Posted on 03/16/2014 5:20:51 PM PDT by CedarDave
Mine That Bird beat the odds 50 to 1 when the gelding came from behind to win the Kentucky Derby in 2009.
The win thrust the horse into the national spotlight, along with his New Mexico-based owners and trainer.
Five years later, there is more spotlight on the way as Oscar-winner Jim Wilson and Faith Conroy are bringing the story to the big screen with the film “50 to 1.”
“50 to 1″ is the story of Mark Allen, from Double Eagle Ranch in Roswell, who bought the Canadian gelding in late 2008 with his business partner Dr. Leonard Blach. The duo later enlisted Raton-born Bennie “Chip” Woolley Jr. to train the horse.
Woolley has operated a stable based at Sunland Park Racetrack in southern New Mexico since 1991.
The film, which was made largely in New Mexico, will have its world premiere at the KiMo Theatre on Wednesday and Mine That Bird will be there.
The Derby winner is now retired and living in Roswell.
The stars of the film, Skeet Ulrich, Christian Kane, William Devane, Todd Lowe, Conroy and Wilson, as well as jockey Calvin Borel, who plays himself in the film, will attend the premiere. The group is riding across the country – from California to Kentucky – in a bus where they are screening the film and meeting fans.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
Ever think it might be because the horse didn’t do much after that?
That’s right. Dismal.
I will see it if only to support racing.
I’m glad it’s not about Funny Cide. Then I might not go even if.
Huh? Seabiscuit was 75 years ago, not Exterminator.
OK. So my math is off.
Exterminator, better known as “Old Bones” because he was so boney, was placed in the running of the Kentucky Derby as a replacement. His owner was going to run another horse but that colt had sickened. When he won, Churchill Downs was silent. No one knew who he was.
That was nearly a hundred years ago.
I have the book “Old Bones” from when I was in elementary school, about 5 decades ago. I would like to watch that movie, too. Loved Secretariat but can’t find it in widescreen. Have to see the landscape. Own a couple of other horse movies, but “Man from Snowy River” and “Dances with Wolves” have buckskins in them so I tend to lean towards them being smart only from the movies. My absolute favorite breed is the “Hanoverian.” Saw a young mare, 4 yr old, and fell in love.
Where do horse owners come up with these stupid names? Why can’t a racehorse just be named Fireball, or Lightning?
But I still don’t know what your reply was about.
The biggest longshot winning the Derby was Donerail, a few years prior to Ex. If that is what you were getting at.
They have been, believe me.
But there are millions of them, and strict rules for about 100 years about repeat names. So many people combine sire and dam for names, as in this horse. Yes, many dumb names, but as I’ve been told many times by other fans, “it’s clever”.
Go back to the era I’m studying and the parents all have names the same as others of the time. It is very confusing. Yes, I did study then on-rules era, and it is a bear getting through all the typical repeat names.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.