Read the book, Laura Hillenbrand is one of the greatest writers of our time. She also wrote "Unbroken" which is another phenomenal book and story. Both "Unbroken" and "Seabiscuit" are based on true stories, which in my mind makes them more compelling.
@@nikolatesla5553 Secretariat is largely considered #2 by horse racing folks. It's pretty difficult to compare based on the wildly different eras they raced in, but Man O' War won 20 of the 21 races he was entered in, while Secretariat won 16 of 21. Sectetariat set ridiculous track records, but also set them under much better conditions than War ever ran under, and with less handicap weight. But the argument could easily be made, sure. It's basically those two and then everyone else.
@@robertcampbell8070 Of Secretariat at the Belmont, it was said by Eddie Arcaro, who rode two Triple Crown champions, “I won’t say who’s the greatest, but no horse, living or dead, could beat Secretariat that day.”
@@catherinelw9365 As a 3 year old, Secretariat was also carrying about 20 pounds less than Man O' War would have on a much better track with a better start system that day. But like I said, you can make an argument for Secretariat.
Hi Cassie, having lived around horses from childhood (unlike other self-proclaimed 'experts'), once you get to know a few of these magnificent creatures, you know that they don't like running, they LOVE running! They were born to it. In a way, anatomically, they're a barrel of lungs (for distance), attached to long running legs, long and skinny for the optimal angles, and back legs designed for pure power. Plus, they're herd animals, so they're extremely social, and literally perpetuate their species by running in groups in the same direction. When a horse runs, with his or her place in the herd set by their abilities, in the clear sunshine, air blowing, keeping a social order even at speed, going flat out as fast as they can, they're not running anymore. They're flying!
Secretariat began his conquest of the Triple Crown fifty years ago last week. I had the privilege of seeing all three races on TV, including that legendary finish in the Belmont. He was a once-in-a-lifetime horse.
Man O' War was another great. Only time he didn't win was when he basically got boxed in and the jockey refused to bang his way through. Won every other race in blowout fashion. Having said that, I'm going to have to doubled check my stats. Going off stories my grandpa told me as a young kid.
@@nataliestclair6176 By far. Secretariat was the greatest horse of all time. Period. That being said, due to the ups and downs of his story, plus his under dog nature, Seabiscuit is the far better movie in my opinion.
I am so glad Seabiscuit won the horse movie poll! This is one of my all-time favorite movies. Although, he was a horse, he was a hero during a time when a hero was needed most. Secretariet was a great horse, without a doubt, and the movie was good, but Seabiscuit is about the horse, the depression, and the people who were "broken" all brought together in hope. Great reaction!
Fun Fact: The companions Seabiscuit is given to calm him down were actually used in real life. The stray dog was named Pocatell. The female horse, Pumpkin, would accompany him to all his races through out his racing career. Also, since you reacted to "Seabiscuit" you now have to react to "Secretariat" (2010), it's a awesome movie.
Pumpkin was actually a gelding! putting a mare in with Seabiscuit actually might have made him more aggressive, so usually companion horses for both mares and stallions are geldings. :)
I read recently that a normal thoroughbred's heart weighs about 8.5 pounds. Secretariat's autopsy revealed that his heart weighed 22 pounds. He figuratively & literally had more heart than any other Triple Crown champion in history! Go "Big Red"!
Secretariat the horse was great. Secretariat the movie was boring, with no heart. The acting, and story was second rate, not worth the time to watch it.
I was surprised to find that the actor who played George Wolf was a real jockey who was even better than the real George Wolf and has an unreal amount of wins. You'd have thought he'd been acting his whole life. I loved the part at the end where he pulls back to ride along Red and Seabiscuit to help him get the spark he needed to win the race.
Yes, that's Gary Stevens who won the Kentucky Derby. He also appears in the horse racing TV series, Luck, with Dustin Hoffman, where Stevens plays a jock who is way down on his luck.
When Charles Howard's son died there was no hospital available in the area that might have possibly saved him, so Howard financed a hospital in the nearest town. It is still in operation today in the small town of Willits in N. California.
About whips in horse racing. Back then, whips were often use as a source of pain so the horses would go faster and I have read stories about horses coming out of races with welts, cuts and sometimes even bleeding. (I'm 59 and have been a total racing fan since the age of 8). However, now, whips are designed differently. They have much larger flaps on the ends, designed to make a loud pop sound, and to spread the impact of the hit, so the horses respond to the sound. Jockeys are Required to only use the whip in limited ways, such as: If a horse is slowing up, a jockey can't just keep hitting it. A horse can only be hit so many times in a certain amount of distance from the wire, and the jockey has to hit in rhythm of the horse's stride, and not just wheal away on a horse with the whip as fast has he can. Also, a jockey will be sanctioned, via fine, or suspended from racing for a short time, if he should leave marks on the horses, such was welts, and cuts....or if it's determined he used the whip to punish, rather than encourage a horse in regards to regulations. A whip can also help steer a horse, or get them to switch leads. For example, say a horse starts to veer out - the jockey can tap the horse on the right flank to make it stop or go back to the left a little bit and run straight. That tap, could save lives, if another horse on the outside is coming up....and could clip heels or slam into the horse not running straight. Also, when horses run, they will often run, throwing out what is called a 'lead' front leg. But if they run on that lead leg all through a race, they can tire it out. So, the jockey with the whip and a weight shift, can often get the horse to do kind of a 'skip' and switch leads. So now the fresher front leg is leading. One of my all time favorite race horses, Alydar...had a bad problem with switching leads...which often happens coming off the corner and into the home stretch for the wire. He was a great horse, but could have probably been even greater if he had learned to do that lead change.
27:08 - The movie implies it, yes. Though in reality, it happened due to an accident. Red was exercising a horse one morning and another horse kicked something a stone that hit him on his head. That’s how he became blind, and that I think is why he struggled as a jockey. Before the accident, he was winning about 10% of his races. Afterwards, he barely won until he started riding Seabiscuit.
No one ever thinks of "The Man from Snowy River" as being a "horse" movie, but it is! I think you may like that one too! Of course, Hidalgo is one you have to watch! In real life Viggo Mortensen is a true horse lover in the sense that he fights to preserve natural horse ranges, especially the American Wild Mustangs! He loves horses so much that he formed his own publishing company, Perceval Press, to publish an homage to horses, "The Horse is Good!" This relationship spills over into his roles where his costars and he form a true relationship and bond that is truly special to see! And, yeah, this movie was good too.... But, with Mother's Day around the corner, I wonder why your mom didn't guest in this video...
Seabiscuit was such a special horse. He was small but had an amazing spirit. He rallied a nation during a time when people needed it the most. Secretariat should be next. He was also just phenomenal.
I've watched this movie close to 50 times. Seabiscuit is an American hero. There are several documentarys about Seabiscuit on youtube and of course Lara Hillenbrand's book about seabiscuit that brought all this about in the first place. BTW the actor playing George Wolff isn"t a typical actor, he is Gary Stevens, hall of fame race jockey and winner of 3 Kentucky Derbys, the last of which was on Silver Charm who just celebrated his 29th birthday at Old Friends Farm in Georgetown Kentucky. And the jockey playing Charlie Kurtsinger, who was War Admirals jockey, was played by Chris McCarron who also designed all the racing scenes for the movie, and also happened to be a hall of fame race jockey to win two Kentucky Derbys.
Gary Stevens once ran The Belmont not to win, but to make sure Smarty Jones didn't win. It seems that the trainers down south didn'twant a northern horse to win the Triple Crown. Gary said later he regretted it.
Sea Biscuit is one in my top 5 favorite movies period. Yes it's a great equestrian movie. But every character in this movie is amazing. The casting by itself makes it one of my all time classics.
Four lost souls come together, The owner, the jockey, the trainer, the horse. "you don't throw a whole life away just because it's banged up a little". Top ten movie in my life.
The narrator is David McCullough, who wrote some excellent historical books. He also narrated Ken Burns "The Civil War" documentaries. There's a classic horse movie called "National Velvet" you might like. It stars a very young Elizabeth Taylor.
I read McCullough's book, "Path Between the Seas" which was about the construction of the Panama Canal. Very interesting book and it made my subsequent trip through the canal so much more enjoyable.
The young Mickey Rooney stars in National Velvet in 1944, and a much older Mickey Rooney stars in The Black Stallion in 1979. Personally I prefer the latter, but I also prefer Teri Garr over Elizabeth Taylor.
Cassie, you asked whether it's the horse or the jockey. The Seabiscuit book discusses this in detail, and it's fascinating. It's a little of both. Horses have "personalities" and their own psychology, and a good jockey gets the best out of the horse. Even during a race, a good jockey can "read" the horse and know when it's feisty and ready to be pushed or if it feels intimidated by the other horses and respond properly. The book describes the climactic race against War Admiral in detail, and when the two horses were riding along each other, Seabiscuit and War Admiral stared each other eye-to-eye at full speed, and after several seconds of staring, War Admiral gave a small lurch, and Seabiscuit's jockey knew he had won because War Admiral had psychologically "blinked" and it was over. In fact, the book notes that after that War Admiral never won a race again, not because he wasn't as fast or strong, but because he developed a phobia about racing.
