On DVD or VHS: This obscure documentary on the beloved two-time Horse of the Year...JOHN HENRY - a lost classic!

 

 

One of the, "Sport of King's", most unlikely heroes, this is the story of the Thoroughbred racehorse that beat all the odds - the American sports legend, JOHN HENRY.

 

His name fit perfectly; a blue-collar horse not a blue-blood. He had second class breeding and third class conformation. He raced from the Spring of 1977 through the Fall of 1984 from the age of two through age nine. He ran at 19 different tracks, from coast-to-coast and around the world. 83 times JOHN HENRY went to the post and when his career ended, he was the richest money earning horse in the world - the first to win $3 million, $4 million, $5 million and then $6 million. His career record showed 39 wins, 15 seconds, and 9 thirds - total earned: $6,597,947!

 

He changed owners seven times before he ended up with his final owner, Sam Ruben, of , whom JOHN HENRY became their first racehorse. JOHN HENRY wasted no time racking up wins as soon as he found his winning stride on the turf.

 

See racing footage of his first turf race at in 1978 in which he smokes the field by fourteen lengths going away! Eventually, he was shipped to where the grass and dollars were much greener for a turf horse. CHARLIE WHITTINGHAM was approached first to train JOHN HENRY but turned down the Rubens, and then watched over the next six years as his horses ran second to JOHN HENRY 19 different times, under his new trainer, RON McANALLY.

 

The rest is history - the gelding that no one wanted went on to become Horse-of-the-Year twice: in 1981 and 1984 and earned seven Eclipse championships. Witness JOHN HENRY's exciting victories in the following races: 1979 Russell Handicap at Santa Anita, 1980 Oak Tree Invitational, 1981 Budweiser Arlington Million's desperate battle with THE BART, 1981 Jockey Club Gold Cup, 1981 Oak Tree Invitational, 1982 Santa Anita Handicap, 1982 Oak Tree Invitational, 1983 American Handicap, 1984 Hollywood Invitational, 1984 Arlington Million, 1984 Turf Classic, and his final race the Ballantine Scotch Classic at the Meadowlands.

 

AS AN ADDED BONUS... nine mini segments are included after the end of the main feature:

 

1) JOHN HENRY and INTERCO

 

2) A visit with 'OLE BOB BOWERS in (JOHN HENRY's obscure and little-known sire)

 

3) JOHN HENRY's 10th birthday party

 

4) The entire running of his 1984 Sunset Handicap victory!

 

5) Several lengthy segments looking back on highlights of the life o the forever cantankerous JOHN HENRY just hours after he was put to rest at 32-years-old

 

6) Santa Anita Park honors JOHN HENRY on its 75th anniversary and opening day on December 26, 2009, with the unveiling of a life-sized bronze statue of JOHN HENRY in the paddock gardens in remembrance of his 12 stakes wins during the 1980’s

 

7) HRTV's "Inside Information" remembers JOHN HENRY and the making of the JOHN HENRY bronze statue at Santa Anita Park

 

8) An HRTV, "Past the Stands", vignette on JOHN HENRY and the first running of the Arlington Million in 1981

 

9) Retired jockey Herb McAuley who rode JOHN HENRY three times when he was trained by Lefty Nickerson in 1979 is special guest by phone on TVG

 

A splendid account of the horse born with humble beginnings who went on to prove himself worthy of being in such company as the other two most famous geldings of all time...the regally bred KELSO and FOREGO - the touching story of one of racing's greatest success stories - JOHN HENRY! This celebration of the blue-collar hero, JOHN HENRY can be yours!

 

 

2 Hours.

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