Sunday, June 10, 2007

For most casual horse racing fans, the Kentucky Derby is an annual two-minute excuse to throw a party. Once the last mint julep has been tossed down and the last drunken rendition of "My Old Kentucky Home" has been sung, interest in the race quickly ebbs. But for trainers, jockeys, grooms and all of professional horse racing's hangers-on, landing an entry in the 20-horse Derby field is an all-consuming passion.

In their compelling, expertly paced documentary "The First Saturday in May" (which will be screened locally as part of the Silverdocs festival), brothers John and Brad Hennegan, ages 38 and 35, follow the trainers of six standout horses on the path to the 2006 Derby.

As luck would have it, one of the six horses they chose to track was the ill-fated Barbaro, whose glorious Derby victory was eclipsed two weeks later when the horse pulled up lame in the Preakness.

Though it must have been tempting to make this movie entirely about Barbaro, the Hennegans, both of whom lived in Washington for several years in the mid-1990s, stuck to their original plan of tracking six horses. "We didn't want to just cash in on Barbaro," John Hennegan says. "This was about going on a journey with all of these interesting people."

Indeed, the journey is nothing short of riveting. The Hennegans, sons of a horse racing official, used their vast knowledge of the sport and incredible access to paint vivid portraits of colorful characters. For fans who see this movie, the Derby will never again be just another excuse for a party.

-- Joe Heim

"The First Saturday in May" screens Friday at 1:30 (for pass holders only) and June 17 at 5:30 p.m. AFI Silver Theatre, 8633 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring. $10. 301-495-6776.