YES! The book describes how the horses were competitive themselves, how it sometimes had nothing to do with the jockeys and trainers. Really fascinating.
@@JenBriSeth I don't know if Cassie is going to watch "Secretariat," but Secretariat had an interesting psychological story. In his very first race, right out of the gate he was cut off by another horse doing an illegal maneuver and collided hard with another horse, almost falling. For the rest of his career, he was afraid to come out of the gate fast and hated running in crowds, which made it all the more fascinating that he became what most people consider the greatest racehorse ever. In all three of his most legendary races -- the 1973 Belmont, 1973 Preakness, and 1973 Kentucky Derby, collectively the "Triple Crown" -- he came out of the gate cautiously in last place, well behind the pack, and passed everybody by running to the outside of the pack which is the longest distance around the track, yet still holds the record for fastest time in all three races even to this day, fifty years later. (You can watch TV broadcasts of all three races on UA-cam). It's interesting to wonder if he might have run those races even faster without that phobia, or if that phobia was actually part of what made him so great.
Cassie, you are either a Meryl Streep quality actress or perhaps just the sweetest most genuine person on UA-cam. Either way, you deserve all of your fandom. Stay gold Cassie. 😊
I remember writing something very similar the first time I found her channel. She's either the greatest actress on youtube or she is just this genuine. I've learned after 2 years of following her channel that it's definitely the latter.
@@stevedietrich8936 Of course every reaction of hers is genuine. There's nothing fake about her. That's why I enjoy her reactions. She's an authentic sweetheart with no trace of bogus quality in her soul.
Secretariat is simply the greatest race horse that ever lived. He holds the fastest times STILL in all three triple crown races and his victory in the Belmont Stakes is the thing of legends.
The book is even better, it explains a lot more. When Charles and Marcella Howard first bought Seabiscuit and entrusted him to trainer Tom Smith, Seabiscuit spent almost all of his time in the stall pacing, nervous and cantankerous. He lunged with bared teeth at anyone passing his stall and ate so little that he was 200 pounds (90 kilograms) underweight. In hopes of calming him, Tom Smith sought out a companion animal. The first unfortunate stall mate was a goat, who Seabiscuit promptly picked up with his teeth and tossed over the stable door! So Smith brought in Pumpkin, who was big enough to stand up for himself. The two horses got on so well that Smith promptly knocked out the wall between the two stables, so they could live together. From that day on, Pumpkin and Seabiscuit went almost everywhere together, stabled either together or in neighboring stalls. Pumpkin was a steady shoulder to lean on - or knock into - when the trackside commotion got a touch too rowdy, and a friend to return to after sailing past the finish line. It’s very possible that without Pumpkin, Seabiscuit would never have become the legend we remember today.
She said “short herbs” 😂 I’ve never met a man in my whole life that would know knowingly eat short herbs. 😂 I will be riding that laughter like Seabiscuit for the rest of the week. I just want to give this woman’s parents a hug and say Thank you. They broke the mold with you Cassie.
In case anyone is interested, War Admiral was Seabiscuit's uncle. War Admiral's father (or sire) was Man O' War. Man O' War also fathered Hard Tack and one of Hard Tack's offspring was Seabiscuit. Small world, big heart. PS - Please watch Secretariat. Big Red (Secretariat's nickname) was undoubtedly the best three year old Triple Crown winner in American history.
Interestingly enough, Secretariat was also a distant relative of Man O' War, War Admiral, Seabiscuit, etc. Secretariat's sire was Bold Ruler. Bold Ruler's dam was Miss Disco. Miss Disco's sire was Discovery. Discovery's sire was Display. Display's sire was Fair Play, who was also Man O' War's sire.
When you stopped to ask if you ever feel bad for them running. Some of them live for it. (Not even race horses). I rode a Quarterhorse paint when I was a kid (10 or so).He was given to me by an uncle. Already a 12 year old horse; smart and so fast. God did we run. There was nothing he loved better. You can feel it if you have a deep enough relationship with them. It’s similar to having a big loving dog. They see you and understand you. I’d never push him too far bc he’d let me know if he was tired. But I promise, he lived for it. His name was King Tut. He was a legend. And I miss him every day.
Don't apologize for crying.. It shows your beautiful heart. The Black Stallion /The Black Stallion Returns were my favorite books turned movies as a kid. My grandfather raced harness when I was a kid. He taught all of us how to act around horses, how to stay on, and how to brush the dirt off your butt and get right back on if you fell or where thrown off. He passed when I was 10, and I missed the horse talk. Some other great horse movies that you could add to your list: Phar Lap Secretariat National Velvet/ International Velvet Sylvester Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken
In Australia, the biggest horse race is the Melbourne Cup. Raced in November every year. And in 2020, the jockey who won was one of my old school friends. I didn’t even know he was in the race.
Horses are great animals and special friends. My granddaughter's first ride was when she was 3yrs old and she still remembers that ride. Everyone deserves the chance to fall in love with a 400kg friend :) Best horse movies beside Seabiscuit, Secretariat, The Black Stallion (w/Mickey Rooney), War Horse, Hidalgo, maybe National Velvet "1944" (also w/Mickey Rooney), a little known Justin Morgan Had a Horse "1972" (from Disney, back before they started producing only garbage).
Secretariat may have been the greatest horse to do it, but the movie about Seabiscuit is absolutely my favorite horse movie of all time. He was the little engine who could..The heart of a big champion. I get emotional everytime with this movie. Love Seabiscuit. ❤❤
Can't begin to tell you how excited was to see you were watching my most favorite horse movie. I first fell in love with the book by Laura Hildebrand, and was so excited to learn it was made into a movie. I loved the film right off the bat, and just never tire of watching it! Thank you for letting us watch along with you! Next horsie movie has to be Secretariat. Another phenomenal film and horse!
As good as this movie is, the book is absolutely incredible. I've read it twice and listened to it once. Laura Hillenbrand literally puts you on the back of a horse in a race, her description is that detailed. By all accounts, she did a ton of research.
A good movie, Secretariat, but I think it pales in comparison in its story telling chops. In a head to head, Secretariat probably would have won, but Seabiscuit got the best of immortalizing.
Hi Cassie, this was a beautiful, moving reaction. A few comments: 1) 4:25: "Is that The Dude?".....Indeed it is.....Jeff Bridges has a brother (Beau) and father (Lloyd) who are also actors. Jeff is in another movie with a car angle (Tucker: The Man and His Dream). Very good movie. 2) 8:17: "This is the Great Depression?"......Yes, Seabiscuit was an inspiration to millions of people during this very difficult time. 3) 18:58: "Do you ever feel sorry for the horses watching them run?" Race horses are born and bred to run. Millions of dollars are spent on these elite horses. They are carefully looked after. 4) The movie "Secretariat" is a must watch. He is the greatest thoroughbred who ever lived. His performance at the 1973 Belmont Stakes was so dominating it defies belief. His time still stands as the fastest ever at Belmont.
I love this movie so much! 😭 And it seems barely anybody has seen it! It’s got so much heart and it would take a hardened soul not to catch a lump in their throat or a glassy eye at some point in this film. Biscuit ❤️
Seabiscuit was the Grandson of one of the greatest horses (not better than Secretariat) Man o War. War Admiral was the son of Man o War. When Seabiscuit won the match race Wolf the jockey yelled to the other jockey War Admiral became a Rear Admiral. A rear Admiral is a rank in the navy so it was a great play on words as a put down.
As someone who grew up on a farm with horses I can tell you they are the most gentle giants you'll ever meet as long as their owners are good to them. And yes..they love to run. Its just what they do. This movie always makes me miss having horses.
During younger years, I remember one of the coolest places to watch a race was at the back barns, away from the grandstand, just before the back straight way. Totally quiet nearby with the muffled spectator din barely coming across the field. You wait for the field to appear along the curve so the horses are coming right toward you and as they pass, you hear the breathing and feel the ground move under you and watch power being managed by the jockeys. Totally different than the stifling crowds at the finish line. Such great memories. 🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎
I am a professional equestrian for 26 years in a row, and i can tell you, horse races are ABUSIVE. horses only run THAT FAST ( GALLOP ) When escaping a predator, using this speed capacity causes SEVERE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL INJURIES, SUCH AS - broken legs lung blood flooding and death while running, severe stress syndrome which mostly doesn't really goes away, blood vessels exploding while they are racing, navicular bone in the hooves, are damaged. Its just HORSE ABUSE , for PROFIT.......🤮
@14:20 .....Fact:. If she was able to finish her sentence it would be... "my sister Isabella, shes married to YOUR SON" Clearly, they left that part out of the movie in fear that it would distract the audience from the main purpose/storyline of the movie. Just like it doesnt mention in the movie that Mr. Howard had more than one son. Possibly for the same reason. I think they did the right thing, leaving this fact out.
