Independent Lens · SEASON 27

BACKSIDE: The Unseen Hands of Horse Racing

Episode 9 · 2026-04-13

★ N/A
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Season 27Episode 9★ N/A/10
  • Documentary

Episode overview

Immigrant grooms work year-round on the hidden “backside” of Churchill Downs. Rising before dawn, they care for some of the world’s most prized Kentucky Derby racehorses, revealing how race, labor, and class shape an elite American industry. BACKSIDE: The Unseen Hands of Horse Racing honors the resilience that’s behind the spectacle.

56 minutes

Season 27 episodes

1. Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution2025-10-06 2. Ratified2025-10-20 3. Life After2025-10-27 4. Vivien's Wild Ride2026-01-26 5. The Librarians2026-02-09 6. The Inquisitor2026-02-23 7. Keep Quiet and Forgive2026-03-23 8. The Tallest Dwarf2026-04-06 9. BACKSIDE: The Unseen Hands of Horse Racing2026-04-13 10. Natchez2026-05-11 11. Light of the Setting Sun2026-05-18 12. Third Act2026-05-25 13. Assembly2026-06-22 14. True North: Canadian Myths and Black Power2026-07-06 15. Flood2026-07-13