The Commonwealth of Kentucky and the cities of Lexington and Louisville have officially declared July 19 Seabiscuit Day – the same date that the movie about the great racehorse premieres in those two cities.
The Lexington premiere will be held at the historic Kentucky Theatre in downtown Lexington and the Louisville premiere will be held at The Palace Theater.
Seabiscuit is an epic drama based on the best-selling book by Laura Hillenbrand. Set during the Great Depression, it is the story of three men – a jockey (Tobey Maguire), a trainer (Academy Award winner Chris Cooper), a businessman (Jeff Bridges) – and the down-and-out racehorse that took them and the entire nation on the ride of a lifetime.
"Kentucky played a pivotal role in the life of Seabiscuit," said Gov. Paul Patton. "Seabiscuit was born and bred in Central Kentucky. Now, more than 60 years later, our state and its signature industry is playing a pivotal role in bringing the Seabiscuit story to the big screen. We're honored to be a part of it."
Filming for the movie took place at several horse farms in Central Kentucky, including Calumet, Normandy and Stony Oak Farms, and at Keeneland Race Course.
"Seabiscuit is one of those special movies that celebrate the wonderful sport of horse racing," said Lexington Mayor Teresa Ann Isaac. "As the Horse Capital of the World, Lexington is bursting with excitement for the premiere of this great film."
The city of Louisville is equally excited about its premiere.
"As home to the Kentucky Derby and Churchill Downs, Louisville is a town that loves horseracing," said Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson. "Weíre looking forward to hosting the Louisville premiere."