"Seabiscuit" by Laura Hillenbrand is the excellent book upon which this movie was based. It investigated a little more deeply the conditions under which jockeys lived and worked. But it is indeed the relationship between the owner, trainer, jockey, and horse that is the heart of this story. The movie is is a great adaptation of that material. I also recommend "Secrtariat." While the trials and tribulations were not as dire, it is the story of an incredible horse.
If you visit the Santa Anita racetrack, Seabiscuit's old stomping grounds in Southern California, Seabiscuit's statue is there ready to greet you. You can even kind of see it in the movie during the scenes where they showed shots of Santa Anita, but the camera angles and edits were done in such a way that you won't really notice that it's there unless you know where to look, because, obviously, the statue's not supposed to be there yet during that time period. Also, back when I went in there to visit (which was well over 10 years ago now) if you go inside and cross the racetrack all the way in, there's a little "petting zoo" sort of setup where they have one of the actual "actor horses" portraying Seabiscuit in the movie, and he was even wearing Seabiscuit's colors, and everything! I think they used, like, six or seven different horses to portray him while making the movie? But anyway, he's tiny! You can really see the difference in size between him, i.e., the "Seabiscuit stunt-double", and all of the other various thoroughbreds that were running during that day's race.
Australia had a race horse that won the heart of the nation during the same years. His name was Phar Lap. They made a movie about him too. You should check it out.
I would love if you watched Pharlap. Basically Australia's version of Seabiscuit. Bought for nothing and become a legend. Pharlap's heart was so big it is on display at the Australian Institute of Anatomy. Australians have a saying - "Have a heart as big as Paharlap". When he wins the 1930 Melbourne Cup (the biggest horse race is Australia), the entire nation had placed bets on him to win. The scene where he is super late for the great race is very emotional! Great TRUE story!!! I believe you will enjoy it and get just as teary eyed as you did with Seabiscuit. Another amazing Horse Movie to consider watching is The Man From Snowy River (based on the poem by Australia's most famous poet Banjo Patterson).. I think I've watched the final chase scene a hundred times!
Laura Hillenbrand’s writing in the book this movie is based is phenomenal and the way she tells the story of this horse, these people, and this era is more incredible even as good as this movie is.
The movie is great, but didnt show how truly amazing he was. A lot of his races were "handicapped". They put weight in the saddle bags of the good horses. Seabiscuit carried as much as 35 pounds of extra weight and still won race after race. Just an example, love the movie and loved horse!
I love how cultured this channel got. Im a massive film buff since i was a kind (in the 90's) and i have seen most of the movies you are reacted to (way before you reacted to them), and I can testify your growing taste and knowledge is worthy of recognition. Keep it up.
Don’t apologize for being emotional. It’s part of what makes you who you are. Trivia: After the match race, Johnny “Red” Pollard was quoted as saying, “The ‘Biscuit just turned War Admiral into a Rear Admiral.”
Nice review Cassie. Now that you've watched one true life horse movie time to see another SECRETARIAT. Biscuit was the little engine that could; perfect for the time in history. Secretariat is the greatest horse of all time. Owned by a smart woman and raced to perfection. Secretariat next for sure.
You made me laugh.... AGAIN. This time it was when you asked "If someone wants to be a jockey, do they just try to become shorter?" Yogi Berra could not have spoken a more unique sentence. You are one of a kind, and you have a sincere and good heart. Everyone who watches your channel knows this. I'm just speaking for the group, as they say. Thanks for being 'you' and having no pretense; just diving into the movies !
No apologies needed! This film makes me cry every time. I think it's a beautifully told story, and I love how the three stories (Charles, Tom and "Red"/Johnny) all come together as one overall story. I think that they all changed -- Charles found renewed life and hope in his wonderful new wife and in Seabiscuit as a venture, Tom became less of a recluse and part of the team (while still being his awesome self), and Red found family again in a different place and support when he needed it. And Seabiscuit found a home and people who cared about him beyond whether or not he could race. Great story, plus pretty pretty horses. What's not to love about this film? 😄😊🏇
Horses are born to run. If a horse doesn't want to do something, it ain't doing it. Seabiscuit's grandfather was Man 'O' War, who was also War Admiral's father. There was a list compiled in the early 2000s of the greatest race horses of all time. Seabiscuit was number 25, while Man 'O' War was number 1 and War Admiral was number 12. I think you should watch Hildago and The Man from Snowy River.
The Black Stallion is a work of art! You would love that film! It's not as well known as the Secretariat, or Hildago both of which are amazing in their own right. Please do the horse poll again they're amazing choices.
I’ve ridden a ton of horses (50+) over the last twenty five years, show ring, trails all of it. Almost all of the the other movies you’ve mentioned in the intro are great movies and well worth a watch. That said I’m sure you’re gonna get a few “man from snowy river” recommendations here too. It’s one of the cruelest movies (even after all the trip wire movies in the past) about horses ever made and it’s a brutal watch if you know anything about horses and care about them. As ever though, your channel is a wonderful and uplifting breath of fresh air. This is such a good movie about how all of us can rescue each other and you might wanna try “The Horse Whisperer” sometime too. Thanks for what you do. Best fetchin’ reactions on UA-cam.
"you don't throw a whole life away just 'cause it's banged up a little bit" this is one of my favorite movies (i even own the dvd). who would've thought i would be so attached to a 'horse movie' ;)
As far as Secretariat, when they did a necropsy (animal autopsy) on him they found his heart was at least twice the size of a normal thouroghbred. Hence, the pure amount of oxygenated blood pumping through his veins was insane. He was literally a freak of nature.
+Popcorn In Bed Fun fact Seabiscuit and War Admiral or "The Admiral" or "The Mighty Atom" were Nephew & Uncle. War Admiral's father was the great Man O' War one of the greatest if not the greatest race horses to ever live. Seabiscuit's father Hard Tack was also a son of the great Man O' War making Man O' War or "Big Red" as he was known Seabiscuit's grand father. Another fun fact, War Admiral was NOT bigger than Seabiscuit lol, they were the same size, both were 15.4 hands high. Ohh and another fun fact, you can find the real footage of the match race between Seabiscuit & War Admiral here on UA-cam.
I counted about 8-times that you were brought to tears in this movie, probably more that weren’t in the final edit. This is the sign of a great movie. It touches people in their heart. Seabiscuit is in my Top Five favorite movies.
"The Race of the Century" I cannot tell the amount of times I've watched this film, the other "GREAT" horse film is Coppola's (exec. Prod.)"The Black Stallion" , Caleb Deschanel is the D.O.P. , Carrol Ballard director,and the last great performance from Mickey Rooney.
“Secretariat” you have to watch that he is the greatest horse of all Time by far . plus you will love it ! Oh yes and also you watch them in the right order after you watch Seabiscuit and understand racing a little bit you’ll be able to appreciate just how unbelievable Secrateriat truly was !!
My all-time favorite horse racing movie! It still resonates with me 20 years later. Seabiscuit was and still is a champion for the underdog. I have seen this movie dozens of times, and I still get emotional just like you. ❤❤❤❤❤
Combination of them both. It's like loving your dog and your dog loving you. Same thing with a horse. Just bigger dogs. Need love attention and care. Best friends for life. Seabiscut was one of the best short distance race horses ever. So was Secretariat and for your eaalster egg all the horse movies are true stories
After little Frankie died on the car accident, charles build a hospital in the area (Northern California) and named it after his Frankie. Frank R. Howard Hospital. Frankie's injuries were survivable, if he could have gotten to a hospital. There is a statue of Seabiscuit in ftont of rhe hospital.
Every single horse movie you mentioned is a gem, and you should watch them all. When all my kids were little, we had a mini farm, with cats, dogs, pigs, cows, horses, and any other creatures my nine kids could rustle up from God’s green earth (aka snakes, lizards, enoles, newts, beetles, crickets, etc). Our horses were called the Geriatric Squad, because we always bought old, calm horses that would be good with the kids. Those precious memories are beyond compare.
Jeff Bridges plays the President of the United States to remarkable effect in THE CONTENDER, a phenomenal film and one I think you'd appreciate and enjoy, on or off the channel. Bridges's President Evans is one of my favorite of his many, many roles.
In England there was a horse named Aldaniti, who everyone thought was washed-up. There was also a jockey called Bob Champion, cancer sufferer. They were paired up and had great success. The movie about them titled "Champions" is one of my top horse movies, partly because I saw them race. I love true stories of courage.
