Derby Day still brings out fans of the Sport of Kings

Although not as popular as it once was, horse racing still draws a big crowd the first Saturday in May when Churchill Downs is home to the Kentucky Derby.

The Run for the Roses is American racing’s premier event. The race draws thousands to the track. The men wear suits. The women wear fancy dresses and derby bonnets. Everyone drinks mint juleps. Some people win a bundle, most walk away losers.

This year’s 136th running is no exception. The local OTB at Stoney Point Grill in Mokena is planning a big party complete with a tent for the bettors who don’t want to shell out $35 for a seat inside the restaurant. Charley Horse restaurants in Tinley Park, New Lenox and Munster, Ind., are offering free meals to ladies who wear derby bonnets into the eateries from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. The race starts at 5:24 p.m. CST.

Big crowds are also expected at Balmoral in Crete and Hawthorne in Cicero. Both tracks will simulcast the race on big screen TVs.

Horse racing may not be the sport it once was, when thousands would pack the grandstands at famous tracks such as Santa Anita in California, Hialeah in Florida and Saratoga in New York. Local venues including Sportsman’s Park in Cicero and Washington Park in Homewood would also pack them in.

Hollywood has had an affinity for racing movies. Films were made about real-life champion horses such as “Phar Lap” about a champion horse from Australia and “Dreamer” about Breeder’s Cup winner Sonador. “Casey’s Shadow” is about a reel-life champion.

“Champions” is about British steeple chase jockey Bob Champion and his battle with cancer.

Tracks have been the setting in movies such as “Little Miss Marker” and “My Brother Talks to Horses.”

“Guys & Dolls” is a musical about New York gangsters dabbling in horseracing among other ventures.

Here are six movies available on video and DVD that look at the Sport of Kings, in one way or another.

“Let It Ride” (1989) – Richard Dreyfuss gets wind of a fixed race and wins a bundle. He then has in his words “a very good day” at the track. Along the way we get to see a variety of characters ranging from his wife (Teri Garr), unlucky best friend (David Johansen) and an oversexed mistress (Jennifer Tilly).

“Seabiscuit” (2003) – Tobey Maguire is the broken-down jockey, Chris Cooper is the discredited trainer and Jeff Bridges is the misguided owner who all believe in the special powers of an undersized, hurt horse named Seabiscuit who captivated Depression-era America.

“A Day at the Races” (1937) – Groucho, Chico and Harpo run amok at a racetrack while trying to win enough money to save a sanitarium run by a friend of theirs in this classic Marx Brothers comedy. Other stars include Maureen O’Sullivan and Margaret Dumont.

“Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair” (1952) – Pa (Percy Kilbride) buys a broken-down trotter hoping to win the race at the county fair so he can send one of his daughters to college in this entry in the “Ma and Pa Kettle” series of comedies. Other stars include Marjorie Main as Ma, Lori Nelson and James Best.

“The Derby Stallion” (2005) – An alcoholic former trainer (Bill Cobbs) sobers up long enough to help a 15-year-old boy (Zac Efron) pursue his dream of turning his horse into a champion. Also stars William R. Moses.

“The Great Dan Patch” (1949) – This is the biopic of legendary trotter Dan Patch and the man who might have loved him more than his wife and girlfriend. Stars include Dennis O’Keefe, Gail Russell, Henry Hull and Ruth Warrick.