Secretariat (2010)

Secretariat is a 2010 biographical film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Mayhem Pictures. The film was directed by Randall Wallace. The film chronicles the life of Secretariat, the 1973 race horse winner of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. Diane Lane portrays Secretariat's owner, Penny Chenery, and John Malkovich plays the part of Secretariat's trainer, Lucien Laurin. Filming took place on location in Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky and around Lafayette, Louisiana and Carencro, Louisiana. The film was released on October 8, 2010. It has since received generally positive reviews.

Housewife and mother Penny Chenery (Diane Lane) agrees to take over her ailing father's Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. With the help of veteran trainer Lucien Laurin (John Malkovich), Chenery manages to navigate the male-dominated business, ultimately fostering the first Triple Crown winner in 25 years and what may be one of the greatest racehorses of all time. The film begins with Penny learning of her mother's death and returning to her childhood home. She reunites with Mrs. Ham her father's secretary and comforts her confused and elderly father. At her mother's funeral Penny meets Arthur "Bull" Hancock and Seth Hancock of Claiborne Farms. The Hancocks offer to Penny any help she may need during her efforts to bring Meadow Stables back to profitability. Penny's brother Hollis informs her of a bad and dishonest sale that was about to be made by the trainer until their mother stopped him. Penny fires the trainer and asks Bull Hancock to help her find a new trainer. He recommends Lucien Lauren, who initially turns down Penny's offer. Penny's father made a deal with Ogden Phipps that if he would breed his best stallion (Bold Ruler) with Penny's two best mares (Somethingroyal and Hasty Matilda) that when the mares were close to term they would flip a coin to see who got which foal. Bold Ruler, the stallion was fast but couldn't last over distances. Hasty Matilda was the obvious choice due to her young age, but Somethingroyal's bloodline was made up of many horses with good stamina. Penny hopes to win and choose Somethingroyal's foal due to the interesting mix of speed and stamina. Phipps picks Hasty Matilda and Penny wins Somethingroyal's foal, Secretariat. When Big Red (Secretariat's nickname) enters his first race at the Aqueduct race track everyone has high expectations. The jockey, Paul, is very young with little experience which worries Penny but Lucien reassures her and says they will do fine. During the race, Red repeatedly is hit. First when he comes out of the gate, and repeatedly in the pack and on the rail. Red comes in last due to running like he was afraid of the other horses due to their hitting. Penny and Lucien fight and Lucien blames Paul for the loss. Penny realizes the only way Red could ever win is if he had an experienced jockey. Penny's flight back home is canceled on the day of the race and she misses her daughter Sarah's solo in the play. Her son holds up the pay phone so Penny can hear her sing. The scene closes with Penny covering part of the phone and crying over missing important parts of her children's lives. Penny gets experienced jockey Ron Turcotte to ride Red who leads him to many, many, victories. Secretariat is named horse of the year after a successful two-year-old year, but all the sons of Bold Ruler can't handle the distances that three-year-olds run. Penny's father suffers a stroke and dies, leaving Penny and her brother Hollis to inherit the estate. Penny needs six million dollars to pay estate taxes, but refuses to sell Secretariat. Instead she syndicates Red, selling 32 shares worth more than six million dollars as long as he can win a three year old distance race. She tries to sell a share to Ogden Phipps, who instead offers to buy Red for eight million dollars. Penny refuses to sell him. When Phipps demands to know why, she tells him Red's value will triple when he wins the Triple Crown--a feat no horse has accomplished in twenty-five years. During this time Pancho, breeder of Sham, provokes a match race with Red. Red is taken to the Wood Memorial a week before the first of the Triple Crown races to take on Sham and attempt to earn Penny her syndication money. Ronnie notices that Red's breathing is heavy and he refuses to eat, and is reluctant to allow the bit into his mouth. Red loses the race, after which it's discovered he has an abscess which may have caused the loss. Red wins the Derby and Preakness in record time, then wins the Belmont by 31 lengths.