Can't help but love a good horse movie. My grandfather used to talk about Seabiscuit. June 9th, 2023 makes the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's phenomenal Belmont Stakes victory (I'm getting choked up right now). He was GOD's OWN HORSE - at around 1:25 into the race, announcer Chic Anderson declares "...he is MOVING like a treMENDous MACHINE!" - gets me every time. I remember watching it on Live TV. If you've never seen that classic sports film footage announced by Chic Anderson, you ain't seen nothing. He estimated the lead was 25 lengths, when in reality he was 31 lengths ahead of the next horse! When 'Big Red' died, his autopsy revealed his heart was indeed TWO AND A HALF TIMES LARGER than the average horse. Those Triple Crown record times still hold up, for that horse who was indeed 'all heart'.
Being from Kentucky as I am just makes you love horse racing. The Bluegrass region of my home state is just full of horses. So many great stories about Kentucky horses. Seabiscuit did come from the west coast but he was born and bred in the Bluegrass. He truly is a American hero. This is a great movie.
Wonderful reaction full of genuine emotions. But this was my favorite moment-- Cassie: "Ok, my question: If you're short..., do you become a jockey??" "Or... do you want to be a jockey and then do something... to make yourself short?? Is there's some kind of herb??"😄😆🤣😂 That killed me!!😆😂
lol - I don't know if there is a more Cassie statement out there than @28:15... "but it's nice, right? It's a nice whip?". Love this girl. What I loved most about Seabiscuit and his story was what my grandfather told me about him. I asked him why he was so fast despite being so much smaller and my grandfather looked me in the eye and said 'Because f@$k you, that's why." I was seven at the time, but for some reason I was felt inspired as hell.
With the horse racing Tripe Crown currently under way, you have to watch the greatest Triple Crown runner ever in Secretariat. Absolutely wonderful movie, but really brings appreciation to the GOAT horse, hands down.
Jeff Bridges has a brother, Bue, but he's mostly active in TV dramas. I recommend seeing the movie "The Fabulous Baker Boys" where they act together. Good stuff. Jeff and Bue are sons of the legendary actor Lloyd Bridges.
This is one of my all time favorite movies too. I was so happy when I saw you were going to react to it. There is so much inspiration throughout all of the good and bad, it really tears at your heart strings. The fact that it’s a true story just makes it all the more remarkable. I knew you would love it. Thanks for your reaction!
Most people don’t know how to saddle up…put the blanket on…throw on the saddle and cinch up…adjust the bit…but everything just takes time…to learn…and do…and a good two year old should be spirited…any horse needs to get broken or you’ll never ride him…
Never seen the Canadian girl so emotional so often. I feel the same way every time I watch it. Seabiscuit is buried just north of me in Willits, CA. One can tour the barn and grounds.
The car scenes in the beginning reminded me of another fun family movie. Please watch: Wild Hogs, 2007 Four middle-aged friends energise their monotonous lives with an uninhibited road trip. However, when they encounter a Mexican motorcycle mob, their enthusiasm and happiness get dimmed.
I'm not crying; you're crying! I've seen this movie 6 or 7 times (it's on right now on Showtime), and I *think* I can make it through finally without crying. Maybe. However, watching your reaction seeing it for the first time had the tears streaming down my cheeks once again. Very sweet, thank you! 😂
I'll take corny and inspirational over moody and over-dramatic every second of every day, ESPECIALLY in these horrific times!! Thank you and your dear heart for sharing your reactions! I feel much the same, every time I see this film!
Hey sweetie, don’t you worry about crying. There is something about the heart 💜 of a horse that brings out the soft side. Being doing this all my life and sometimes that heart still gets to me
I don’t mean to brag Cassie but I did recommend you this movie a long time ago! Congratulations, you’ve finally seen one of the finest films ever made in my opinion, Seabiscuit is just wonderful in every single way; it really reminds me (weirdly) of Its a Wonderful Life even though they’re very different movies, yet the heart and soul of the stories are so similar despite being 70 years apart! Your reactions are just so heart-warming and even though I’ve watched this film at least 20 times, watching your reaction let me enjoy it again like it was the first time! Great job (and pay attention when I recommend a movie next time)! In fact, you really NEED to watch The Rookie with Dennis Quaid. Not sure how into baseball you are but its another criminally underrated film…
To show how great Secretariat was, He would have beaten Rich Strike by 16 lengths in this years Kentucky Derby! Only horse to ever have run under two minutes! Still holds the records of all three Triple Crown races!! Won the Belmont by 31 lengtths!!! A good movie for a future viewing. I really love your emotional reactions; I'm a 73 year old Viet Nam Veteran and I cried as well. Seabiscuit goes to show how you can never measure one's heart!! Be safe Little Girl and God Bless you and your Sister.
Actually Monarchos ran the Kentucky Derby under 2 minutes as well in 2001...didn't beat the Great Secretariat's time but did become the 2nd horse to run the Ky Derby under 2 minutes minutes
Actually Sham was the second horse to run the Derby in under two minutes. He finished second to Secretariat in the Derby but he also finished the race in less than 2 minutes. So in 1973 two horses, Secretariat & Sham, finished the Derby is under 2 minutes.
@learobinson4450 you are correct...my mind was just thinking of winning times...Poor Sham was born in the wrong year...great horse and has a Stakes named after him
@Tony H. Yes, Sham had the misfortune of being born the same year as Secretariat. He was such a gutsy, hard trying horse. Very few know that at the start of the Derby Sham hit his mouth on the starting gate & knocked his teeth loose. He ran the entire race with his upper teeth flapping around his lip & his mouth full of blood, yet he still ran second & finished in less than 2 minutes. Most are also unaware that War Admiral injured his front hoof at the start of the Belmont & ran the race with it spurting blood. Every time he took a stride & tucked that hoof under his body the blood got on his belly. At the end of the race he was dripping blood & sweat. He was not a big horse like the movie showed. He wasn’t much bigger than Seabiscuit. They both had courage & the will to win. They both had the Look of Eagles.
Best line in this movie… you don’t throw away a whole life because it’s a little banged up
Read the book, Laura Hillenbrand is one of the greatest writers of our time. She also wrote "Unbroken" which is another phenomenal book and story. Both "Unbroken" and "Seabiscuit" are based on true stories, which in my mind makes them more compelling.
Fun fact. War Admiral is Seabiscuit's uncle. War Admiral was sired by Man o' War, Seabiscuit's grand-sire.
You should probably also point out that Man O' War is widely considered the greatest racehorse of all time.
@@robertcampbell8070You would definitely get an argument from Secretariat?
@@nikolatesla5553 Secretariat is largely considered #2 by horse racing folks. It's pretty difficult to compare based on the wildly different eras they raced in, but Man O' War won 20 of the 21 races he was entered in, while Secretariat won 16 of 21. Sectetariat set ridiculous track records, but also set them under much better conditions than War ever ran under, and with less handicap weight. But the argument could easily be made, sure. It's basically those two and then everyone else.
@@robertcampbell8070 Of Secretariat at the Belmont, it was said by Eddie Arcaro, who rode two Triple Crown champions, “I won’t say who’s the greatest, but no horse, living or dead, could beat Secretariat that day.”
@@catherinelw9365 As a 3 year old, Secretariat was also carrying about 20 pounds less than Man O' War would have on a much better track with a better start system that day. But like I said, you can make an argument for Secretariat.
Hi Cassie, having lived around horses from childhood (unlike other self-proclaimed 'experts'), once you get to know a few of these magnificent creatures, you know that they don't like running, they LOVE running! They were born to it. In a way, anatomically, they're a barrel of lungs (for distance), attached to long running legs, long and skinny for the optimal angles, and back legs designed for pure power. Plus, they're herd animals, so they're extremely social, and literally perpetuate their species by running in groups in the same direction. When a horse runs, with his or her place in the herd set by their abilities, in the clear sunshine, air blowing, keeping a social order even at speed, going flat out as fast as they can, they're not running anymore. They're flying!
Seabiscuit and Secretariat are both true stories. I was a kid when Secretariat was racing. He was incredible!
No horse has won by a longer distance at Belmont. He also has the record for a 1.5 mile distance on dirt, also in that Belmont race.
Secretariat began his conquest of the Triple Crown fifty years ago last week. I had the privilege of seeing all three races on TV, including that legendary finish in the Belmont. He was a once-in-a-lifetime horse.
Secretariat was an incredible horse. Better than Seabiscuit
Man O' War was another great. Only time he didn't win was when he basically got boxed in and the jockey refused to bang his way through. Won every other race in blowout fashion.
Having said that, I'm going to have to doubled check my stats. Going off stories my grandpa told me as a young kid.
@@nataliestclair6176 By far. Secretariat was the greatest horse of all time. Period. That being said, due to the ups and downs of his story, plus his under dog nature, Seabiscuit is the far better movie in my opinion.
