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).

The best horse in America

In 1938, as a five-year-old, Seabiscuit's success would continue, but it would be without Pollard. On February 19, Pollard suffered a terrible fall while racing on Fair Knightess, another Howard horse. With Pollard's chest crushed by the weight of the fallen horse, and his ribs and arm broken, Howard trialed three new jockeys, before deciding on George Woolf, a great rider and old friend of Pollard, to ride Seabiscuit.

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Woolf's first race would be the Santa Anita Handicap, the "hundred grander" that Seabiscuit had narrowly lost the previous year. Seabiscuit was drawn on the outside, and from the start was impeded by another horse, Count Atlas, angling out. The two were locked together for the first straight and by the time Woolf had his horse disentangled, they were six lengths from the pace. The pair battled hard, but were beaten by the fast finishing Stagehand, which had been assigned 30 pounds (13.6 kg) fewer than Seabiscuit. Regardless, racegoers knew that Seabiscuit was the moral victor, a fact gladly conceded by Stagehand's jockey.

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Throughout 1937 and '38, the media speculated about a match race between him and the seemingly invincible War Admiral. The two horses had been scheduled to meet in three stakes races, but one or the other was scratched, usually due to Seabiscuit's disliking of heavy ground. After extensive negotiation a match race was organised for May 1938 at Belmont, but again Seabiscuit scratched, being not fully fit. By June, however, Pollard had made a recovery and on June 23 agreed to work a young colt named Modern Youth. Spooked by something on the track, the horse broke rapidly through the stables and threw Pollard, shattering his leg, and seemingly ending his career.

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A match race was held but it would not be against War Admiral. Instead it was against Ligaroti, a highly regarded horse owned by the Hollywood entertainer Bing Crosby in an event organized to promote Crosby's resort and racetrack in Del Mar, California. With Woolf aboard, Seabiscuit won that race, despite persistent fouling from Ligaroti's jockey. After three more outings, with only one win, he would finally go head to head with War Admiral in the Pimlico Special in Baltimore, Maryland.

Related Topics:
Hollywood - Bing Crosby - Racetrack - Del Mar, California - Pimlico Special - Baltimore, Maryland

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The "Match of the century"

On November 1, 1938, Seabiscuit met War Admiral in what was dubbed as the "Match of the Century". The event itself, run over 1 and 3/16 miles, was one of the most anticipated sporting events in U.S. history. The Pimlico Race Course, from the grandstands to the infield, was jammed solid with fans. Trains were run from all over the country to bring rooters to the race, and the estimated 40,000 at the track were joined by some 40 million listening on the radio. War Admiral was the prohibitive favorite (1-4 with most bookmakers) and a near unanimous selection of the writers and tipsters, excluding the California faithful.

Related Topics:
November 1 - 1938 - Pimlico Race Course

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Head-to-head races almost always favor fast starters, and War Admiral's speed from the gate was the stuff of legend. Seabiscuit, on the other hand, was a pace stalker, skilled at holding with the pack before destroying the field with late acceleration. From the scheduled walk up start, few gave him a chance to head War Admiral into the first turn. Smith knew these things, and had been secretly training the Biscuit to run against type, using a starting bell and a whip to give the horse a Pavlovian burst of speed from the start.

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When the bell went, Seabiscuit ran away from the Triple Crown Champion. Despite being drawn on outside Woolf led by over a length after just 20 seconds. Halfway down the back straight, War Admiral started to eat back into the lead, gradually pulling level, and then slightly ahead. Following advice he had received from Pollard, Woolf allowed his horse to see his rival, and then asked for more effort. Two hundred yards from the wire, Seabiscuit pulled away again as the competition proved too much for War Admiral, and continued to extend his lead over the closing straight, finally winning by four clear lengths.

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As a result of his races that year and the victory over War Admiral, Seabiscuit was named "Horse of the Year" for 1938. The only prize that had eluded him was the Hundred Grander.

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