Looks like that cowboy's a goner.
-Mark Allen. -Chip Woolley.
-You from around here? -No. You?
Hey, darling. Listen, if you're not busy...
All right then.
What do you say we finish this and get the hell out of here?
Yeah. That sounds good.
Been a pleasure.
-You can say that again. -All right.
Thanks, man. You saved my ass. I owe you one.
-Is that you? -That's me.
-You ride the circuit? -Bulls. You?
Bareback. I'll see you back at the grounds.
Nah. No more rodeo for me. Pop's into oil up in Alaska.
Thinks we're going to strike it rich.
Yeah, you're gonna freeze your ass off up there.
Yeah, probably.
-Take it easy, man. -Yeah, you too.
Don't go picking no fights with them grizzlies!
Well, how'd he do?
He's kind of lazy.
Looks like he's falling asleep.
-When is the race? -Sunday.
You know, maybe try some of those vitamins.
You got it, jefe.
Well, with two claims, a bowed tendon, and our biggest owner walking away...
I'd say we in a world of hurt, little brother.
We don't get more horses to train, we gonna be out of business.
Well, we got four running this week.
Should be favored on a couple of 'em.
We're 0 for 28 this meet.
We got three seconds.
What don't you understand?
Owners don't wanna run second.
They want their picture taken.
That'd be in the winner's circle.
Give me another one, Gus.
We ain't running the tab tonight.
Man, you sure are getting tight around here.
Last one.
You're in my will.
So, Chip, you got any long shots for us?
You're kidding. That's all he's ever got.
Last time he won a race, my wife was a virgin.
That's funny, 'cause I heard she still was.
I'm all in.
Looks like we a bit short.
I'll give you the rest next week, Miguel. Sorry, man.
Hey, there, boys.
Lookee here.
Who says gambling don't pay?
Where'd that come from?
That right there
is evidence of some serious card sharking.
Those boys down at Gus's, they don't know what hit 'em.
I drew two flushes, two on the river,
and I wiped them suckers out.
Well, we got a race tomorrow and you can barely stand up.
God! Stop your bitching, Bill!
I won, didn't I?
Our losing streak is over. You?
You just gotta have a little faith.
And it's Faith Be Gone by a length and a half.
Well, you just don't see that every day, folks.
Down and Dirty fell to his knees and still won by five lengths.
And it's another win by You Gotta Be Kidding Me,
giving him three wins in a row.
Twist the Night Away got up for second, Topanga Canyon rallied nicely for third.
Don't worry, honey. It's just a slump. Everybody has them.
Things will turn around for you.
Yeah, I don't know, Rosa Lee. It don't feel like it this time.
You'll see.
It's been a lackluster year so far, but sales are beginning to pick up.
Two more of the highest priced horses at auction in Ruidoso were picked up today
by Mark Allen and his Double Eagle Ranch.
This past Friday, 12 horses were sold...
I know that guy.
-What guy? -Mark Allen.
Sounds like he's putting together a nice string of horses.
I don't suppose you remember me.
Chip Woolley.
I'll be damned.
How could I forget you?
I can't believe it.
Charlie, this here's an old friend of mine, Chip Woolley.
This is Charlie Figueroa, this is my right-hand man.
-Nice to meet ya. -Yeah, likewise.
Well, this is crazy. How you been?
Good. Real good.
You know, I heard you's back from Alaska.
Seems you done all right.
Well, there's a lot of oil up there.
I'll tell you though, I miss the ponies.
Yeah? Well, the talk is you got quite a stable.
Yeah, I think we got a few runners. We will see.
How about you? What have you been up to?
Well, me and my brother, we got us a place down by Sunland.
-Yeah? -I've been training some.
-Yeah? How's that going? -Not bad.
-Win some, lose some. -I hear ya.
You know, you ever need another trainer
or someone to watch your back...
Well... I might at that.
Listen, why don't you stick around tonight?
We got us a little party going on.
-Yeah. Sounds good. -Yeah? Good. Come on.
-Yeah, you tell it. -You tell it. I'll tell it.
But you tell it better than me.
-So I'm with my crazy cousin here... -You're gonna tell it anyway.
...at his favorite bar in Mexico, right?
He's been ordering four shots of tequila at a time.
Now, he's drinking two, throwing the rest on me.
We are liquored up inside and out. Right?
Kelly's gotta take a leak, so he gets up.
I gotta go too, so I follow him into the can.
The place is packed. There's nowhere to go and I can't wait,
so I start pissing all over the back of Kelly's jeans.
No, no, no, no, no.
Now, I'm thinking it's funny as hell until he turns around.
It ain't Kelly.
Shit.
-You got a couple of good shiners that night. -Yes, I did.
-A couple of broken ribs, too. -You're lucky you ain't dead.
Hey.
-Here's my lucky charm. -How you doing, Mark?
I missed seeing you these last couple of weeks. Where you been?
-I've been at the races. -You're always at the races.
Baby girl, that's the horse business.
Yeah? Well, when do we get to horse around?
So, what are we waiting for, boys?
I can't get anything to drop!
You boys still thirsty?
-Hell yeah! -Yes, ma'am.
That's my girl, Sandy. You're the best, babe.
Sandy?
Who the hell is Sandy?
I said who the hell is Sandy?
