Remembering Seabiscuit

Seabiscuit was foaled in 1933, and grew up on Claiborne Farm in Kentucky. He was undersized, knobby-kneed, and known for sleeping and eating. His initial trainer was the legendary Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, who had trained Triple Crown Winner Gallant Fox. He felt Seabiscuit (no comma) was too lazy and relegated him to a punishing schedule of smaller races. He failed to win his first ten races, and was clearly was not living up to his racing potential. He was later sold and paired up with Canadian jockey Red Pollard. He was improving and once he started racing outwest he started to impress and won two major races. The horse was rapidly becoming a favorite among California racing fans, and his fame spread as he was relocated to the more prestigious Eastern racing circuit. In 1937, Seabiscuit won eleven of his fifteen races and was the year's leading money winner in the U.S. However, War Admiral, the Triple Crown Winner that season, was voted the Eclipse Award for Horse of the Year. On November 1,1938, at the Pimlico Race Course Seabiscuit met War Admiral in The Match of the Century. Trains were run from all over the country to bring fans to the race, and the estimated 40,000 fans at the track were joined by some 40 million listening on the radio. War Admiral was the prohibitive favorite. When the bell rang, Seabiscuit ran away from the Triple Crown champion. Halfway down the backstretch, War Admiral started to cut into the lead, gradually pulling even with Seabiscuit, but two hundred yards from the finish line, Seabiscuit pulled away, winning by four lengths. As a result, Seabiscuit was named "Horse of the Year" for 1938.