Seabiscuit

Seabiscuit (May 23, 1933—May 17, 1947) was a champion thoroughbred race horse in the United States. From an inauspicious start, Seabiscuit became an unlikely champion, and during the Great Depression became a symbol of hope to many Americans. At the peak of his fame in 1938, it was suggested that he had generated more newsprint in the U.S. than either Adolf Hitler or Franklin D. Roosevelt, but this is an urban legend. In 2001, Seabiscuit became the subject of a book (Seabiscuit: An American Legend) and in 2003 a Universal Studios film (Seabiscuit).

Injury and return

When the horse recommenced training for the 1939 season, all Howard and Smith's eyes were trained firmly on that year's Santa Anita Handicap. The horse had gotten fat through the winter, but appalling weather gave Smith few opportunities to race him, or even work him hard. On February 14, the rains relented long enough for the horse to run in a mile (1.6 km) race at Santa Anita. On heavy ground, the horse seemed to stumble early on, but Woolf drove him on to second place, before pulling him up sharply at the finish. A medical examination confirmed everyone's worst fears. The horse had damaged the suspensory ligament in his left foreleg, and was lame. As Pollard would later say, the horse and his most famous jockey had four good legs between them.

Related Topics:
1939 - Suspensory ligament

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With Seabiscuit out of action, Smith and Howard concentrated on another of their horses, an Argentine stallion named Kayak II. Pollard and Seabiscuit recovered together at Howard's ranch, with Pollard's new wife Agnes, who had nursed him through his initial recovery. Slowly, both horse and rider learned to walk again, although poverty had brought Pollard to the edge of alcoholism. A local doctor broke and reset Pollard's leg to aid his recovery, and slowly Red regained the confidence to sit on the horse. Wearing a brace to stiffen his atrophied leg, he began to ride Seabiscuit again, first at a walk and later at a trot and canter. Howard was delighted at their improvement, as he longed for Seabiscuit to race again, but was extremely worried about Pollard's involvement, as his leg was still fragile.

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Over the fall and winter of 1939–40, Seabiscuit's fitness seemed to return by the day. By the end of 1939, Smith was ready to confound veterinary opinion by returning the horse to race training, with a collection of stable jockeys in the saddle. By the time of his comeback race, however, Pollard had cajoled Howard into allowing him the ride. After again scratching from a race due to the soft going, the pair finally lined up at the start of the La Jolla Handicap at Santa Anita, on February 9, 1940. Compared to what had gone before, it was an unremarkable performance (Seabiscuit was third, bested by two lengths) but it was nevertheless an amazing comeback for both. By their third comeback race, Seabiscuit was back to winning ways, running away from the field in the San Antonio Handicap to beat his erstwhile training partner, Kayak II, by two and a half lengths. Burdened by only 124 pounds, Seabiscuit equalled the track record for a mile and 1/16.

Related Topics:
February 9 - 1940

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There was only one race left. A week after the San Antonio, Seabiscuit and Kayak II both took the gate for the Santa Anita Handicap, and its $121,000 prize. 78,000 paying spectators crammed the racetrack, most backing the people's champion to complete his amazing return to racing. The start was inauspicious, as a tentative Pollard found his horse blocked almost from start. Picking his way through the field, Seabiscuit briefly led. As they thundered down the back straight, Seabiscuit became trapped in third place, behind leader Whichcee and Wedding Call on the outside. Trusting in his horse's acceleration, Pollard steered a dangerous line between the leaders and burst into the lead, taking the firm ground just off the rail. As Seabiscuit showed his old surge, Wedding Call and Whichcee faltered, and Pollard drove his horse on, taking the Hundred Grander by a length and a half from the fast closing Kayak II.

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Pandemonium engulfed the course. Neither horse nor rider, nor trainer nor owner could get through the sea of well-wishers to the winner's enclosure for some time.

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On April 10, Seabiscuit's retirement from racing was officially announced. When he was retired to the Ridgewood Ranch near Willits, California, Seabiscuit, the horse nobody wanted, was horse racing's all-time leading money winner. Put out to stud, Seabiscuit sired 108 foals, including two moderately successful racehorses, "Sea Swallow" and "Sea Sovereign". Over 5,000 visitors made the trek to Ridgewood Ranch to see Seabiscuit in the seven years he spent there before his death.

Related Topics:
April 10 - Willits, California

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