Race for the Crown

As an equestrian, I love horses. Truly. Deeply. I've loved them since I was old enough to draw one with four legs (usually). They're majestic, intelligent, emotionally complex creatures-and Race for the Crown, Netflix's glitzy dive into the world of high-stakes thoroughbred racing, managed to leave me feeling both mesmerized and mildly nauseous.

I hit play expecting a deep, reverent look at the animals that have carried empires, won wars, and occasionally snacked on my hair. What I got instead is a front-row seat to the exact reasons I loathe this industry.

The show offers exclusive access to the world of thoroughbred horse racing, which apparently means following a parade of wealthy humans who seem less interested in their animals and more invested in chasing glory, Instagrammable trophies, and flexing just how many millions they're willing to throw into the dirt. It's basically a documentary about rich people emotionally projecting onto horses they barely know while pretending it's about passion, not bragging rights. Spoiler alert: it's definitely about bragging rights.

And sure, it's glam. It's glossy. It's dripping in money. But it's also glaringly empty of heart when it comes to the actual stars of the show: the horses.

The actual horses-the literal beings doing all the running, sweating, and suffering-are basically B-roll with legs and get less screen time than the owners' designer shoes. That's like making a cooking show and refusing to show the food, focusing entirely on the chef's watch collection.

Look, I came for horse content: I wanted training insights, racing strategy, veterinary care, a single frame of mucking a stall, anything. Instead, I got endless montages of owners talking about "legacy" and "greatness," as if they're the ones doing the running.

These horses are viewed as a million-dollar meat statues with emotional value somewhere between a Louis Vuitton trunk and a vintage Ferrari, trotted out to make their owners feel relevant. The way they wax poetic about their "bond" with the horse they've maybe touched twice is almost touching-until you realize it's less soul connection and more high-yield asset in a very fancy halter. You get the feeling half of them wouldn't notice if their horse was swapped with a similar-looking lawn ornament-unless the lawn ornament wasn't eligible for tax deductions.

Also, a quick note to the colorist: we get it. It's high-stakes. But I didn't need to feel like I was watching this through a Lisa Frank folder. The saturation is so aggressive, I kept expecting a unicorn to trot into frame and offer me a ride to Candyland.

But here's the real kicker: zero mention of what this industry actually costs. And no, I don't mean the price tag of a breeding stallion or the cost of their high-protein feed-I mean the dark, often tragic consequences these animals face. No talk of injuries, deaths, breakdowns... nada. Apparently, broken legs and euthanasia don't pair well with caviar and private jets.

To be fair, there are good moments. Some of the jockeys bring genuine heart, a few mildly interesting trainers, and any footage of the horses running is still pure magic. Because horses are magic.

So yeah, Race for the Crown is weirdly bingeable. It's addictive in that "ugh-I-hate-this-but-I-can't-stop" kind of way. It's flashy, fast-paced, and frustratingly watchable. But at its core, it's like polishing a trophy while completely ignoring the blood, sweat, and hooves it took to earn it.

If you want a realistic look at the sport-this ain't it. This is horse racing as envisioned by people who think "animal welfare" is a scented candle brand.

Watch it if you want shiny drama and fast horses. But if you're hoping for depth, compassion, or a meaningful look at the animals behind the spectacle... this crown is all sparkle, no soul.

This was a disgusting display of the Thoroughbred Industry. Its supposed to be about the horses, the racing, trainers, jockeys, the barn help, the stall muckers, the horse walkers. Not about the owner that thinks he's the only star! You can sure tell he paid so he could be in every film shot. He has too much time on his hands. To really experience and feel the nature and blood of the Thoroughbred Industry, you really have to grow up in the barns, be there when the horses foal out, muck out the barns, learn the feed up schedule. You can tell when someone is inauthentic in their approach. That was just awful. Geeeesh!

On episode 3 and I'm so disappointed with the quality of US patrons. I love horse racing and it should be respected by the owners/patrons as a semblance of old school humility and pursuit of excellence in the breed....which by the way can be traced back to 3 sires. Yes, every single thoroughbred racehorse racing today can be traced back to 3 stallions. That is some to behold and should be embraced. This new despicable type of owner is nothing short of brash and trash. New money trying to be a part of old money. Sorry , but so far I'm just embarrassed how Netflix chose some stupid owners to portray the sport of kings. Netflix... you know nothing about horse racing.

As a racing fan, and having previously lived in America briefly, I was excited to watch this series. The premises is basically drive to survive but for horse racing, following some of the trainers, owners and jockeys as they try to win races in the "triple crown" series.

Let's start with the good- The jockeys were great and seemed really down to earth. Some of the trainers had interesting stories and it was interesting to see them get their horses ready for the races and their post race reaction. The colours and scenery were beautiful, and some of the pictures of the horses running were incredible.

The bad - The owners, repole, Stewart and iavarone are quite frankly repulsive characters who don't seem to care about the horses but rather beating other owners with more money than sense who have nothing else to spend it on. It's ironic how Stewart is now involved in a legal dispute having allegedly failed to pay over 22 million pounds. These people are so detached from reality I just skipped it at times.

The super bad - The show showcased the great aspects of the sport and the glitz and the glamour but nothing about the dark side of racing, such as the 230 horses that died last year on American tracks. There was also far too much bob baffert for my liking, who was banned for three years for drugging horses to not feel pain and putting their lives at risk in search of success. The season just seemed to gloss over this after mentioning it and had him in the series in many episodes.

Overall there was some nice bits and personalities, and it was lovely to see the horses close up, but it was spoilt for me by the screen time the owners had, and the lack of balance.

I echo what other reviews have said. This is all glitz and glamour and very little insight into horse racing itself. I love horses and have been to the track a few times, but I know very little about racing. This show taught me almost nothing, except how repugnant and shallow many owners are. Really? Watching them go to a psychic and out partying? Or complain about all the stress and anxiety the poor rich babies have to face? Who cares! The trainers were better human beings and could have had lots of interesting things to say, but instead we got, for example, footage of one of them on his anniversary dinner. At one point the baseball player owner asks if his horse has been breezed and the trainer says "just galloped" and baseball guy says he doesn't know the difference. I don't either. But no explanation! Much less any insights into the horses and nuts and bolts of training.

I did appreciate learning a bit about the female jockey and what she's up against in such a male dominated field.