Six trainers prepare for "The First Saturday in May" in this excellent 2007 documentary currently playing limited engagements in select theaters. The good news is that the producers, the Hennegan brothers, have found a distributor, and the film is due to be released on DVD.
The documentary follows the trainers of six horses who are close to qualifying for the 2005 Kentucky Derby, including trainer Matz and the horse he trains, Barbaro, whose story is well known. The trainers are all lively personalities from different parts of the country (Arkansas, Florida, New York, Kentucky). We get to know these men, their histories, their children and their love of horses. The statistics were interesting - of 40,000 foals born every year, only 20 make it to the Derby. Of these six, not all make it. And one who did meets a cruel fate.
There are laughs and tears to be had in this absorbing film. I'm not a particular fan of horse- racing - for the horses who aren't winners and put out to stud, it can be a horrible life. Racing young horses can cause harm to many an animal and has. Viewers, however, will be struck by the sheer beauty of these animals, their trainers' stories and the drama, pathos and humor of this documentary.