You don't remember my name, do you?
-What? -Do you?
-Is it Claire? -God.
Hey, man. Stop!
Wait, stop! Wait!
-It's Misty, right? -You son of...
All right, it's Connie.
It's Sally and...
Stop! Wait!
I'm kidding. I know your...
Tammy?
Lord!
I got this.
Shit...
-Yeah? -Hey, Mark, Keith Krupper here.
Sorry to call so late, but a horse just crossed my desk.
-This just couldn't wait. -Shoot.
He's a two-year-old thoroughbred, won four in a row.
You know I race quarter horses. I got no interest in thoroughbreds.
He's a stakes winner, just voted the best two-year-old in Canada.
Name's Mine That Bird.
His daddy, Birdstone, won the Belmont.
What's the catch?
He's all American, bred in Kentucky.
He can't run the big races in Canada as a three-year-old.
That's crazy.
But the kicker is he's eligible to run the Juvenile Breeders' Cup.
A two million dollar race, the whole world will be watching.
-How much they want for him? -$500,000.
But I might be able to get them to take four.
You need to see him, Mark.
Tell you what, I'll send my trainer up to take a look.
-But no promises. -Great. I'll talk to you soon.
Tower, November 3-4...
Welcome, Mr. Woolley. Please, make yourself at home.
Thank you.
Can I get you anything to drink before we take off?
Bird's been real special for me. He's real special.
Knew what he was supposed to do from the word go.
I saw you picked him up at auction for only $9,500.
We stole him that night. Thought he'd go for a lot more.
Never know where that next jewel shows up.
Told you he won three stakes in a row, eh?
Well, not many two-year-olds put that on their resume.
Then why are you selling him?
Buy low, sell high. That's what I do.
He does this from time to time.
He usually doesn't go too far.
-Easy, Bird. -Come on, you dope.
-Easy. -That's it. Come on, Bird.
Kind of small, ain't he?
And a little crooked up front.
So was Seabiscuit.
-Come on, buddy. -Come here, boy.
Sure got a mind of his own.
You seen him on the track yet?
-I don't think it's worth it, Mark. -Well, you made the trip.
Yeah, but I just... I don't think he's what you're after.
He walks funny, for one.
Look, I had braces on my legs as a kid 'cause I walked funny, too.
-Let's give him a try. -Okay.
-That was a 46 flat. -What'd I tell ya?
What changed?
You don't even notice he's crooked when he runs.
The little shit barely touches the ground.
He's got perfect action, real professional and
-he's fast. -Yeah, but a gelding?
Forget about breeding. This one's a runner.
You sure he's sound?
There's not a pimple on him, Mark.
You want this horse.
All right, sit tight. I'm on my way to Doc's.
Come on, we always talked about owning a thoroughbred together.
Breeders' Cup is in California in 10 days.
If we wanna do this, we gotta get moving.
Four hundred seems like a lot of money.
Hell, if he just runs second, we got our money back.
And if he don't run second,
we bought ourselves a very expensive pony.
You know I don't like taking leaps like this, sight unseen.
He's already won $300,000.
I don't know.
I'll tell you what then. I'll buy him.
I'll buy him myself. You like what you see, I'll cut you in.
Shit. I'm in.
There he is, No. 9.
That's all of him, huh?
He's only two. He'll grow some.
Well, he'd better hurry up 'cause he's not looking too good at 24 to 1.
Don't you worry, Doc. He's gonna do great.
If Chip says he can run, he can run.
Baffert and the sheik got the favorite, Midshipman.
Howdy.
I guess we're gonna find out what we got pretty quick.
Last few left to load, Street Hero goes in.
West Side Bernie to come take the lineup.
Gates closed, all set.
And away they go.
Midshipman, West Side Bernie broke away well.
Street Hero came out quickly as well.
Here's Mine That Bird in the black colors right there in the fourth position.
Then we come back to Terrain. Gallant Son has to go a little wide into the turn.
In behind there is Silent Valor and Munnings races towards the rear.
The pace is good, 12 lengths from first to last.
I mean, he's in there. He's doing good.
Yeah.
Now they've settled in with Mine That Bird a comfortable fifth,
just four lengths off the leaders.
Then back to Pioneer of the Nile.
Bushranger is on the far side.
Terrain giving them eight lengths start and then comes Gallant Son.
Behind that Azul Leon, and Munnings is still towards the rear.
Into the far turn they go. And it's Midshipman still showing the way.
Let's go! Let's go!
And Midshipman has won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile!
Square Eddie with second, Street Hero finished third.
Then came Terrain, behind that Pioneer of the Nile,
and Mine That Bird finished last.
-I'm getting too old for this. -Where's the bar?
Come on!
Why'd you hire him?
Doc, he's only had the horse a week.
We bought ourselves a champion and he run dead last. What's that tell ya?
Bird's never run on synthetic track before.
It ain't the track, Mark.
This guy's going nowhere. He's got a terrible record.
Yeah, maybe.
But he's got a great record with me.
This can't be personal. We're running a business here.
I know that.
And we've got some hard decisions to make.
I'm saying three strikes and he's out.
That's a bit harsh, Doc.
So is losing.
It's Oconee and Bryden, continuing to throw it down!
One furlong from home and on the far outside,
Mine That Bird is charging hard.