I am so glad Seabiscuit won the horse movie poll! This is one of my all-time favorite movies. Although, he was a horse, he was a hero during a time when a hero was needed most. Secretariet was a great horse, without a doubt, and the movie was good, but Seabiscuit is about the horse, the depression, and the people who were "broken" all brought together in hope. Great reaction!
Fun Fact: The companions Seabiscuit is given to calm him down were actually used in real life. The stray dog was named Pocatell. The female horse, Pumpkin, would accompany him to all his races through out his racing career.
Also, since you reacted to "Seabiscuit" you now have to react to "Secretariat" (2010), it's a awesome movie.
❤ Secretariat is the BEST! I started watching thinking that it would last 5 minutes but it sucked Mr right in. Great movie!!!
Pumpkin was actually a gelding! putting a mare in with Seabiscuit actually might have made him more aggressive, so usually companion horses for both mares and stallions are geldings. :)
I read recently that a normal thoroughbred's heart weighs about 8.5 pounds. Secretariat's autopsy revealed that his heart weighed 22 pounds. He figuratively & literally had more heart than any other Triple Crown champion in history! Go "Big Red"!
Secretariat the horse was great. Secretariat the movie was boring, with no heart. The acting, and story was second rate, not worth the time to watch it.
@@MrFishing4u Just watch replays of all three Triple Crown races instead. Says it all.
Seabiscuit was a big deal during the Great Depression. I love they way they did this movie like a documentary.
I was surprised to find that the actor who played George Wolf was a real jockey who was even better than the real George Wolf and has an unreal amount of wins. You'd have thought he'd been acting his whole life. I loved the part at the end where he pulls back to ride along Red and Seabiscuit to help him get the spark he needed to win the race.
Cool . I didn’t know this.
Yes, that's Gary Stevens who won the Kentucky Derby. He also appears in the horse racing TV
series, Luck, with Dustin Hoffman, where Stevens plays a jock who is way down on his luck.
The actor that played the jockey that rode War Admiral in the match race is Chris McCarron who is also a hall of fame jockey in real life.
There were several real jockeys in the cast. My Uncle Ron was one. As the guy waving the flag at the beginning of a race he had a close up.
I grew up 2 miles from Santa Anita Race track, yes this is a true story and please do a reaction to Secretariat also a true story
When Charles Howard's son died there was no hospital available in the area that might have possibly saved him, so Howard financed a hospital in the nearest town. It is still in operation today in the small town of Willits in N. California.
"Is it the horse or the jockey?" If they win, the horse did it. If they lose, the jockey did it! -EVERY horse owner/trainer.
roflmao YES!
LOL. I'd not heard that before.
same thing QB lose`s Team wins
About whips in horse racing. Back then, whips were often use as a source of pain so the horses would go faster and I have read stories about horses coming out of races with welts, cuts and sometimes even bleeding. (I'm 59 and have been a total racing fan since the age of 8).
However, now, whips are designed differently. They have much larger flaps on the ends, designed to make a loud pop sound, and to spread the impact of the hit, so the horses respond to the sound.
Jockeys are Required to only use the whip in limited ways, such as:
If a horse is slowing up, a jockey can't just keep hitting it. A horse can only be hit so many times in a certain amount of distance from the wire, and the jockey has to hit in rhythm of the horse's stride, and not just wheal away on a horse with the whip as fast has he can.
Also, a jockey will be sanctioned, via fine, or suspended from racing for a short time, if he should leave marks on the horses, such was welts, and cuts....or if it's determined he used the whip to punish, rather than encourage a horse in regards to regulations.
A whip can also help steer a horse, or get them to switch leads. For example, say a horse starts to veer out - the jockey can tap the horse on the right flank to make it stop or go back to the left a little bit and run straight. That tap, could save lives, if another horse on the outside is coming up....and could clip heels or slam into the horse not running straight.
Also, when horses run, they will often run, throwing out what is called a 'lead' front leg. But if they run on that lead leg all through a race, they can tire it out. So, the jockey with the whip and a weight shift, can often get the horse to do kind of a 'skip' and switch leads. So now the fresher front leg is leading.
One of my all time favorite race horses, Alydar...had a bad problem with switching leads...which often happens coming off the corner and into the home stretch for the wire. He was a great horse, but could have probably been even greater if he had learned to do that lead change.
Never apologize for being emotional. Half of the fun of watching your reactions is reliving those emotions we felt during the movies through you :)
That line "You don't throw a whole life away because you got banged up a little" really hit me.
27:08 - The movie implies it, yes. Though in reality, it happened due to an accident. Red was exercising a horse one morning and another horse kicked something a stone that hit him on his head. That’s how he became blind, and that I think is why he struggled as a jockey. Before the accident, he was winning about 10% of his races. Afterwards, he barely won until he started riding Seabiscuit.
No one ever thinks of "The Man from Snowy River" as being a "horse" movie, but it is! I think you may like that one too! Of course, Hidalgo is one you have to watch! In real life Viggo Mortensen is a true horse lover in the sense that he fights to preserve natural horse ranges, especially the American Wild Mustangs! He loves horses so much that he formed his own publishing company, Perceval Press, to publish an homage to horses, "The Horse is Good!" This relationship spills over into his roles where his costars and he form a true relationship and bond that is truly special to see! And, yeah, this movie was good too.... But, with Mother's Day around the corner, I wonder why your mom didn't guest in this video...
Thank you for mentioning The Man From Snowy River. The second one is my fave and would love to see her watch both!
"The Man from Snowy River" should definitely be thought of as a horse movie, if just for one seen alone. You know the one I'm talking about...
@@rbaldino Cassie would definitely get emotional over that scene!! I love that movie & Tom Burlinson is amazing!
yes
I've been suggesting this movie to every reactor on UA-cam.
The horse that played Seabiscuit’s stablemate “Pumpkin” in the film was owned by a friend of one my good friends.
Seabiscuit was such a special horse. He was small but had an amazing spirit. He rallied a nation during a time when people needed it the most. Secretariat should be next. He was also just phenomenal.
“It was the beginning and the end of imagination all at the same time “. Love that line.
I've watched this movie close to 50 times. Seabiscuit is an American hero. There are several documentarys about Seabiscuit on youtube and of course Lara Hillenbrand's book about seabiscuit that brought all this about in the first place. BTW the actor playing George Wolff isn"t a typical actor, he is Gary Stevens, hall of fame race jockey and winner of 3 Kentucky Derbys, the last of which was on Silver Charm who just celebrated his 29th birthday at Old Friends Farm in Georgetown Kentucky. And the jockey playing Charlie Kurtsinger, who was War Admirals jockey, was played by Chris McCarron who also designed all the racing scenes for the movie, and also happened to be a hall of fame race jockey to win two Kentucky Derbys.
"you don't throw a whole life away just because it's banged up a little". Top ten movie in my life
Gary Stevens once ran The Belmont not to win, but to make sure Smarty Jones didn't win. It seems that the trainers down south didn'twant a northern horse to win the Triple Crown. Gary said later he regretted it.
Been lucky to see both jockeys race in-person
"You don't throw a whole life away just 'cause he's banged up a little." That's the whole theme of the movie!
Great quote
I know you had to love this movie, it's my all time favorite equestrian film!! Secretariat is number 2! Can't wait to see your reaction!
Except it's my fav lol!
Sea Biscuit is one in my top 5 favorite movies period. Yes it's a great equestrian movie. But every character in this movie is amazing. The casting by itself makes it one of my all time classics.
Four lost souls come together, The owner, the jockey, the trainer, the horse. "you don't throw a whole life away just because it's banged up a little". Top ten movie in my life.
The narrator is David McCullough, who wrote some excellent historical books. He also narrated Ken Burns "The Civil War" documentaries.
There's a classic horse movie called "National Velvet" you might like. It stars a very young Elizabeth Taylor.
I read McCullough's book, "Path Between the Seas" which was about the construction of the Panama Canal. Very interesting book and it made my subsequent trip through the canal so much more enjoyable.
The young Mickey Rooney stars in National Velvet in 1944, and a much older Mickey Rooney stars in The Black Stallion in 1979. Personally I prefer the latter, but I also prefer Teri Garr over Elizabeth Taylor.
He had the best voice. Incredible narrator and also happened to be a Pulitzer winner. Such a cool guy
Cassie, you asked whether it's the horse or the jockey. The Seabiscuit book discusses this in detail, and it's fascinating. It's a little of both. Horses have "personalities" and their own psychology, and a good jockey gets the best out of the horse. Even during a race, a good jockey can "read" the horse and know when it's feisty and ready to be pushed or if it feels intimidated by the other horses and respond properly. The book describes the climactic race against War Admiral in detail, and when the two horses were riding along each other, Seabiscuit and War Admiral stared each other eye-to-eye at full speed, and after several seconds of staring, War Admiral gave a small lurch, and Seabiscuit's jockey knew he had won because War Admiral had psychologically "blinked" and it was over. In fact, the book notes that after that War Admiral never won a race again, not because he wasn't as fast or strong, but because he developed a phobia about racing.
