Legendary Racehorse

Seabiscuit, the biggest hero of the Great Depression, did not begin his career as a pampered and confident racehorse. A grandson of the great Man o' War, his sire Hard Tack was among the least successful of Man o' War's get. As a two-year-old, the “Biscuit” raced a staggering 35 times – three times the typical workload. Seabiscuit was a short-legged horse with asymmetrical knees that didn't quite straighten all the way, giving him an odd, crouching stance and life-long soundness problems. He may have gone unnoticed if not for the sharp eyes of Tom Smith, a once washed up horse trainer, and Smith’s employer Charles Howard. Howard was a bicycle repairman who started a Buick franchise in the San Francisco area in 1905. By the 1920s, Howard's dealership was the world's largest, and he turned his attention to the rapidly-growing sport of horse racing. It was Smith that convinced Howard to buy Seabiscuit. In doing so, they inherited a sore, weary, and restive colt that was two hundred pounds underweight and a terror to his grooms. Through careful rehabilitation, Smith readied Seabiscuit for racing once again. He selected ex-prize fighter Johnny "Red" Pollard as Seabiscuit's jockey, hoping that his boxer's body could withstand Seabiscuit's tempestuous nature. Seabiscuit flourished under Smith's and Pollard's care, winning 11 of 15 races in 1937. In one year, Seabiscuit garnered more newspaper coverage than Roosevelt, Hitler, Mussolini or any other public figure. After race fans called for a meeting between Seabiscuit and Triple Crown winner War Admiral, the two champions met in the 1938 Pimlico Special. War Admiral went off heavily favored in the betting, but Seabiscuit broke cleanly ahead of War Admiral and never looked back, winning the race by four lengths. Retired in 1940, the “Biscuit” died on May 17, 1947.

Article courtesy of Breyer horses