Mine That Bird has upset Minded...
Mine That Bird is charging hard!
Mine That Bird has upset Minded in the final six...
-He comes from off the pace. -Yeah.
He needs to chase somebody.
Mine That Bird is charging hard!
Mine That Bird has upset Minded in the final sixteenth.
I'll be damned.
-You're spoiling Bird, you know that? -Si.
Give me that.
-Hey. -Here he is right there.
-Good luck to you, Case. -Thanks, Doc.
Listen up, he's a one run horse.
You need to keep him covered up till the three-eighths pole, then let him roll.
I don't want him on the lead till ya hit that wire.
Gotcha.
Here we go, boys.
Here we go.
You gotta look good in the winner's circle.
Well, let's go.
They make their way into the stretch and Mine That Bird now digs in along the rail
but Scorewithcater puts his head in front,
down the middle of the track rallying for the lead.
-With only two furlongs to run... -Come on, Bird.
Smoking Legend in the white silks makes his move, but Mine That Bird fights back.
-Scorewithcater responds as... -Come on!
...the three horses lay it down.
Scorewithcater gets the upper hand two lengths in front.
Mine That Bird now beginning to tire and Scorewithcater is just too good today.
Scorewithcater, the winner, Mine That Bird second,
Smoking Legend got up for third.
That's not how Bird wants to run.
Casey made his move way too soon. Bird didn't have nothing left.
He should have. Ain't like he was running against much.
Yeah, well, at least we got second.
That puts us in the Sunland Derby next month.
-$800,000 to run at. -Yup.
-We'll be all right. -Yup.
We're bankrupt.
Bankrupt... Give me a break. We got $2,000 from the race today.
$2,000?
Auggie's Ranch and Feed, $2,300, past due.
Miller's Farrier Services, $2,900, past due.
Rancho Veterinary Services, $9,000
way past due.
Look, just tell 'em we got a few more races coming up this month.
No, no, we don't.
Yeah, we got the starter on the fifth and we'll win the maiden claimer easy.
Hutchinson took his last horse away today.
So did Sanders and Parker.
Bird's all we got.
He's all we need.
You can't hang everything on one horse, Chip. You know that!
We're fine!
Bird'll take the Sunland Derby, you watch.
He'll run 'em off their feet.
With three-eighths of a mile to go on the Sunland Derby,
it's Kelly Leak on the outside, Mine That Bird on the inside going nose and nose.
And here comes Scorewithcater, who moves into third
as Mythical Power, the gray, moves up on the far outside.
But Kelly Leak with a sudden burst of speed, opens up by two lengths.
Mine That Bird is turning along the rail
as Scorewithcater and Mythical Power gain ground.
But it's Kelly Leak who's gonna win the Sunland Derby by two and a half lengths.
Mythical Power getting up for second,
Scorewithcater hangs on for the show
and Mine That Bird fades to fourth.
Fourth?
-Good job. -Great day, huh? Great day.
Casey! You call that a ride?
You rushed him up there way too early again.
Look, I told you he's got one run in him.
You cost me another big race. You're off the horse!
Fine! You need an excuse, I got your excuse.
It ain't the horse, it's you!
You can't train worth shit. Never could.
I don't know why anybody'd give you a horse to train in the first place.
You piece of shit.
-Mr. Woolley. -Yes, sir.
Your brother came through surgery just fine.
But the breaks in his leg are very serious.
There's a plate and 12 screws holding the bones together.
So he's got to stay off that leg or it won't heal properly.
He'll be in recovery another half an hour. You can visit with him then.
Thank you, sir.
Chip's gonna have a fit if anyone else trains Bird.
That's all he's got.
We'll move him to my place.
I got plenty of folks that'll help him out.
Sorry, this one didn't go through either.
Maybe try to put half on this card
and half on that one.
You tell anyone I was here and I'm a dead man.
Yeah, had me a little accident.
Thought for a minute I might not see you again.
I know...
I know things ain't exactly worked out so far, Bird, but...
Yeah, that ain't your fault. It's mine.
You know, here I am
expecting you to make it all happen, and well,
we're supposed to be a team.
I know I ain't been there for ya.
Heck, I ain't been there for nobody.
I'm sorry I let you down, Bird.
And
I'm sorry it took this to wake me up.
You deserve better, so...
So let's make a deal.
I promise I'll give you everything I got.
And you, you don't hold back.
We'll do it together from now on.
Yeah, I know.
Deal?
All right. Okay, then.
Deal.
Look.
Alex!
Come here a sec! Somebody I want you to meet.
Hey.
-Hey, you made it. -Yeah.
No, not a girl, Mark.
Hey.
Chip, this here's Alex. Best rider I got.
She's gonna help you out with Bird.
What?
Well, must have been a hell of a ride for ya, huh?
Let's get you up to the house, get you settled in.
Alex, put Bird in the stall for me?
Sure.
I tell ya, that Alex sure is something.
You're gonna love her.
He can barely walk.
How in heck's he gonna train a racehorse?
I got it all figured out. Alex is gonna help him.
Alex! Come on, Mark, I know you like her and all, but let's face it.
-We need a trainer here. -Doc, you gotta give him a chance.
We already did and he shot two of 'em.
Bird had two bad rides. He still almost won.
