Notes from when I worked as an extra on the Secretariat movie.

Sept. 29, 2009, Morehead, KY.
I'm shivering in front of the heater after spending 13 hours yesterday freezing in 65 degree wind while wearing summer clothing for the Secretariat movie shoot.

I also froze in 2002 during the 13 hour days as a paid extra in the Seabiscuit movie,

In the Secretariat movie, Keeneland race track, in Lexington, KY, was a stand-in for Belmont Park, for Secretariat's 1973 Triple Crown win by 31 lengths, which is still an unbroken world record

The horse playing Secretariat was spooky-kept bolting from cameras and crowd.

The race horses had to run in the correct historical order,
but the horse playing last place Sham took his race seriously-fought like crazy to pass, to the
admiration of we extras playing the screaming crowd

It reminded me of how the horse playing the historical loser of the match race, "War Admiral" kept beating the horse playing "Seabiscuit" while shooting the race scene at Keeneland race track in 2002.

When the director complained about having to reshoot scenes, hall of fame jockey Chris McCarron would say, "Hey-I can't help it; I'm a jockey..I WANNA WIN!"

Pic is me in period costume at the Churchill Downs clubhouse, Louisville, during the Secretariat movie shoot.