HOT SPRINGS, Ark. -- Film producers John and Brad Hennegan are following up their critically acclaimed documentary "The First Saturday in May" with what they termed an "intimate portrait" of trainer Larry Jones. They began shooting the documentary last month, and expect to continue filming through the Breeders' Cup.
A release date has not yet been set for the untitled project.
Brad Hennegan, 37, said he and his brother, John, 40, first met Jones when he attended a screening of "The First Saturday in May" at Saratoga in August 2007. They said they were drawn to his down-to-earth personality in spite of his success. Jones had finished second in the Kentucky Derby that year with Hard Spun, and last year was second in the race again with Eight Belles, who sustained a catastrophic injury after the wire. Jones also won last year's Kentucky Oaks with Proud Spell.
"We really liked him, saw what he went through with the whole Eight Belles thing, and heard he was retiring," Brad Hennegan said. "We thought, 'Wow, this would be a great, great story to follow.'
"He's been knocking on the door at the Derby the last couple of years and, lo and behold, has a couple of horses for the race this year."
Jones, who has said he will retire at the end of this year, trains early Derby favorite Old Fashioned as well as the highly regarded Friesan Fire. Both run next on March 14, with John Hennegan to be at Fair Grounds to follow Friesan Fire in the Louisiana Derby and Brad Hennegan to return to Oaklawn to capture Old Fashioned in the Rebel.
"In this day and age of the high-profile manager and coach in the NFL and collegiate sports, here we have a guy in our industry who is not only leaving at the top of the game, but also is doing the menial tasks," John Hennegan said. "He's willing to do chores and drive the van. We really want to focus on that aspect of him, as well as him being a family man. We see him as not driven by the bottom line. It's unique and inspiring."
The Hennegans followed six horses up to the 2006 Kentucky Derby for "The First Saturday in May," including the winner, Barbaro. Their film won an Eclipse Award, as well as awards from film festivals in Colorado, Georgia, and Texas.
"From our last picture, we weren't able to explore one barn, but this is an opportunity to do so," Brad Hennegan said. "It allows us to dig deep into one trainer's life. We think it's important for horse racing, and we think it's a fantastic story."
"We couldn't see not telling this," John Hennegan added. "We're self-financing to get it started, then hoping we can take on some sponsors."
Since the release of "The First Saturday in May," the brothers have done projects for such clients as the Breeders' Cup and are in pre-production on two non-racing projects.