Lone Star Derby's coming up quick. Bird's never looked better.
-Yeah? -Is Mark Allen there, please?
-Speaking. -Hello, Mr. Allen, this is Ben Huffman,
racing secretary at Churchill Downs.
I'm calling to tell you
that Mine That Bird has qualified to run in the Kentucky Derby.
That's very funny, Earl. I'm in a meeting with Doc right now. I'll call you back.
No, Mr. Allen...
Okay.
Earl, I ain't fooling with ya, all right? I'm busy right now.
Mr. Allen, this really is Ben Huffman,
and your horse really did qualify for the Derby.
I'm sorry, what?
Your horse really did qualify for the Derby.
How'd that happen?
Well, based on his stakes earnings last year in Canada.
-The Kentucky Derby? -That's right.
One for the doctor.
-One for the missus. -Thank you.
One for the brains in the family.
And one for the cowboy who's gotta be nuts.
He's been nuts a long time.
-Hey. -Three more, bartender.
-Hey, Doc, how are you? -Hello, Kel.
-Joanne. Hello. -Hi, Daddy.
Good to see you, honey.
-Hi, Kevin. Good to see you. -Hi, Kelly. How you doing, buddy?
-Hey, Mom. -You guys look so pretty.
-Ladies. -Thank you.
Thank you.
-Cousin. You get it? -Thank you, cousin.
All right.
Daddy, a toast.
To your little horse and a big run!
Yeah.
Well, honey, we ain't exactly decided we're going yet.
How often do you get invited to run in the Kentucky Derby!
I know it's exciting, but we don't belong there.
We can't even win in New Mexico.
It's a horse race, Dad. Anything can happen.
I just don't want to embarrass ourselves.
Leonard, so what if you don't win.
It'll be a lot of fun no matter what happens.
We'll get us those big old hats and fancy dresses.
Yes!
Think of the mint juleps.
We don't even have a jockey.
We'll get a new one when we get there.
Come on, Doc.
May God and Don Julio help us.
Kentucky, here we come!
Honey, it's gonna be wonderful!
You're breaking my heart, you know that?
Listen, this ain't easy, man,
but me and Doc had a talk.
We're gonna change things up.
You ain't going to the Lone Star Derby.
I mean, not now.
Just give me one more shot.
-Decision's made. -But Bird'll do good there.
I mean, he's really coming along. We could turn this around.
I don't know.
You think you finally got this horse figured out?
Yeah, I do.
Yeah, and how far you think you can drive on that leg?
-Far as you wanna go. -How about Louisville?
Louisville?
Mine That Bird's running in the Kentucky Derby.
You're kidding me, right?
We entered him this morning.
In the Kentucky Derby?
-You got one last shot. -Son of a bitch.
Hey, man! I just bought this.
All right.
Time to tighten up the screws, buddy.
Holy shit.
Bird, you have it all, buddy.
Take Bird out slow and gallop him once around.
Good morning to you, too.
You're fighting him. Ya gotta loosen up, get him to relax.
I wasn't fighting him.
Take him around again and give him a little more rein.
-He's not gonna run off with ya. -I know what I'm doing.
If you knew what you were doing,
I wouldn't have to be out here telling you, would I?
Thank you.
When are you letting us out of this hole?
When I'm good and ready.
-Like sometime today? -What, you got a date?
You are such a pain in my...
-What was that all about? -What?
"What?" You went 58 and change. It's a workout, not a race.
He did it easy.
It ain't gonna help us if he's all used up before the Derby.
Used up? What are you talking about?
I'm talking about working him right. You don't listen!
-The hell I don't. -You don't.
I need a rider who can take instructions.
I have just about had it with your shit.
You have been riding my ass ever since you got here!
That's another thing. Keep your ass down!
Keep my ass out of this!
Well, it's a little hard to do when it blocks the sun.
Fine. Let's see you ride him, cowboy!
Listen up, y'all.
Change of plans. Alex, you're riding with Chip.
-What? -What?
Yeah. There's no way you're going it alone on that leg.
-You can't handle Bird by yourself. -Sure I can.
Listen, me and Kelly will be right behind ya.
Stick with you the whole way. Like flies to shit.
Charlie, we'll see you in a couple of days.
I'll have Bird's stall ready for you
-when you get there. -All right.
-Kelly! -Yup.
Man, I love road trips!
Do you mind?
Get off of me!
Y'all ready?
There.
Let's head 'em up, move 'em out.
Yeah, like flies to shit.
Don't breathe it in. Are you kidding me?
-Thank you. -You're welcome.
Hey, Bird.
Damn it! I left a bag in Mark's rig. My lunch was in there.
I guess you're gonna have to eat real food like the rest of the world.
You call that real food?
It's gonna take two days.
Well, we ain't got two days.
I gotta get the part. That's gonna take a day.
Then another one to put it in.
That's the best I can do.
Well?
Make sure you tell 'em we'll be back for Bird first thing in the morning.
Find out what time the track opens.
I will.
Make sure that stall has enough bedding and that it's dry, too.
Okay, okay, okay, okay.
Make sure he gets his vitamins.
And put his leg wraps on, all four of 'em.
I got it already! Would you just relax and let me handle this?
Whatever you do, do not forget to use that stall lock.
