'The Magnificent Thoroughbred'
Apair of visual arts events focusing on thoroughbred horses are among the events taking place around the Breeders' Cup meet at Monmouth Park

"Steam" by Jon Kral

"The Magnificent Thoroughbred," featuring stunning equine photography and a compelling film festival, will be presented at Monmouth University in West Long Branch.

The events will take place at Pollak Theatre and in the theater gallery.

Sponsored by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation, Monmouth University and the Two River Film Festival, "The Magnificent Thoroughbred" will screen films throughout the day, beginning at 9 a.m. and running until 10 p.m.

The films focus on the plight of retired racehorses and educate viewers on the importance of improving conditions in the racehorse industry.

In addition to film, the Monmouth University Gallery will be filled with the images of magnificent thoroughbred horses captured through the photographic lens of Jon Kral.

The exhibit, which runs through Nov. 9, will feature more than two dozen works by Kral, a renowned photojournalist whose evocative images have received five Pulitzer Prize nominations.

A full day of free film screenings will begin at 9 a.m. with "A Day at the Races," a classic comedy that follows brothers Groucho, Harpo and Chico Marx as they put a sanatorium in a spin with the help of one of the patients who owns a racehorse.

"The Last Victory" will be shown at 11 a.m. This film follows the passionate struggle of the small town of Civetta, Italy, as residents prepare for the annual horse race, Il Palio.

"First Saturday in May" will be screened at 3:30 p.m. Heartbreak and hope abound in this engrossing documentary about the Kentucky Derby. Two brothers travel from Arkansas to Dubai and on to Churchill Downs to trace the paths of six rising equine stars, including the heroic Barbaro, and the people, passion and dreams at the core of this breakneck competition.

"Big Spender," to be screened at 5 p.m., is produced by Animal Planet. This film chronicles the rehabilitation of both a neglected, broken-down horse and the convict who nurses him back to championship form.

At 8 p.m., "Saving Horses Saving Lives: Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation" will be screened. This film focuses on the plight of the thoroughbred racehorse at the end of its racing career when breeding or private retirement is not an option. See the good work of the foundation's pioneering programs: horse rehabilitation, retraining and vocational training for inmates at its correctionsbased farms. The film highlights the TRF's success in reclaiming the lives of veteran horses and placing them in second careers that give back to society, the local community and to horse racing.

The East Coast premiere of the documentary "Homestretch" is scheduled for 8:25 p.m. The film chronicles the pairing of two unlikely groups - prison inmates and end-of-career racehorses - as they come together on prison farms. In telling this story, "Homestretch" explores the downward spiral of non-winning racehorses and the dangerous and sometimes heartbreaking work of their rescuers. The film reveals mutual tragedies of inmates and horses and shows the outcasts as they learn to live and work together, sometimes finding redemption along the way.

Admission is free to the official Breeders' Cup FanFest film screening and photo exhibit, and the events are open to the public. Call (732) 263-6889 or visit www.monmouth.edu/arts.