YES! The book describes how the horses were competitive themselves, how it sometimes had nothing to do with the jockeys and trainers. Really fascinating.
@@JenBriSeth I don't know if Cassie is going to watch "Secretariat," but Secretariat had an interesting psychological story. In his very first race, right out of the gate he was cut off by another horse doing an illegal maneuver and collided hard with another horse, almost falling. For the rest of his career, he was afraid to come out of the gate fast and hated running in crowds, which made it all the more fascinating that he became what most people consider the greatest racehorse ever. In all three of his most legendary races -- the 1973 Belmont, 1973 Preakness, and 1973 Kentucky Derby, collectively the "Triple Crown" -- he came out of the gate cautiously in last place, well behind the pack, and passed everybody by running to the outside of the pack which is the longest distance around the track, yet still holds the record for fastest time in all three races even to this day, fifty years later. (You can watch TV broadcasts of all three races on UA-cam). It's interesting to wonder if he might have run those races even faster without that phobia, or if that phobia was actually part of what made him so great.
Cassie, you are either a Meryl Streep quality actress or perhaps just the sweetest most genuine person on UA-cam.
Either way, you deserve all of your fandom. Stay gold Cassie.
😊
I remember writing something very similar the first time I found her channel. She's either the greatest actress on youtube or she is just this genuine. I've learned after 2 years of following her channel that it's definitely the latter.
100% agree
Nobody is that good of an actress. Cassie is simply the sweetest person on youtube.
@@stevedietrich8936
Of course every reaction of hers is genuine. There's nothing fake about her.
That's why I enjoy her reactions.
She's an authentic sweetheart with no trace of bogus quality in her soul.
Secretariat is simply the greatest race horse that ever lived. He holds the fastest times STILL in all three triple crown races and his victory in the Belmont Stakes is the thing of legends.
Rewatching that race on youtube almost gives me the same chills as watching Dave Wottle or Billy Mills win in the Olympics.
Read your comment, and then went and watched the three races on UA-cam.
Wow, what an amazing horse Secretariat was. An amazing electrifying horse.
Secretariat was a distant relative of Seabiscuit actually
That announcer's voice screaming for Mills is hands-down my favorite thing to watch. Met Mills as a kid. Humble and amazing man.
secretariat was a tremendous machine
The book is even better, it explains a lot more. When Charles and Marcella Howard first bought Seabiscuit and entrusted him to trainer Tom Smith, Seabiscuit spent almost all of his time in the stall pacing, nervous and cantankerous. He lunged with bared teeth at anyone passing his stall and ate so little that he was 200 pounds (90 kilograms) underweight. In hopes of calming him, Tom Smith sought out a companion animal.
The first unfortunate stall mate was a goat, who Seabiscuit promptly picked up with his teeth and tossed over the stable door! So Smith brought in Pumpkin, who was big enough to stand up for himself. The two horses got on so well that Smith promptly knocked out the wall between the two stables, so they could live together.
From that day on, Pumpkin and Seabiscuit went almost everywhere together, stabled either together or in neighboring stalls. Pumpkin was a steady shoulder to lean on - or knock into - when the trackside commotion got a touch too rowdy, and a friend to return to after sailing past the finish line. It’s very possible that without Pumpkin, Seabiscuit would never have become the legend we remember today.
She said “short herbs” 😂 I’ve never met a man in my whole life that would know knowingly eat short herbs. 😂 I will be riding that laughter like Seabiscuit for the rest of the week.
I just want to give this woman’s parents a hug and say Thank you. They broke the mold with you Cassie.
In case anyone is interested, War Admiral was Seabiscuit's uncle. War Admiral's father (or sire) was Man O' War. Man O' War also fathered Hard Tack and one of Hard Tack's offspring was Seabiscuit. Small world, big heart. PS - Please watch Secretariat. Big Red (Secretariat's nickname) was undoubtedly the best three year old Triple Crown winner in American history.
Interestingly enough, Secretariat was also a distant relative of Man O' War, War Admiral, Seabiscuit, etc. Secretariat's sire was Bold Ruler. Bold Ruler's dam was Miss Disco. Miss Disco's sire was Discovery. Discovery's sire was Display. Display's sire was Fair Play, who was also Man O' War's sire.
Her naivete and innocence is hard to comprehend but refreshing.
I forgot how much I loved this movie. Thanks for letting us watch it with you!! ❤️
Hidalgo is a great story. Black Stallion is one of the most beautiful movies ever made. Both would be a great choice.
When you stopped to ask if you ever feel bad for them running. Some of them live for it. (Not even race horses). I rode a Quarterhorse paint when I was a kid (10 or so).He was given to me by an uncle. Already a 12 year old horse; smart and so fast. God did we run. There was nothing he loved better. You can feel it if you have a deep enough relationship with them. It’s similar to having a big loving dog. They see you and understand you. I’d never push him too far bc he’d let me know if he was tired. But I promise, he lived for it. His name was King Tut. He was a legend. And I miss him every day.
Don't apologize for crying.. It shows your beautiful heart. The Black Stallion /The Black Stallion Returns were my favorite books turned movies as a kid. My grandfather raced harness when I was a kid. He taught all of us how to act around horses, how to stay on, and how to brush the dirt off your butt and get right back on if you fell or where thrown off. He passed when I was 10, and I missed the horse talk. Some other great horse movies that you could add to your list:
Phar Lap
Secretariat
National Velvet/ International Velvet
Sylvester
Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken
Sea Biscuit and Secretariat are both awesome.
In Australia, the biggest horse race is the Melbourne Cup. Raced in November every year. And in 2020, the jockey who won was one of my old school friends. I didn’t even know he was in the race.
Horses are great animals and special friends. My granddaughter's first ride was when she was 3yrs old and she still remembers that ride. Everyone deserves the chance to fall in love with a 400kg friend :)
Best horse movies beside Seabiscuit, Secretariat, The Black Stallion (w/Mickey Rooney), War Horse, Hidalgo, maybe National Velvet "1944" (also w/Mickey Rooney), a little known Justin Morgan Had a Horse "1972" (from Disney, back before they started producing only garbage).
Secretariat may have been the greatest horse to do it, but the movie about Seabiscuit is absolutely my favorite horse movie of all time. He was the little engine who could..The heart of a big champion. I get emotional everytime with this movie. Love Seabiscuit. ❤❤
Can't begin to tell you how excited was to see you were watching my most favorite horse movie. I first fell in love with the book by Laura Hildebrand, and was so excited to learn it was made into a movie. I loved the film right off the bat, and just never tire of watching it! Thank you for letting us watch along with you! Next horsie movie has to be Secretariat. Another phenomenal film and horse!
As good as this movie is, the book is absolutely incredible. I've read it twice and listened to it once. Laura Hillenbrand literally puts you on the back of a horse in a race, her description is that detailed. By all accounts, she did a ton of research.
A good movie, Secretariat, but I think it pales in comparison in its story telling chops. In a head to head, Secretariat probably would have won, but Seabiscuit got the best of immortalizing.
war horse (2011) is another great horse movie🐴
Hi Cassie, this was a beautiful, moving reaction. A few comments:
1) 4:25: "Is that The Dude?".....Indeed it is.....Jeff Bridges has a brother (Beau) and father (Lloyd) who are also actors. Jeff is in another movie with a car angle (Tucker: The Man and His Dream). Very good movie.
2) 8:17: "This is the Great Depression?"......Yes, Seabiscuit was an inspiration to millions of people during this very difficult time.
3) 18:58: "Do you ever feel sorry for the horses watching them run?" Race horses are born and bred to run. Millions of dollars are spent on these elite horses. They are carefully looked after.
4) The movie "Secretariat" is a must watch. He is the greatest thoroughbred who ever lived. His performance at the 1973 Belmont Stakes was so dominating it defies belief. His time still stands as the fastest ever at Belmont.
I love this movie so much! 😭 And it seems barely anybody has seen it! It’s got so much heart and it would take a hardened soul not to catch a lump in their throat or a glassy eye at some point in this film. Biscuit ❤️
Seabiscuit was the Grandson of one of the greatest horses (not better than Secretariat) Man o War. War Admiral was the son of Man o War. When Seabiscuit won the match race Wolf the jockey yelled to the other jockey War Admiral became a Rear Admiral. A rear Admiral is a rank in the navy so it was a great play on words as a put down.
As someone who grew up on a farm with horses I can tell you they are the most gentle giants you'll ever meet as long as their owners are good to them. And yes..they love to run. Its just what they do. This movie always makes me miss having horses.