Don't worry, man. We're only a day behind ya.
Me and Kelly are gonna take the bikes. You and Alex keep going.
We'll catch you in Louisville. How's Bird?
Good. He's traveling good.
We got him settled in at the center.
We'll be back on the road early in the morning.
-And Alex? -She's still alive.
Where are you?
I'm in Brownfield.
Sounds like a party.
Yeah, well, you know these little local fillies.
They sure do know how to be hospitable.
Listen, I gotta go.
We'll holler at you when we get into town.
-Have a great trip. -Yeah, you bet...
See you in a couple days.
You don't expect me to stay in this hell hole, do you?
What's the matter with it?
What's it gonna be? By the hour or the night?
Finally.
I see you have the luxury suite.
What do you want?
I don't suppose you have some toothpaste I could smear on my teeth.
Y'all have a nice night.
You look great.
Thank you.
Here.
I got you breakfast.
What in the hell is this?
Yogurt. I'm sure you've never had it before,
but you're gonna love it.
Thanks for the help.
It says here we're less than 50 miles out of Texarkana.
Shouldn't we have turned north by now?
Jesus, do I have to do everything?
Let me see that. Where exactly...
Damn it!
What the hell's the matter with you? You almost got us killed!
I nearly got us killed? You're the one who can't freaking drive!
Well, if you could read a map, none of this would have happened!
You nearly drive us into the grill of an oncoming truck and it's my fault?
Look at that shit!
-I suppose that's my fault too! -Well, it sure as hell ain't mine!
I got Bird, you get the spare.
Jesus, Chip!
And don't get lost.
You ain't from around here, are you?
I know you ain't from around here. I know everyone from around here.
Come on, let's go dance one, huh? What do you say?
It's my new favorite song.
Sure. Let's dance one.
Well, all right.
You sure know how to move.
Yeah!
You smell good. Good.
Come here.
Stop it.
Come here. You know you want it.
-You love this. -I said stop it!
Let her go.
What's wrong, girl? You know you want it.
I said let her go.
You ain't from around here, are you?
So why don't you...
Come on!
I'm really sorry.
Did you get some sleep?
-Yeah. You? -Yeah.
We'd better get going. Bird's waiting.
How'd you get into racing?
My dad.
He always found a racetrack wherever we were stationed
so he could play the ponies.
I remember the first time I saw racehorses run.
It's like they had wings.
I'd stand at the rail,
try to imagine what it felt like to fly like that.
It nearly killed me when we had to move again.
But I swore I'd come back someday.
I finally did it a few months ago.
That's when I met Mark. He heard I needed a job and he hired me.
I love being around horses. Especially when I get to ride.
For me there's nothing like it.
Yeah, they get in your blood.
That's for sure.
What are his chances?
Not too good.
Then why are you doing this?
I have run a lot of horses for a lot of people,
and we didn't always come out ahead, but we paid the bills.
It seemed good enough.
And then Bird come along.
Boy, he made a dreamer out of me. Out of all of us.
We got a chance to be a part of something truly great.
To be the best there is.
Maybe we'll look stupid to some,
but life ain't worth much if all you do is play it safe.
It's about being out there,
taking chances.
Well,
at least we'll know we tried. We gave it everything we got.
You ready to go, Bird?
I think that's a yes.
You must be the guys from New Mexico.
-Wondered when you were gonna get here. -Yeah, so did we.
Well, not many folks drive their Derby horses cross country.
-Mind if I have a look? -Be my guest.
Not much to him, huh?
-Looks can be deceiving. -You got that right.
Well, good luck to you
and welcome to Churchill Downs.
Thank you.
That's Join in the Dance. He'll have a lot of speed.
Big time basketball player owns him.
That's Baffert and his wife with Pioneer of the Nile.
Won four graded stakes in a row. Been working real good.
Who's that?
That there's Jeff Mullins. He trains I Want Revenge, the favorite right now.
Joe Talamo's riding him in his first Derby.
A billionaire from England owns that one.
Dunkirk.
They paid almost $4 million for him.
Some sheik's horse is next to us. Regal Ransom.
And here we are. This is your new home, Bird.
Good boy.
Who took my razor?
Hey, Jerry, what's up?
-Good news, Calvin. -What's that?
You're gonna ride Beethoven in the Kentucky Derby.
-Serious? -Yeah.
Thank you very much. Good job.
Guys, I got my Derby horse!
-Congratulations. -Thank you, John.
Appreciate it very much, man.
I appreciate it, Fabio.
Thank you, my man, appreciate it very much.
-Thank you for that, buddy. -Well done, Calvin.
Pam!
It'll go with the dress you found.
-Gosh, that's cute. -That is really good.
-It's cute, right, Daddy? -It's cute.
-That's so cute. -Okay.
Mom, look.
This is exactly what we need.
-Mom. -These will do.
We'll paint 'em, we'll glue on some feathers and flowers.
We'll add a little ribbon.
-Yeah. -Yeah?
Perfect!
-Who is it? -It's your mother!
Here, that's for you.
That's Secretariat.
Yeah.
It's about time y'all got here.
Well, we had a little more fun than we thought we would.
Yeah, I can see that.
-How'd Bird make the trip? -Good. Yeah, he looks real good.
It's better than we can say for you.
