Independent Lens

S27E09 BACKSIDE: The Unseen Hands of Horse Racing

Before the sun touches the track at Churchill Downs, immigrant grooms are already moving through the stables on the backside. Hidden from the cheering crowds, they work year-round, feeding, grooming, and tending to the thoroughbreds destined for the Kentucky Derby. Their unseen labor reveals a deeper story—one of race, class, and survival behind an elite sport. *Backside: The Unseen Hands of Horse Racing* honors the quiet resilience that makes the spectacle possible.