During younger years, I remember one of the coolest places to watch a race was at the back barns, away from the grandstand, just before the back straight way. Totally quiet nearby with the muffled spectator din barely coming across the field. You wait for the field to appear along the curve so the horses are coming right toward you and as they pass, you hear the breathing and feel the ground move under you and watch power being managed by the jockeys. Totally different than the stifling crowds at the finish line. Such great memories. 🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎
I am a professional equestrian for 26 years in a row, and i can tell you, horse races are ABUSIVE.
horses only run THAT FAST ( GALLOP ) When escaping a predator, using this speed capacity causes SEVERE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL INJURIES, SUCH AS - broken legs lung blood flooding and death while running, severe stress syndrome which mostly doesn't really goes away, blood vessels exploding while they are racing, navicular bone in the hooves, are damaged.
Its just HORSE ABUSE , for PROFIT.......🤮
@@Gaia369 And they start and race them far too young. I love the breed, hate the sport.
@14:20 .....Fact:. If she was able to finish her sentence it would be... "my sister Isabella, shes married to YOUR SON"
Clearly, they left that part out of the movie in fear that it would distract the audience from the main purpose/storyline of the movie. Just like it doesnt mention in the movie that Mr. Howard had more than one son. Possibly for the same reason. I think they did the right thing, leaving this fact out.
"Seabiscuit" by Laura Hillenbrand is the excellent book upon which this movie was based. It investigated a little more deeply the conditions under which jockeys lived and worked. But it is indeed the relationship between the owner, trainer, jockey, and horse that is the heart of this story. The movie is is a great adaptation of that material. I also recommend "Secrtariat." While the trials and tribulations were not as dire, it is the story of an incredible horse.
If you visit the Santa Anita racetrack, Seabiscuit's old stomping grounds in Southern California, Seabiscuit's statue is there ready to greet you. You can even kind of see it in the movie during the scenes where they showed shots of Santa Anita, but the camera angles and edits were done in such a way that you won't really notice that it's there unless you know where to look, because, obviously, the statue's not supposed to be there yet during that time period.
Also, back when I went in there to visit (which was well over 10 years ago now) if you go inside and cross the racetrack all the way in, there's a little "petting zoo" sort of setup where they have one of the actual "actor horses" portraying Seabiscuit in the movie, and he was even wearing Seabiscuit's colors, and everything! I think they used, like, six or seven different horses to portray him while making the movie? But anyway, he's tiny! You can really see the difference in size between him, i.e., the "Seabiscuit stunt-double", and all of the other various thoroughbreds that were running during that day's race.
Australia had a race horse that won the heart of the nation during the same years. His name was Phar Lap. They made a movie about him too. You should check it out.
I would love if you watched Pharlap. Basically Australia's version of Seabiscuit. Bought for nothing and become a legend. Pharlap's heart was so big it is on display at the Australian Institute of Anatomy. Australians have a saying - "Have a heart as big as Paharlap". When he wins the 1930 Melbourne Cup (the biggest horse race is Australia), the entire nation had placed bets on him to win. The scene where he is super late for the great race is very emotional! Great TRUE story!!! I believe you will enjoy it and get just as teary eyed as you did with Seabiscuit. Another amazing Horse Movie to consider watching is The Man From Snowy River (based on the poem by Australia's most famous poet Banjo Patterson).. I think I've watched the final chase scene a hundred times!
I like how the fan blowing your hair complimented the scenes of horse racing, very immersive 😂
Laura Hillenbrand’s writing in the book this movie is based is phenomenal and the way she tells the story of this horse, these people, and this era is more incredible even as good as this movie is.
The movie is great, but didnt show how truly amazing he was. A lot of his races were "handicapped". They put weight in the saddle bags of the good horses. Seabiscuit carried as much as 35 pounds of extra weight and still won race after race. Just an example, love the movie and loved horse!
I love how cultured this channel got. Im a massive film buff since i was a kind (in the 90's) and i have seen most of the movies you are reacted to (way before you reacted to them), and I can testify your growing taste and knowledge is worthy of recognition. Keep it up.
Cassie, I swear nothing gets me choked up these days, but then you are just beaming there with your tears of joy and it’s more contagious than Covid.
Don’t apologize for being emotional. It’s part of what makes you who you are.
Trivia: After the match race, Johnny “Red” Pollard was quoted as saying, “The ‘Biscuit just turned War Admiral into a Rear Admiral.”
Nice review Cassie. Now that you've watched one true life horse movie time to see another SECRETARIAT. Biscuit was the little engine that could; perfect for the time in history. Secretariat is the greatest horse of all time. Owned by a smart woman and raced to perfection. Secretariat next for sure.
You made me laugh.... AGAIN.
This time it was when you asked "If someone wants to be a jockey, do they just try to become shorter?"
Yogi Berra could not have spoken a more unique sentence.
You are one of a kind, and you have a sincere and good heart. Everyone who watches your channel knows this.
I'm just speaking for the group, as they say.
Thanks for being 'you' and having no pretense; just diving into the movies !
No apologies needed! This film makes me cry every time. I think it's a beautifully told story, and I love how the three stories (Charles, Tom and "Red"/Johnny) all come together as one overall story. I think that they all changed -- Charles found renewed life and hope in his wonderful new wife and in Seabiscuit as a venture, Tom became less of a recluse and part of the team (while still being his awesome self), and Red found family again in a different place and support when he needed it. And Seabiscuit found a home and people who cared about him beyond whether or not he could race.
Great story, plus pretty pretty horses. What's not to love about this film? 😄😊🏇
Horses are born to run. If a horse doesn't want to do something, it ain't doing it.
Seabiscuit's grandfather was Man 'O' War, who was also War Admiral's father. There was a list compiled in the early 2000s of the greatest race horses of all time. Seabiscuit was number 25, while Man 'O' War was number 1 and War Admiral was number 12.
I think you should watch Hildago and The Man from Snowy River.
The Black Stallion is a work of art! You would love that film! It's not as well known as the Secretariat, or Hildago both of which are amazing in their own right. Please do the horse poll again they're amazing choices.
I’ve ridden a ton of horses (50+) over the last twenty five years, show ring, trails all of it. Almost all of the the other movies you’ve mentioned in the intro are great movies and well worth a watch. That said I’m sure you’re gonna get a few “man from snowy river” recommendations here too. It’s one of the cruelest movies (even after all the trip wire movies in the past) about horses ever made and it’s a brutal watch if you know anything about horses and care about them.
As ever though, your channel is a wonderful and uplifting breath of fresh air. This is such a good movie about how all of us can rescue each other and you might wanna try “The Horse Whisperer” sometime too. Thanks for what you do. Best fetchin’ reactions on UA-cam.
"you don't throw a whole life away just 'cause it's banged up a little bit"
this is one of my favorite movies (i even own the dvd). who would've thought i would be so attached to a 'horse movie' ;)
As far as Secretariat, when they did a necropsy (animal autopsy) on him they found his heart was at least twice the size of a normal thouroghbred. Hence, the pure amount of oxygenated blood pumping through his veins was insane. He was literally a freak of nature.
“THE BLACK STALLION”
Is also a beautiful movie,beautiful horse , beautiful story,beautiful scenery in the beginning.
Exactly. All these ‘horsey’ movies are great, but Black Stallion? None of these movies hold a candle to The Black Stallion!
+Popcorn In Bed Fun fact Seabiscuit and War Admiral or "The Admiral" or "The Mighty Atom" were Nephew & Uncle. War Admiral's father was the great Man O' War one of the greatest if not the greatest race horses to ever live. Seabiscuit's father Hard Tack was also a son of the great Man O' War making Man O' War or "Big Red" as he was known Seabiscuit's grand father. Another fun fact, War Admiral was NOT bigger than Seabiscuit lol, they were the same size, both were 15.4 hands high. Ohh and another fun fact, you can find the real footage of the match race between Seabiscuit & War Admiral here on UA-cam.
I counted about 8-times that you were brought to tears in this movie, probably more that weren’t in the final edit. This is the sign of a great movie. It touches people in their heart.
Seabiscuit is in my Top Five favorite movies.
"The Race of the Century" I cannot tell the amount of times I've watched this film, the other "GREAT" horse film is Coppola's (exec. Prod.)"The Black Stallion" , Caleb Deschanel is the D.O.P. , Carrol Ballard director,and the last great performance from Mickey Rooney.
One of my all time favorite movies. I remember seeing this in the theater and everyone clapping at the end when biscuit wins again.
Seabiscuit and War Admiral are both descendants of Man o War. Love your reaction.
“Secretariat”
you have to watch that he is the greatest horse of all Time by far .
plus you will love it !
Oh yes and also you watch them in the right order after you watch Seabiscuit and understand racing a little bit you’ll be able to appreciate just how unbelievable Secrateriat truly was !!