Yeah, well, that was a bit of an adventure.
So, what's up tomorrow?
Bird's working an easy half-mile. Nothing too much.
Good.
Good. Put your boot on.
We're going out.
Bird looks good.
Both of 'em.
Morning.
Who the hell is that?
I Want Revenge.
Hello?
You know that Derby mount I got you, Beethoven.
Yeah.
Well, he's got a bad tendon. He's out.
-Hey, Jerry, what you got? -Hey, Calvin.
There Goes JoJo pulled up lame after the Blue Grass.
It's just a bit of bad luck, but don't worry. We'll find you another horse.
Jerry.
Calvin?
Hey, Jerry.
What can I say, Calvin. Flat Out's out.
Calvin, I'm afraid they went with another jock on Musket Man
but there's a filly that might qualify.
They'll need a rider.
Calvin, you there?
Well, I still like Chantal.
She won three times on Bird,
knows the horse better than anybody.
I think we need a jockey with Derby experience.
Someone who knows how to get through traffic.
Espinoza won on War Emblem. Borel won on Street Sense.
I'd take either one of them.
I guess it's up to me.
-Calvin Borel. -Why?
'Cause he's got a winning smile.
Lord, Jerry! Not no more bad news, man.
-Easy, Calvin. Easy. -You're gonna give me a heart attack.
Hi, guys.
The cowboys called and they don't have a rider.
Catch is they'll be the longest shot on the board.
They're pretty much a joke around here.
Everybody likes to laugh at cowboys except cowboys.
-So what do you think? -I think we outta time.
Let me talk to them and I'll let you know.
Okay.
-Chip Woolley? -Yeah.
I heard you need a rider.
I heard you need a horse.
Well, it's nice to meet you, Calvin.
-That him? -Yeah.
Well, he's got a big stride.
And an even bigger heart.
-Well, he finished up nice. -No, he's bred to run all day.
You ready to take on these blue bloods?
I'm ready if you are.
You can't win it if you ain't in it. You got yourself a jock.
Hey, bud.
Shit!
You seen my horse?
Charlie! Alex!
-You okay? -Yeah.
-You two should have met by now. -Hi!
Good morning and welcome to Churchill Downs and the post position draw
for the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby.
Now, you will each have one minute to make your post selection
once your horse's name is drawn.
Good luck, everybody.
And now our first choice goes to
Join in the Dance.
Great.
You're on the clock, gentlemen.
Number 9, post position Number 9 for Join in the Dance.
Next up we have
Regal Ransom. Regal Ransom.
Number 10, post Number 10 for Regal Ransom.
It'll be good for Bird.
And our next horse is Pioneer of the Nile.
Let's do it, huh?
Number 16, post position Number 16 for Pioneer of the Nile.
And the next horse in the selection is
-Mine That Bird. -All right!
Watch out, watch out, Brazil.
You all right? It's the leg.
-Let me get my hat. -Watch the leg.
-You got it? -Yeah.
Son.
Gentlemen, you have 30 seconds to make your selection
or you'll have to go to the back of the draw.
Number 8, post position Number 8 for Mine That Bird.
Good job, partner.
-Eight. -What a bunch of yahoos.
And our next horse in the selection belongs to...
They don't like us in the form too much.
Yeah, well, what'd ya expect?
We're 50-to-1.
Says here we're winless in America
and have the lowest speed rating by far.
They ain't wrong.
-Says here that... -Doc.
-Put it away. -Okay. Yup.
We're doing good.
All right. We got post position 8, that's Joanne's lucky number.
Calvin's riding for us.
You're right. We done all we could.
Hey. Ben Huffman was looking for you.
You get your racing licenses? You can't run Bird tomorrow without 'em.
Man, I... Doc, you got yours?
You?
I don't even have a driver's license.
I hate to tell you this, but the racing office is closed.
Shit!
Let's go, Doc. We gotta...
You guys are gonna give New Mexico a bad name!
I can't believe it!
We come this far, forget to get our dang licenses!
Where you going now?
Somebody's gotta still be here.
Doc, come here. Come up here.
Give me a boost.
What happened to throwing pebbles against the glass?
Come on!
Stand... Christ, be still!
-I'm standing. -A little higher.
Up.
I think somebody's in there.
All right. Okay. You gotta get me up higher.
Dang it, Doc, hold still!
Hey!
You know, gentlemen, it doesn't have to be this difficult.
Shall I get the door for you?
Yeah!
That'd be great.
-You sure clean up good. -Thanks.
With any luck I won't fall in these shoes.
Howdy.
I'm sorry, but this is a private party.
Ain't this for the Derby?
It's a private party, sir.
We're the owners of Mine That Bird.
Who?
Mine That Bird. He's running in the Derby.
Good evening, Mr. Baffert, Mrs. Baffert.
-Good evening. -It's so good to see you again.
-Have a good night. -Thank you.
Go right in.
Looks like you cowboys should have left your hats at home.
Your names, please?
Doctor Leonard Blach and family.
-Mark Allen... -I found you.
-Party of nine? -Exactly.
-Welcome to the Derby Ball. -Thank you.
-Doc. -Joanne.
-Look! They even got our names set out. -That's nice.
-Enjoy your evening. -Thank you.
I guess I ain't supposed to be here.
Wait a minute.
