The First Saturday in May (Documentary) — Whether you love horse racing or just follow the Kentucky Derby, you will enjoy this documentary that follows six would-be 2006 Derby horses through their early three-year-old seasons. You go to the barns, meet the trainers, their families and their staffs as they chase the dream of winning horse racing’s biggest prize. The documentary focuses on six stories, nicely intertwined, that range from the aging grounds of Aqueduct in New York to the sheik’s kingdom of Dubai. It’s a story of human and equine triumph and inevitable despair. Five of the six horses qualify for the “Run for the Roses” on Derby Day, always The First Saturday in May, at Churchill Downs — Brother Derek, Jazil, Lawyer Ron, Sharp Humor and, of course, Barbaro. There is humor and warmth, excitement and pain for the principals as they work to earn enough money to qualify as one of the 20 horses who will run the mile-and-a-quarter, the longest race any of them would have run to that date. Three-year-olds are still developing as race horses so there is luck and good fortune necessary to make the road to the Derby. Breeding is important, of course, but there have been blue bloods and hard knockers who have won the “Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.” As you can see, there is no other sporting event with as many monikers as The Derby. And there are few bigger one-day prizes in all of sports. This movie is special because the owners are barely visible; what you see are the people in the trenches, led by the trainer (in movie terms, the director). You live the hopes and dreams of their kids and their spouses not to mention the jockeys (and their kids and spouses, too). And finally, you experience Derby Day, a marathon of patience for just a little over two minutes of unbearable stress pitting more horses running at one time than any other race in world in this or any other year. Unless you were living on another planet, you know who wins and the tragedy that follows just two weeks later at the Preakness (the second leg of the Triple Crown). With the Derby set for May 3, catch this film if it’s playing anywhere near you. If it’s not, make sure you see it when it comes out in video.