Teenage Champion - Go for Gold!

One of Zac Efron's earliest films before he became a Disney "it" boy through the High School Musical series was this film which casts him as a would be baseball player who likes horses. It's with horses that his passion lies much to the disappointment of his coach and father William R. Moses. When he gets beaned in a pickup game he clearly has not got his head in the game.

The Derby Stallion is a nice film though some I'm sure will notice that this is a horseback version of The Karate Kid. Efron forms a friendship with old retired trainer Bill Cobbs who used to train all kinds of horses and even has bought a horse from a rich landowner who was getting rid of him anyway as the horse did not live up to promise. But i's possible he did not get the right training or rider.

Cobbs is the Mr. Miyagi (Patrick Morita) part. The villain or William Zabka role belongs to Michael Nardelli a spoiled rich kid whose father was the one who gave up on the horse Cobbs trains and Efron rides.

The Derby Stallion is a nice family film even though the makers of The Karate Kid could sue.

This movie exemplifies the American dream of the familial bond. The movie depicts the dream of the reality of how life is, where the parent controls the child and believes that the child wants to do a certain hobby because it is what the parent did, or wished to do.

The child then doesn't want to do what the parent forces the child to do, and then decides to go against the family and do what they want. Then the child becomes great at the hobby and the parents have a turn around after disagreeing and not supporting the child because of the whole disconnect that occurs when a child decides to do what they want for their own life.

The Parent then becomes involved in the Childs life, and they bond over the "death" of the broken dream of the parent, and apologizes for the disrespect and the mistreatment of the child, and begins to support the child in what they want to do. The parent becomes very remorseful to the child to ensure that the child is still apart of the parents life.

The reality life reality and the film, are completely opposite. The film depicts the dream of how life is to be with a family, and their children. It's the typical cliche "prophecy" or "calling" for a lack of better way to describe it. And this calling, is a straight up reality check for the parent because of how distant the child would be, and how much involvement the parent would have their child in their life, and how much involvement, control, and influence the parent will have in their Childs life. The parent doesn't want to be a stranger and be kicked out of the child's life because it will evidently hurt the parent, and the parent will have a spiral down turn, and eventually become very sickly; more so sickly, abusive, and/or psychotic

Great movie. Need more of these types of movies. Not the whole Prostitution of Hollywood films.

I really enjoyed this film. The acting was great and Zac Efron did some really nice work.I was drawn to this film because I ride horses and like racing. I didn't know much about Steeplechase before this movie. It is cool...looks pretty hard and a little dangerous but fun.

I also enjoyed Houston Jones character and his relationship with Zac's character, "Patrick". It reminded me of my relationship with my granddad.The parents were good too, and the girl that plays Jill, is hot! My mother liked the film too, and said she would recommend it to her friends to buy for their kids because its a family movie that she enjoyed watching with me. There are some surprises in it that I won't tell you. Randy's character is a good bad guy. I think you will like it as much as I did!

i love this film so much it has a great story line and the actors are amazing.it helped that the film had Zack Efron in because he is a talented actor who recently the lead in high school musical i gave this film 10/10 because it was amazing and i dint want 2 blink because i did not want 2 miss a second of it i also thought that the film was heart warming and it made me see a whole new side of Zack's acting skills i no that i cant wait to see him in his new film hairspray because if it is as good as this it will be at the top of the charts the only downside to this film is that Crystal Hunt who plays Jill Overton got 2 kiss Zack i was so Jealous if only i lived in America i would of auditioned for that part but i live in england for now

Cute fifteen-year-old Zac Efron (as Patrick McCardle) doesn't have friends his own age. He skips baseball practice to spend time with boozing horse enthusiast mentor Bill Cobbs (as Houston Jones). In flashbacks, Mr. Cobbs recounts his love for a wealthy white woman, and a passion for horses; his doomed romance led Cobbs to alcoholism. Parents William R. Moses and Tonja Walker (as Jim and Linda) don't like Mr. Efron's close relationship with the older man; especially, Mr. Moses wants his son to play baseball like his dad. Efron doesn't know much, but "I know horses like me." He decides to join the horse races, with Cobbs as trainer.

Be advised, there is heartbreak ahead for Efron!

Efron is less affected (and made-up) than in "High School Musical" performances, which is a plus. He passes for a mature fifteen, but doesn't show much prowess as an actor. The prerequisite bully and pretty girl roles are adequately filled by coolly-coiffed Michael Nardelli (as Randy Adams) and lightly-tressed Crystal Hunt (as Jill Overton). Cobbs adroitly makes the most of his predictable character role. And, ailing musician Billy Preston has one of his last gigs. "The Derby Stallion" gallops with missteps and continuity problems, obviously enhanced by budget restrictions. Filmmakers found a great semi-circular tree for a background shot.

*** The Derby Stallion (7/4/05) Craig Clyde ~ Zac Efron, Bill Cobbs, Crystal Hunt, William R. Moses