Probably just a little mistake. We'll get it fixed up. Excuse me!
It's okay. I'll just see you back at the hotel.
No, no, no. You're staying for dinner.
Here.
I wouldn't do that if I were you, buddy. He kind of likes jail.
-That's you. -Thank you.
Bob, what do you think about Calvin Borel riding for the cowboys?
You mean Calvin Bo-rail?
Nah, I'm not worried about Boo.
Frankly, I wouldn't be worried if they had God riding for them.
Everybody knows that horse doesn't belong here.
Now, I'm sure they'll start out shouting, "Go, Boo."
By the end of the race, I assure you
they'll be crying, "Boo-hoo-hoo."
If I could have everyone's attention for a moment.
As we have only hours before the greatest race in the world,
I want to wish you all the best of luck.
Tomorrow a new stallion will be stamped King of Kentucky.
Being an owner myself, I want to toast not only the thoroughbreds we breed,
but also the thoroughbreds we are.
I'm gonna head out, get some sleep.
You bet.
See you in the morning, bright and early.
The Kentucky Derby has been run every year since its inception in 1875,
making it the longest consecutively run horse race in history.
Now, several thousand people attended that first year.
But this year we anticipate
a crowd of more than 150,000!
We have owners from all over the world here tonight.
Ireland, Dubai, France, England.
Even New Mexico!
-Good evening, Mr. Woolley. -Evenin'.
Charlie's on a coffee run and Bird's been asking for you.
Need anything?
Nah, I'm good. Thank you.
Hey. How you doing, buddy?
I want to thank you
for taking us to the biggest dance in the world, Bird.
I never thought in a million years I'd ever be here.
Don't you worry about tomorrow.
You just run your race.
And you show 'em how big a heart you got. All right?
-What the hell? -Wake up, sunshine.
It's showtime.
-Yup, Rachael Rice designed it. -I don't wear suits anymore.
I don't know if you can see me under here.
Gotcha. I'll tell him.
Hey, guys.
There's been a scratch in the Derby.
I Want Revenge is out.
Sorry about that, buddy. You'll get them next year, all right?
Don't worry about it.
Looks good. Sam, could you put your hand on your hips like Joe's doing?
As is Godolphin Racing all the way from Dubai with two horses.
Regal Ransom, Desert Party,
Sheik Mohammed Al Maktoum's trainer Saeed Bin Suroor.
Saeed, you guys have won just about everything there is to win in racing
except the Derby. What do you make of your chances today?
Both horses had a good flight over and are training well.
We wouldn't have come this far if we did not expect to win.
Best of luck, gentlemen.
Trainer Chip Woolley, you shattered your leg less than five weeks ago,
and here you are making this long walk over with your gelding Mine That Bird.
Everyone in racing wants to make this walk even on one leg.
Feeling here's unlike none other.
Here? You realize this is the Kentucky Derby
and you guys are looking like you're ready for the shoot-out at the O.K. Corral.
-Yeah, we're ready for anything. -Y'all get 'em, Chip.
There's Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Three time Derby winning trainer Bob Baffert.
We know how excited you've been all week about your colt,
Pioneer of the Nile, in this Derby. Why?
Well, I haven't had a legitimate Derby horse in years.
This guy's already won over a million dollars, he's training beautifully.
Bob, competition-wise, who do you fear the most?
Well, I'm worried about all of them.
Well, maybe not the cowboys.
Best of luck, Bob.
I know.
We made them ourselves.
Hey, how you all doing? All right?
-Hi. Good luck. -It's all right? Good, good.
-Hey, man, we're happy to have you. -Thank you. I appreciate it very much.
-Thank you so much. -How you all doing? Good to meet you.
-Thank you. Good luck. -Thank you, I appreciate it very much.
-I'll try to get the job done, okay? -All right.
-How you doing, sir? Things all right? -Good, Calvin.
-You all right? -Hey.
-Chip. How's everything? -Good.
There's plenty of speed in here. So don't worry if we're a little ways back.
Just get a clean break and keep him covered up.
Once he sees daylight, he's gone.
You got it.
All right, guys, let's get lucky.
Hell. There he goes.
Hey, y'all, listen up.
I want to thank y'all for all ya done.
Bird couldn't have had a better team.
No matter what happens out there
I'm just glad we're here together.
This is the best day of my life
and I won't forget it.
We done all we can,
so what do you say we go have us a great time?
Get in there. Come on! Come on!
The sun shines bright on my old Kentucky home
'Tis summer, the people are gay
By and by, hard times come
A-knocking at the door
Then my old Kentucky home, good night
For the Old Kentucky Home far away
We're just moments away from the 135th running of the Kentucky Derby.
Friesan Fire, the favorite at 7-to-2.
Dunkirk, second choice at 5-to-1
and Bob Baffert's Pioneer of the Nile, third choice at 6-to-1.
Now, some of the biggest long shots on the tote board.
Atomic Rain, Join in the Dance
and at 50-to-1, Mine That Bird.
Hey, Bill.
I bet you Bird don't finish in the top ten.
How much you got?
Twenty bucks.
I'll take that bet.
Anyone else think he won't finish in the top ten?
Put your money right here!
-I'm in. -I'll take it.
There you go. All right.
-That's it. Yeah. -Double down on that. Double down.
