Two, Stripes finally realizes he is in fact a zebra… not a racehorse. One, we learn that Channing’s jockey mother died on the track and that is why her father retired from training. The manure really hits the box fan at this point. Anyway…let’s try and carry on…Īfter a bad break from the gate, the time trial is going well until Stripes gets spooked and Channing bites the dust. I’m also pretty sure that the filmmakers painted a small pony to look like a zebra, because all of a sudden the animal was moving TOTALLY different. Not only that, but she somehow manages to get him in a time trial the very next day. All of that I can believe…īut now Channing believes this little zebra has what it takes to be a racehorse as well. Sure, this girl just saddled up an unbroken zebra and set off on a gallop across the countryside for their first ride. Sure, we’ve got a menagerie of animals that can talk. Sure, we’ve got a zebra that thinks he’s a racehorse. OK… now this is where this movie gets a little silly. Undeterred by the fact that Stripes has never had a saddle on his back, much less a rider, Channing sets out on a beautiful trail ride. After hiring the Jersey Shore, gangster pelican to “take out” Channing’s dirt bike and the dad’s truck, Stripes leaves Channing no choice but to ride him… otherwise she’ll be late for work… did I mention she works at the racetrack? In fact, he’s more determined than ever to become a champion racer. Unfortunately, Stripes misses the turn, falls down and is horribly embarrassed. It’s the perfect proving grounds for Stripes. Trenton’s Pride dares Stripes to go to the Blue Moon Races, a late-night drag style race, organized by a Clydesdale and watched by all the horses in the area. On the other side of the fence boards, we are introduced to Arabian show jumper Sandy (Mandy Moore), Trenton’s Pride (Joshua Jackson) and cohorts of other snooty Thoroughbreds. We are then whisked away to “Three Years Later,” where Stripes spends his days racing the mail trucks. The zebra then meets the CGI-enhanced Walsh menagerie, including a maternal goat (Whoopi Goldberg), a cagey Shetland pony (Dustin Hoffman), a rooster (Jeff Foxworthy), and an old hound dog (Snoop Dogg)… not to mention the flies and pelican that speak as well.Įverything changes for Stripes when he watches his first horse race… conveniently there is a gorgeous race track just down the hill so Stripes can watch everyday. He brings the zebra home, where it is immediately lavished with attention by his daughter, Channing. We soon find out the samaritan’s name is Nolan Walsh, a semi-successful, ex-racehorse trainer turned corn farmer. Luckily for our little zebra, a good-hearted samaritan finds him in the road and takes him home. Now, I’m not usually a sucker for baby animals, but this little zebra is darling in his wicker basket and blanket. A circus, struggling to pack up and hit the road, accidentally leaves behind a baby zebra. The movie opens in the middle of a raging thunderstorm. Racing Stripes (2005), starring Hayden Panettiere tells us the story of a zebra who dreams of being a champion Thoroughbred racehorse. (Maybe because it’s a silly, overwrought “zebra” movie?) HN movie critic Amanda Ronan has a remarkably high tolerance for silly, overwrought horse movies–but this one tested her patience.
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