This movie progresses more organically than any of the other Francis movies, i.e. the plot doesn't seem forced.

Francis Goes to the Races starts with the mule talking to a crowd of stunned and indignant people, essentially, ending Peter Sterling's job and putting the two on the road again. It is a dynamic used often in this series: Peter gets himself deeper and deeper into trouble until the only thing that can get him out of it is a long diatribe from his mule. Beginning with it is kind of clever.

It is essential that the viewer understand the science behind the movie: Mules can talk to horses. You wouldn't think so, but apparently, since they look so much alike, they also speak the same language. You also need to remember that Francis' great aunt was a Derby winner. The two stop at a horse farm on the road and Francis meets a relative. He decides to stay at the farm and let Peter take a stab at life without a talking mule to mess things up.

Anyone who watches these movies is aware that Peter Sterling is the piston that isn't firing in that particular dyad; and, it isn't long until he gets himself in trouble. And, it isn't long until Francis bails him out. There's a pretty girl, also. And, gangsters… This movie doesn't surpass Francis Joins the WACS in quality, however, it is a fun movie.

This is the second in the Francis, the talking mule series. Picking up from the first one, we find Peter Stirling (Donald O'Connor) fired from his banking job. He ends up at some stable with some owner of a horse and his daughter-Frances, yes, they went there-who's played by a pretty young woman named Piper Laurie. As before, the premise is that Peter knows some info and when he's asked by various people, he hesitates at first because he knows they won't believe him but since they insists, he tells and is of course, isn't! This gets repetitious after a while so the only real laughs one gets from this is mainly at what wisecracks Chill Wills is made to say and the way he says them. Still, this was a pretty enjoyable entry and I liked hearing O'Connor sing a little at the end. So on that note, Francis Goes to the Races was pretty enjoyable. P.S. It was a nice surprise to see Hayden Rourke-best known to me as Dr. Bellows on "I Dream of Jeannie"-as one of the players. Also, Jesse White-best known to me as the Maytag repair man-as well.

This film: the second in a series of 7 "Frances " films, follows the general formula established in the first film. Thus, Francis helps get Don out of a jam a number of times by giving advice or information not available to others. For about half the film, Francis won't talk to anyone except Don. Then, he will talk a little to a confident, later to an authority figure, and finally to a whole room of authority figures, in order to save Don from being labeled a crackpot. At least, in this film, Don isn't sent to a psycho ward, as happened once or multiple times in the other 3 films in this series I have seen. At one point, Francis even gets drunk enough to pass out, breaking the necks of beer bottles by kicking them while Don is holding them!

While walking down a country road after Don was fired from his bank teller job, Frances spots a horse which is a distant relative, and they become friends. The owner invites Don to stay a while, after he(actually Francis) diagnosed the ailment of a horse. The granddaughter(Piper Laurie) is named Frances, and sometimes there is confusion about which Frances(is)? is being talked about.

Don is sent with $25,000. to buy a horse, but he buys the wrong horse. Thus, he needs to get $25,000.to pay Frances back. Francis tells him which horse to bet on for 7 races the next day, and he wins his $25,000. However, a bookie and his goons hold Don because he won't tell the source of his information. They expect him to call the winner in 7 races the next day but, without Francis to consult, he guesses wrong for all. The bookie loses $200,000. and is livid. Various people sneak into Francis's stall at night to try to get him to talk. At first, he won't talk, except a little to the Travers owners. Don and Francis have further trouble with the bookie bunch and they even shoot Francis, but not fatally. Francis says they will have to work with the horse they have. Her only problem is she needs a shot of confidence to win the $100,000. handicap race.

I rate this film as somewhat more interesting than the first film, but definitely not as good as "Frances joins the WACs" or "Frances Covers the Big Town".

Piper and Don had costarred the previous year in "Milkman"