Seabiscuit, The Horse of the Great Depression

Seabiscuit was a racehorse who was famous for his speed and will to win, and who had some little friends that helped him through his troubles.

During the Great Depression, a man named Charles Howard teamed up with a great trainer, Tom Smith. As they were watching some horses working on the track that were up for sale, Tom Smith spotted the horse that would later bring them lots of money: Seabiscuit.

Tom Smith brought to Howard's attention the colt, and after some convincing that this horse would be great, they bought him and took him to their stable.

The horse was wild. He was too wild to try and race; Smith knew he would have to be calmed down first. So, Seabiscuit was given three friends: Smith's cow-pony, Pumpkin, a dog named Pocatell, and a little monkey named Jojo. The racehorse calmed down and began winning races. A jockey named Red Pollard rode him.

During the same time that Seabiscuit was racing and winning, a horse named War Admiral, owned by Samuel Riddle, was racing and winning, too. He was actually a half-brother of Seabiscuit, because his father was Man o' War, and Seabiscuit's grandfather was Man o' War. He won the Triple Crown, which only eleven horses have won in over a hundred years of its history. It is an amazing defeat that only certain horses are able to accomplish; the horse must be fast, have lots of stamina, and able to take on any horse, at any time, to win this race, plus the fact that the jockey must be very smart. Lots of people thought that War Admiral was the best, but there were also a few who said, "No, Seabiscuit's the best."

Newsmen were trying to get the two together in a match race, but Riddle wouldn't do it. He kept coming up with excuses.

During the time that Riddle refused, Seabiscuit was raced in the Santa Anita Handicap twice, and he lost. If he had won, he would've won a whopping $100,000, which was more than one could ask for in those days. Most other races, Seabiscuit won, and people became afraid of him. Most of them withdrawed their horses from a race when he entered, although some were stubborn enough to try for it.

Finally, a match race between the two great horses was organized. But it was soon canceled because neither horse was fit to run.

Then, in 1938, Seabiscuit and War Admiral met. They were racing at Pimlico, the track the Preakness Stakes is held on. In that time period, there were few starting gates, and in most races, horses were started at a line. War Admiral was only able to really run if he was walked up to the line and started at a walk. This is how he would start, and so that they would have a better chance at the colt, Seabiscuit started at a walk, also.

Seabiscuit was number two, War Admiral number one.

They started, with Seabiscuit in the lead. He ran at an average one length lead for awhile, then War Admiral edged up on him, and they were head to head until the end of the backstretch, where Seabiscuit began edging away. They charged down the homestretch, with Seabiscuit lengthening his lead every stride he took. They crossed under the wire, with Seabiscuit the winner by four lengths.

Two years later, Seabiscuit entered the Santa Anita Handicap for the third time, and won. He was retired after that, and soon, he died.

It was a good story, wasn't it?