‘The Blind Side’ with horses

Americans love an underdog.

Secretariat, the greatest racehorse who ever lived, is far from being one. 

“Secretariat” is the rousing Disney film charting the life of a horse who dominated in every instance and the privileged and confident owner who made it happen.

The point is, the underdog success story feels a little phony, and what shines through more prominently is the overly folksy tale of victory from the heartland of America that plays like a PG-rated version of “The Blind Side.”

That’s not to say the film isn’t very rousing and inspirational. The performances are all strong and winning, the photography is lush and colorful and director Randall Wallace’s race cinematography is captured from the most inventive angles, truly adding to the rush of seeing Secretariat win from behind. 

The craft of filmmaking and storytelling is strong enough that it has the potential to become a Disney classic decades from now. 

However, that praise might be asking too much of this underdog.