Seabiscuit: American Experience

Seabiscuit is the remarkable tale of a thoroughbred racehorse and down-and-out jockey who became two of the most celebrated sports figures of the twentieth century. The story of Seabiscuit's unlikely rise is extraordinary - from his humble beginnings as an underfed, overworked three-year old, to his triumphant match-race victory over the triple crown winner, War Admiral, to his astonishing comeback in the 1940 Santa Anita Handicap. Equally remarkable is the team who made Seabiscuit a legend - his owner, automobile magnate Charles Howard, the famously silent and stubborn trainer Tom Smith, and lightning-fast rider George Woolf. His primary jockey was John "Red" Pollard, a hard-bitten ex-prizefighter with an enormous vocabulary and a wry wit, whose fierce loyalty to his horse and fearlessness in the saddle would make racing history. Separately, Pollard and Seabiscuit were nothing more than a failing jockey and a broken-down horse. Together, they became hard luck heroes for a troubled nation.