The best sports movies can vary. What sport you like makes a difference too! There's classics like Chariots of Fire and underrated like Prefontaine and can't miss Friday Night Lights. For the horse racing fan there are special movies too. The five best in my opinion are not only for the horses they represent but the larger than life story around them. In no particular order, check these out! ( MORE)
Jan Hoadley's Horse Racing fan blog
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September 05, 2009
Jan Hoadley
Rachel Alexandra won the Woodward Stakes today in a smoking time of 1:48.1 holding off a hard charging Macho Again. She still has critics. She has won from coast to coast, at the top, against fillies, against 3 year olds, now against older horses. She has a perfect, unblemished season. She's been criticized she didn't "work for it" in some races - can't be said for the Woodward. There were several gunning for her waiting for a mistake from the three year old filly who dared tread outside her gender AND age! It's criticized she won't be at the Breeders Cup but it seems like unless something spectacular happens then she's done everything she needs to do for Horse of the Year, top 3 year old, top 3 year old filly and only Zenyatta arguably could stand between her and a clean sweep to best female running.
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August 15, 2009
Jan Hoadley
Horse racing has some of the highest highs and the lowest lows. There are stories that are quite unlike other sports because the main players do not care about prize money or earnings and have no concept of retirement. The horses themselves either have the will to run and compete or they don't, and if they don't there is no amount of whipping that will make them be a champion.
In looking for the best moments in the sport several come to mind not only for the horses themselves but the people around them.
Continue HERE.
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August 08, 2009
Jan Hoadley
"The best female athletes in horse racing warrant attention as much as the colts as in most cases the best challenged and beat the colts. Among the greatest fillies in the sport of horse racing is one that complete statistics can't be given and two that died doing what they were bred to do 
- run" (MORE HERE)
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August 06, 2009
Jan Hoadley
Many don't think too much of the horses in racing being athletes but to watch them with personal trainers, caretakers, diets to provide maximum nutrition and a performance that is absolutely an athletic achievement it's clear they are the epitome of an athlete.
A case can be made for many horses but here's a short list of exceptional equine athletes....( click to continue)
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July 11, 2009
Jan Hoadley
It's hard to lose our good old horses but when it's a young promising sire it's somehow even more saddening.
Lawyer Ron, 2007 champion older male with his first very promising crop on the ground, was euthanized yesterday due to complications from a recent colic surgery. He was just 6 years old, a son of Langfuhr out of the Lord Avie mare Donation, and retired with a dozen wins and 8 places from 26 starts. He erned $2790,008 at the track and won the Oaklawn and set a track record in the Whitney Handicap.
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July 10, 2009
Jan Hoadley
Horse of the Year and 1991 Breeders Cup Classic winner Black Tie Affair has been pensioned. His Classic has so many good horses in it - Twilight Agenda Fly So Free, Unbridled, Marquetry and although not a smoking time he did it his way.
Take a couple minutes to remember - or see him for the first time:
Black Tie Affair has sired 35 stakes winners and is a son of Miswaki. He first stood at the Vinery, then went to Japan and returned to the US to stand in West Virginia since 2004. On the track he won 18 of 45 starts, $3,370,694 and won the Philip H Iselin Handicap as well as the Classic and five other graded stakes. Bred in Ireland his grey coat is now white and at 23 has a stud career that includes grade 1 winners Evening attire and Formal Gold as well as Brazilian champion My Tie. He's sired 410 winners from 683 starters, solid both on and off the track.
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July 09, 2009
Jan Hoadley
A soft tissue injury has ended the career of Pioneer of the Nile. The son of Empire Maker won 4 straight graded stakes and was 2nd in the Derby.
From one of his races, the santa Anita Derby:
Also Jade Hunter, sire of Azeri, has been pensioned from stud duty. Those interested in visiting him may do so - he is at Old Friends.
As a stallion:
Continue reading "Pioneer of The Nile retired, Jade Hunter pensioned"
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June 06, 2009
Jan Hoadley
Summer Bird upset the upsets. Overlooked and with an early move from Mine That Bird with Dunkirk setting the space. Dunkirk redeemed himself in making a move in a big race.
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Jan Hoadley
The buzz today is about the Belmont Stakes - will Mine That Bird win? It's another winner that caught my eye in the headline - that of a half brother to Miesque's Approvel. By Sultry Song out of a With Approval mare he was bred by Live Oak Plantation and he will return to Charlotte Weber's Ocala Florida stud...but not for stud duty.
Revved Up is a remarkable grey that is being retired at 11 years old after a nine year career. He won 20 races from 43 starts including 14 stakes - three of those Graded stakes on 13 tracks He was the first horse to win 3 consecutive Bonnie Heath Turf Cup Handicaps His final start was at the Chris Thomas Turf Classic Stakes which he won (for the second time) - and back in 2005 hit a high point with the Canadian G-2 Niagra Breeders Cup Handicap at Woodbine. He earned over a million and a half dollars.
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