“Wiseman wanders around Belmont finding ripe, illustrative material, most of which fits into the abiding themes of his films, the melancholia peculiar to industrial societies, the emotional wages of materialism. Horse racing is a small industry comparatively, but it serves as a rich microcosm” (Tom Shales, Washington Post). “Beginning with the birth of a thoroughbred and running through to the conclusion of the 1981 Belmont Stakes in which Summing upset heavily favored Pleasant Colony, Racetrack makes all other movies about horse races, including the few good ones, look like a ride on a cute little merry-go-round” (Gene Siskel, Chicago Tribune).