By Randy Little

Editor's note: Former Channel 9 newsman Randy Little, now a Comey & Shepherd Realtor, was one of hundreds of Tristate residents to work as crew members or extras on the horse-racing drama Seabiscuit during filming this month at Keeneland race track in Lexington.

First, don't call them "extras," call them "background actors." That's the term preferred by professionals like the movie makers who came to Kentucky this month to shoot scenes for Seabiscuit.

Back in August, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to race to the Millenium Hotel in downtown Cincinnati for an open casting call. I had a few hours' break from work and told myself it would be fun to take my kids to the movies and say, "That dot on the screen is me."

Randy Little as an extra in Seabiscuit.

The casting director told the crowd of 500 (the fourth such group that day) a story about his search for the perfect person to fill a part. He later told us he was secretly watching everyone's expression while he told the story. Then, he walked around and pointed to people he felt gave good expressions during the tale. I was one.

My photo was taken and I was told, "Don't call us, we'll call you."

The call did come, in late October. It directed me to a warehouse in an industrial park in Lexington, home of the Seabiscuit wardrobe department.

Portable racks held vintage suits, shirts, hats and ties. I handed wardrobe assistant George DiLorenzo of West Chester Township a card with my sizes, right up to my hat size. "People were shorter and smaller back then," he said. After a few tries, he handed me a 60-year-old suit I could barely button. "That's the way they wore them - tight. This looks good on you."

"Thanks," I gulped, as I sucked in my stomach. We couldn't find a topcoat that would fit. "Don't worry," said Mr. DiLorenzo, "we're getting a shipment of vintage clothes from England. We'll find you one."

I was designated a "three-day race fan" for filming starting Nov. 13, when 400 extras were needed to re-create the historic race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral, a Triple Crown winner, that took place at Pimlico on Nov. 1, 1938.

Seabiscuit is a movie about chances. The horse, the jockey, the owner all got second chances that led to fame and fortune. While I wasn't looking to break into acting, I was hopeful the director would give me a chance at celluloid immortality.

The second floor of Keeneland's clubhouse was transformed into the headquarters for Universal Picture's wardrobe and extras. As I walked in at 5 a.m., I spotted Mr. DiLorenzo and handed him my card as Kentucky Extra No. 480. He remembered I needed a topcoat and selected a dark blue plaid. "Bottom of the barrel," I thought. "Looks great," I said.

By 7 a.m., the clubhouse betting room looked like a '30s speakeasy. Close-cropped feather and silk hats topped women's heads. Men outnumbered women 20-to-1, racetracks being no place for a lady.

Production assistants made sure we wore no contemporary jewelry, watches or glasses, and that cell phones were off.

The day was spent making 400 people look like the 40,000 who attended the 1938 race. With cold dew on our feet, we spent the morning cheering from the rails as a camera truck rode ahead of the horses. We'd later cheer the truck pulling a trailer with the same jockeys riding two mechanical horses for close-ups.

Shooting ended at sunset. The pay for an exhausting 12 hours of standing and running on cue? It was $75.

It takes about 10 assistant directors and production assistants to wrangle the 400 extras, who were given written guidelines about movie procedures. We learned that we shouldn't move until we heard "Background!" "Action!" is the cue for the principal actors.

Extras who hammed it up were politely shown off the set. No photos were allowed, and we were not allowed to talk to the actors.

On my second day, second assistant director Basil Grillo pointed at four people, including me, and said, "Follow me" and led us to the paddock area.

For almost an hour, assistant directors shuttled extras around. I ended up 5 feet away from Jeff Bridges (who plays Charles Howard, Seabiscuit's owner), but I didn't know that at the time, because my glasses were off and to me he was just another blur.

If I end up on the cutting room floor, that's fine. I probably will do what another extra suggested: I'll buy the DVD, and when I spot the first guy way in the background with binoculars over his face, I'll point and exclaim: "That's me! See, I told you I was there!"