Stablemates [DVD]

When a broken-down, alcoholic veterinarian with a shady past; an orphan racetrack stableboy and a filly with potential become Stablemates, you can bet your bankroll that the result will win, place and show with style. Wallace Beery and Mickey Rooney star in this sentimental yarn about a hard-luck pair and the horse who makes them into a father-son unit with a shot at the winners circle. With nods to the parent/child relationship from Beerys earlier The Champ, and seaside imagery evocative of Rooneys future The Black Stallion, director Sam Wood (A Day at the Races) mixes comedy, heart and the Beery/Rooney byplay in perfect proportion. Audiences get an added bonus: the climactic footage of the inaugural Hollywood Gold Cup race features the legendary horse Seabiscuit in action, and the film opened just weeks prior to Seabiscuits thrilling November 1, 1938 victory over War Admiral at Pimlico that enthralled the nation, transforming Stablemates (also featuring the wonderful Margaret Hamilton) into a box-office champion.