My all-time favorite horse racing movie! It still resonates with me 20 years later. Seabiscuit was and still is a champion for the underdog. I have seen this movie dozens of times, and I still get emotional just like you. ❤❤❤❤❤
No matter how many times I watch this movie it brings tears to my eyes.
Combination of them both. It's like loving your dog and your dog loving you. Same thing with a horse. Just bigger dogs. Need love attention and care. Best friends for life. Seabiscut was one of the best short distance race horses ever. So was Secretariat and for your eaalster egg all the horse movies are true stories
After little Frankie died on the car accident, charles build a hospital in the area (Northern California) and named it after his Frankie. Frank R. Howard Hospital. Frankie's injuries were survivable, if he could have gotten to a hospital. There is a statue of Seabiscuit in ftont of rhe hospital.
Every single horse movie you mentioned is a gem, and you should watch them all.
When all my kids were little, we had a mini farm, with cats, dogs, pigs, cows, horses, and any other creatures my nine kids could rustle up from God’s green earth (aka snakes, lizards, enoles, newts, beetles, crickets, etc).
Our horses were called the Geriatric Squad, because we always bought old, calm horses that would be good with the kids.
Those precious memories are beyond compare.
Your reactions are always so genuine and such a joy to watch! This one was outstanding!
Jeff Bridges plays the President of the United States to remarkable effect in THE CONTENDER, a phenomenal film and one I think you'd appreciate and enjoy, on or off the channel. Bridges's President Evans is one of my favorite of his many, many roles.
In England there was a horse named Aldaniti, who everyone thought was washed-up. There was also a jockey called Bob Champion, cancer sufferer. They were paired up and had great success. The movie about them titled "Champions" is one of my top horse movies, partly because I saw them race. I love true stories of courage.
When ever i feel really down and feel like I cannot go on anymore , I sit down and watch this movie , and then I am ready to get up and try again.
Can't help but love a good horse movie. My grandfather used to talk about Seabiscuit. June 9th, 2023 makes the 50th anniversary of Secretariat's phenomenal Belmont Stakes victory (I'm getting choked up right now). He was GOD's OWN HORSE - at around 1:25 into the race, announcer Chic Anderson declares "...he is MOVING like a treMENDous MACHINE!" - gets me every time. I remember watching it on Live TV. If you've never seen that classic sports film footage announced by Chic Anderson, you ain't seen nothing. He estimated the lead was 25 lengths, when in reality he was 31 lengths ahead of the next horse! When 'Big Red' died, his autopsy revealed his heart was indeed TWO AND A HALF TIMES LARGER than the average horse. Those Triple Crown record times still hold up, for that horse who was indeed 'all heart'.
Cassie can’t read this comment yet…. No spoilers allowed.
Being from Kentucky as I am just makes you love horse racing. The Bluegrass region of my home state is just full of horses. So many great stories about Kentucky horses. Seabiscuit did come from the west coast but he was born and bred in the Bluegrass. He truly is a American hero. This is a great movie.
Wonderful reaction full of genuine emotions. But this was my favorite moment-- Cassie: "Ok, my question: If you're short..., do you become a jockey??" "Or... do you want to be a jockey and then do something... to make yourself short?? Is there's some kind of herb??"😄😆🤣😂 That killed me!!😆😂
I literally fell backwards in my chair laughing, lol.
The Jockey illuminati don't want the secret herb being discovered 🌿
lol - I don't know if there is a more Cassie statement out there than @28:15... "but it's nice, right? It's a nice whip?". Love this girl.
What I loved most about Seabiscuit and his story was what my grandfather told me about him. I asked him why he was so fast despite being so much smaller and my grandfather looked me in the eye and said 'Because f@$k you, that's why." I was seven at the time, but for some reason I was felt inspired as hell.
With the horse racing Tripe Crown currently under way, you have to watch the greatest Triple Crown runner ever in Secretariat. Absolutely wonderful movie, but really brings appreciation to the GOAT horse, hands down.
Jeff Bridges has a brother, Bue, but he's mostly active in TV dramas. I recommend seeing the movie "The Fabulous Baker Boys" where they act together. Good stuff. Jeff and Bue are sons of the legendary actor Lloyd Bridges.
This is one of my all time favorite movies too. I was so happy when I saw you were going to react to it. There is so much inspiration throughout all of the good and bad, it really tears at your heart strings. The fact that it’s a true story just makes it all the more remarkable. I knew you would love it. Thanks for your reaction!
You know, those herbs touted for their ability to make people short? Guys can’t get enough of ‘em.
This is a favorite of mine. Just a special story, well-acted, and lovingly rendered on screen. I cry every time - even cried during your reaction
Most people don’t know how to saddle up…put the blanket on…throw on the saddle and cinch up…adjust the bit…but everything just takes time…to learn…and do…and a good two year old should be spirited…any horse needs to get broken or you’ll never ride him…
Saw this in the theater. It's underrated and more people should see this so I'm glad you did it and hope it brings more to watch it.
I saw it in theater too. I was just a kid at the time and was very surprised to see Spider-Man cursing. 😂
@@slimbrady6691 lol!!
Never seen the Canadian girl so emotional so often.
I feel the same way every time I watch it.
Seabiscuit is buried just north of me in Willits, CA.
One can tour the barn and grounds.
Secretariat, the greatest horse of all time and a true story. Hidalgo is a great movie too.
The car scenes in the beginning reminded me of another fun family movie. Please watch: Wild Hogs, 2007
Four middle-aged friends energise their monotonous lives with an uninhibited road trip. However, when they encounter a Mexican motorcycle mob, their enthusiasm and happiness get dimmed.
I'm not crying; you're crying! I've seen this movie 6 or 7 times (it's on right now on Showtime), and I *think* I can make it through finally without crying. Maybe. However, watching your reaction seeing it for the first time had the tears streaming down my cheeks once again. Very sweet, thank you! 😂
I'll take corny and inspirational over moody and over-dramatic every second of every day, ESPECIALLY in these horrific times!! Thank you and your dear heart for sharing your reactions! I feel much the same, every time I see this film!
Hey sweetie, don’t you worry about crying. There is something about the heart 💜 of a horse that brings out the soft side. Being doing this all my life and sometimes that heart still gets to me
Since you liked this movies so well, I strongly suggest that you watch the movie Secretariat. That horse was a TRUE champion.
This is one of my favorite movies. I love the mixture of history with story. So well done!
I don’t mean to brag Cassie but I did recommend you this movie a long time ago! Congratulations, you’ve finally seen one of the finest films ever made in my opinion, Seabiscuit is just wonderful in every single way; it really reminds me (weirdly) of Its a Wonderful Life even though they’re very different movies, yet the heart and soul of the stories are so similar despite being 70 years apart! Your reactions are just so heart-warming and even though I’ve watched this film at least 20 times, watching your reaction let me enjoy it again like it was the first time! Great job (and pay attention when I recommend a movie next time)! In fact, you really NEED to watch The Rookie with Dennis Quaid. Not sure how into baseball you are but its another criminally underrated film…
So glad this movie won the poll. This is SOOOOOO much better than any of the other horse movies on your list.
To show how great Secretariat was, He would have beaten Rich Strike by 16 lengths in this years Kentucky Derby! Only horse to ever have run under two minutes! Still holds the records of all three Triple Crown races!! Won the Belmont by 31 lengtths!!! A good movie for a future viewing. I really love your emotional reactions; I'm a 73 year old Viet Nam Veteran and I cried as well. Seabiscuit goes to show how you can never measure one's heart!! Be safe Little Girl and God Bless you and your Sister.
Actually Monarchos ran the Kentucky Derby under 2 minutes as well in 2001...didn't beat the Great Secretariat's time but did become the 2nd horse to run the Ky Derby under 2 minutes minutes
Actually Sham was the second horse to run the Derby in under two minutes. He finished second to Secretariat in the Derby but he also finished the race in less than 2 minutes. So in 1973 two horses, Secretariat & Sham, finished the Derby is under 2 minutes.
@learobinson4450 you are correct...my mind was just thinking of winning times...Poor Sham was born in the wrong year...great horse and has a Stakes named after him
@Tony H. Yes, Sham had the misfortune of being born the same year as Secretariat. He was such a gutsy, hard trying horse. Very few know that at the start of the Derby Sham hit his mouth on the starting gate & knocked his teeth loose. He ran the entire race with his upper teeth flapping around his lip & his mouth full of blood, yet he still ran second & finished in less than 2 minutes.
Most are also unaware that War Admiral injured his front hoof at the start of the Belmont & ran the race with it spurting blood. Every time he took a stride & tucked that hoof under his body the blood got on his belly. At the end of the race he was dripping blood & sweat.
He was not a big horse like the movie showed. He wasn’t much bigger than Seabiscuit. They both had courage & the will to win. They both had the Look of Eagles.