You wouldn’t think that horse racing is a rich subgenre of the sports movie genre. I mean, how many horse racing movies could there be anyway? Well, the answer is a lot. When you mention sports movie subgenres, most immediately think of boxing movies. There are more than a few of those, right? Sure, but if you have never looked into horse racing movies, you may be stunned when you find out just how many exist and just how many Disney is responsible for bringing into the world.
There are even many terrific documentaries on the topic. There must be something about horses running laps on a track that producers think will connect with audiences, or is it the gambling aspect of it all? People love betting. Naturally, most today prefer to do this at an amazing online casino, then a land-based establishment.
These digital platforms usually feature sportsbooks where you can bet on horse races. If they don’t, they may have virtual horse racing games that you can bet on. It’s pretty much the same thing. If they don’t have that, then you’ll have to enjoy the hundreds, if not thousands of slot games on offer. These can provide prizes a thousand times your bet, as well as progressive jackpots in the millions. Additionally, fans can register at online sportsbooks and bet on the horse races. And if that is not enough, online sportsbooks provide you with live betting odds, and placing bets is very fast and simple.
Online sportsbooks and online casinos are set to be the future of the gambling industry as these sites are now responsible for over a fifth of the total revenue made by all gambling facilities. Experts even believe that they will take the market over by 2025 and exceed $100 billion in revenue as soon as 2023.
But, enough about betting. Let’s get into the magical world of horse racing on the silver screen, and list some of the bigger movies on the subject in the past few decades. We promise not to go too far back.
Seabiscuit
This one makes our list because it is likely the most expensive horse racing movie ever made. The budget was a whopping $87 million. However, the gamble paid off as it returned close to $150 million. It tells the true story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose fantastic run lifted the spirits of the team behind it and those of the nation. Seabiscuit had an inauspicious start to his career but went on to become an unlikely champion and a symbol of hope. Tobey Maguire stars as the lead, Jonny Pollard, Seabiscuit’s jockey.
Secretariat
Another biographical drama. A Disney one. It chronicles the life of the Secretariat, a thoroughbred racehorse who won the Triple Crown in 1973. Diane Lane plays a mother and housewife who takes over her ailing father’s stables, despite having no horse-racing know-how. Nonetheless, despite all the odds, and with the help of an experienced trainer, played by John Malkovich, she manages to break through a male-dominated business and reach the top. The film had a modest box office reception but received glowing reviews.
Dreamer
Another true story makes our list. No one talks about Dakota Fanning anymore. Dakota’s sister Elle gets all the shine nowadays. Yet, back in the mid-2000s, the world was Dakota-crazy. She was the biggest child actor on the planet, out staging the likes of Tom Cruise. In this 2005 movie, she shares the screen with veteran Kurt Russel as they tell the tale of Soñador, a mare with a broken leg that gets another chance to return to the racecourse.