31-length margin, is one of racing’s most exciting moments, and is #2 on ESPN Classic’s list of Greatest Sports Performances (by individual athlete), following behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game.
- He was a national celebrity in 1973, gracing the covers of Time Magazine, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated; was honored with his own 33¢ postage stamp; and he’s now listed at #35 on ESPN’s list of the 100 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century.
- Secretariat was named Horse of the Year in 1972 and 1973, and also won Eclipse Awards in both years. He won 16 of his 21 races, finishing in the money 20 times for career earnings of $1.3 million ($6.3 million in 2008 dollars).
In preparation for the film, casting calls were issued to find not one, but a number of Secretariat look-alikes, since different horses are used for different types of scenes, such as racing scenes, close-ups, etc. Due to Secretariat’s short-backed, round-hipped conformation, owners of American Quarter Horses were also encouraged to submit their horses for consideration.
The head horse wrangler for SECRETARIAT, Rusty Hendrickson, also selected horses for recent movies Seabiscuit and Dreamer. His final pick for the star of the film is a three-year-old chestnut Thoroughbred named Cyclone Larry, who’s been living at Fargo’s North Dakota Horse Park. Four additional horses have been selected as stand-ins and for alternative shots.
As for the human side of the movie, Secretariat’s owner, Helen ‘Penny’ Chenery Tweedy, will be played by actress Diane Lane, star of movies such as Under The Tuscan Sun and Unfaithful. Additional cast members include John Malkovich, Scott Glenn, Dylan Walsh, and Nelsan Ellis, with direction by Oscar®-nominated screenwriter Randall Wallace.
Filming is set to take place in Kentucky and Louisiana; race scene filming started at the end of September at Lexington’s historic Keeneland racetrack, with hundreds of extras sporting 1970s finery. Additional race scenes will be filmed at Louisville’s Churchill Downs racetrack.
Follow SECRETARIAT movie news at EC360, the Equine Chronicle’s new online information source, at www.EquineChronicle.com.
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3/31/10
Its about time, I hope Ms. Chenery lives(87) to see the debut.!!!! Secretariat without a doubt was the best sports champion in the last century. Hes up there with the Yankees. My self and family and friends will be there to support a terriffic lady in a time when women were not recognized as such. We also support Big Red he was the Peoples’ Horse. i visited him three times at Claiborne Farms.
Respectfully,
Donna Scofield