SEABISCUIT Equine Actor makes Kentucky Horse Park Home
Friday, August 8, 2003
LEXINGTON, Ky. - I Two Step Too, one of the nine horses that played Seabiscuit in the feature film “Seabiscuit” will soon be making the Kentucky Horse Park his permanent home. The Thoroughbred, purchased by the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation for the park, made his premiere appearance as "Seabiscuit" in the park's daily Parade of Breeds presentation July 31, 2003.
"The Kentucky Horse Park is such a natural home for a Hollywood Star such as I Two Step Too," said Lulu Davis, Kentucky Horse Park Foundation board member. "I am glad that I was able to head up the effort to ensure the park would become his permanent home."
I Two Step Too was featured in the Seabiscuit festivities at the Louisville premiere of the movie on July 19, and was auctioned off at the charity fund-raiser event that evening. Proceeds from the purchase of I Two Step Too will benefit the Race for Education Foundation, a scholarship foundation dedicated to reaching out to young people within the Thoroughbred industry.
"Seabiscuit has helped to rekindle and reinforce America's passion for horses and the sport of racing," said John Nicholson, Executive Director for the Kentucky Horse Park. "We are proud to welcome one of the stars of this cinema epic to the Kentucky Horse Park. I Two Step Too will help us to tell this wonderful story for years to come."
Nine Thoroughbreds were chosen to depict Seabiscuit for the film based on Laura Hillenbrand's best-selling book, Seabiscuit. The film had four categories of equine actors they needed to fill with horses capable of portraying Seabiscuit in different scenes - "racing," "blow by," "trick" and "fighting" Seabiscuits. I Two Step Too, age 10, is a registered Thoroughbred gelding who was cast as a "blow by" Seabiscuit, because he could turn on the speed and blow by the other horses pulling into the lead. He as well as all the other Thoroughbreds working on the film accompanied the rest of the cast and crew on each production move, which included Keeneland Race Track in Lexington, KY.
For more information on I Two Step Too coming to the Kentucky Horse Park, please contact Lisa Jackson, director of marketing and public relations for the Kentucky Horse Park at (859) 259-4224.
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