Secretariat movie’s appeal to neophytes can help industry

I saw a preview of the movie “Secretariat” last week. I figured it was safe to write about it considering I can’t give away the ending; Big Red still wins the 1973 Triple Crown.

To honestly analyze “Secretariat,” it’s key to gauge the affect the movie will have on two audiences — hard-core fans and horse racing neophytes. The hard core know racing well, and many lived through 1972 and 1973 when Secretariat was a two-time Horse of the Year and became the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years.

Newcomers don’t understand a thing about horse racing. Many probably never saw Secretariat except on YouTube. However, I consider them the primary audience for this movie.

If you seek historical accuracy, “Secretariat” makes the movie “Seabiscuit” look like “Schindler’s List.” “Secretariat” is a Disney production, which means don’t let facts get in the way of an entertaining story. I’ll give two examples among many and then move on.

Lucien Laurin, trainer of Secretariat, is cast as an eccentric kook played by John Malkovich. Wrong. Frank “Pancho” Martin, the trainer of Sham, is crudely portrayed as a loud-mouthed bad guy. Wrong.

The racing scenes are terrific, even once you get past distinctive Keeneland dressed up as Belmont Park. The most accurate portrayal was by Otto Thorwarth playing Ron Turcotte. It makes sense because Thorwarth looked like a jockey, spoke like one and acted like one because he really is a jockey.

In the theater I sat in, about a third of the 400 guests were kids. I consider their reaction the most meaningful measuring stick. They cheered and laughed at the right times and warmly applauded at the end.

For “Secretariat” to be a success and to help the horse racing industry, it is the newcomers who must embrace it. I think they will.

I compare the essence of “Secretariat” to the Lori Petty-National Thoroughbred Racing Association commercials from 1998, which I thought were clever and cutting edge. Two Petty phrases — “Go, baby, go” and “Pay the lady” — still are in use today. Her ads appealed to people who knew nothing about the sport, just like “Secretariat” will.

Bottom line, hard-core fans might go thumbs down on “Secretariat” because too many facts are misconstrued and the movie just isn’t made for them. Just like the racing industry panned the Petty ads.

However, I think horse racing neophytes will like “Secretariat” in the same way kids loved another Disney movie, “The Mighty Ducks.” It’s a fun journey with interesting characters and enough truth, so it’s not a complete fabrication.

“Secretariat” opens in theaters Oct. 8.

Richard Eng’s horse racing column is published Friday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He can be reached at rich_eng@hotmail.com.