The First Saturday in May

At Roanoke College, the first Saturday in May is usually the day of Commencement exercises. After commencement, I always try to make it home in time to watch the Kentucky Derby. The connection between Roanoke College and the Kentucky Derby really comes together for Roanoke alumnus Brad Hennegan ‘93. He and his brother, John, made a documentary film about the race known as “the run for the roses.” The First Saturday in May – featuring heroic Thoroughbred champion Barbaro – chronicles the journey of a diverse cast of six hard-working trainers and their jockeys in pursuit of horse racing’s Holy Grail – the Kentucky Derby.

The Hennegan Brothers are getting a lot of press for the film. On Friday, they are scheduled to be on the Martha Stewart Show on NBC. Here’s the link to the Roanoke College e-news story about Brad (written around this time last year):

http://web.roanoke.edu/x12634.xml?refurl=x12634.xml.

And here’s a link to the site for The First Saturday in May film: http://www.thefirstsaturdayinmay.com/. Unfortunately it’s not playing in the Roanoke area yet but you can watch the trailer on their Web site or order the DVD.

Tags: Barbaro, Hennegan Brothers, Kentucky Derby, Lawyer Ron, Roanoke College, Run for the Roses