Yeah, ladies. Thank you.
Yeah. Look at that.
-Hey, Alex? -Yeah?
I was wondering.
Wondering what, Chip? They're about to go.
No, I know.
I was wondering if...
If maybe you might consider riding for me sometime.
Like in a race?
I could use a good jockey.
Oh, my God.
Thank you.
-Thank you so much. -Okay, okay.
All right, number 12. He's an easy loader, guys.
Come on, boys. Now, 14's up, let's bring him in.
Please, God,
just don't let him be last.
-How many now, Bob? Two out? -Two left.
Come on, Bird. Come on.
They're in the gate.
And they're off in the Kentucky Derby!
And it's Join in the Dance racing for the lead.
Musket Man has some early speed on the inside.
Here's Regal Ransom with some speed as well.
We got mugged.
What the hell was that? Did you see that?
Beneath the Twin Spires for the first time,
Regal Ransom and Join in the Dance will vie for the early lead.
Pioneer of the Nile is right up there.
He got run over.
And that's Papa Clem down toward the inside. He's now fourth.
Desert Party forwardly placed, fifth on the outside.
One mile remaining here in the Run for the Roses,
and the two long shot leaders remain.
Flying Private is sixth, Friesan Fire in and among horses is now seventh.
Musket Man is eighth, Dunkirk is ninth on the outside.
He's last.
Then farther back down on the rail, that is Atomic Rain
running in the eleventh position, two lengths back.
And General Quarters is now twelfth.
Nowhere to Hide is thirteenth on the outside.
And 1 lengths behind the rest of the field is Mine That Bird.
West Side Bernie is now down toward the rail.
And then on the outside at the back of the pack
beginning to move up now is Hold Me Back.
Advice is also back there toward the back of the pack
along with Chocolate Candy, Summer Bird, Advice,
and the last of them all is Mr. Hot Stuff.
So, down the backstretch run, well behind the rest of them,
is Mine That Bird.
Looks like we're going the wrong way.
So down the backstretch run, and Join in the Dance,
an impudent long-shot leader here,
taking the field through an opening half-mile that was strong, 47 and one-fifth seconds.
He's 30 lengths back.
Maybe it's the mud.
On the outside, Pioneer of the Nile.
Now, Garrett Gomez asking him for a bit more. He's right there.
Yes! Yes! Yeah, baby!
Papa Clem threads his way through horses, from sixth.
Now Musket Man is now seventh.
Chocolate Candy is beginning to come alive now and he's eighth on the outside.
All right, little Bird man, let's go.
Look at this. We might actually beat someone.
Behind the far turn, Join in the Dance a narrow lead.
Regal Ransom is pressing hard and there goes Pioneer of the Nile.
Pioneer of the Nile is making his advance in the...
Eighth or ninth would be all right.
Mine That Bird!
Mine That Bird, he's coming up the rail!
-Where'd he go? I lost him. -He can't get through.
Then down toward the rail, it's Advice, as the field turns for home.
Top of the stretch, it's still Join in the Dance with a tenuous lead.
Regal Ransom and Pioneer of the Nile strike the front, just outside the eighth pole.
Fourth. Fourth would be good.
Mine That Bird!
-He's in the lead! He's in the lead! -What? Where?
Coming on through, that is Mine That Bird now who's coming on to take the lead
as they come down to the finish!
Calvin Borel in the saddle, saluting the crowd!
Let him roll, Calvin! Let him roll! Let him roll!
No!
...a hundred and twenty thousand.
Long, impossible long shot!
Mine That Bird going on to win the Kentucky Derby
in a spectacular, spectacular upset.
Mine That Bird has won the Kentucky Derby. An impossible result here!
God! Praise God! Oh, my gosh!
We just won this son-of-a-bitch! Oh, my gosh!
Let's go, let's go.
-How do we get down there? -I don't know.
How do we get to the winner's circle?
I think it's down here.
You just said I love you to whom?
-My momma and daddy. -Who are no longer with us.
I wish they were here. Oh, Lord.
If they'd only be here to see what I accomplished in my life.
Let's go, let's go!
Bob, can you share your thoughts about what you saw out there today?
Well, Calvin is amazing.
He's always been a great rider and he did it again.
He took to the rail, found a hole and squeezed through it.
I guess that's why they call him Calvin Bo-Rail.
The cowboys win today.
50-to-1!
I found them, found my tickets. I got 'em!
You did it, cuz.
-You are the man! -You did it, man. You did it.
What a ride, huh? You're the best!
-Thank you very much. I appreciate it. -You're the best. Come on.
Thank you!
Yeah!
I just want you to know how grateful I am for all you've done.
And I'm proud to be standing here in the winner's circle with you.
Thanks for having me.
Aw, man.
Who would have thought?
I knew you had my back. You always did.
Always will.
We're in the history books now.
Okay, everybody, over here! Look over here, guys.
All right, great.
Thank you, Bird.
Now, it's a story that even Hollywood wouldn't believe,
but obviously you had a pretty good idea.
Yeah, it's wonderful. I haven't... I just can't say enough, you know.
A feeling like I've never had before.
We have to give a lot of credit to Borel. He really pulled us through on that race.
I'm beyond happy. I ain't even got no feelings in me right now.
I'm numb.