Seabiscuit 1938 Horse of the Year
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Seabiscuit a most remarkable Horse
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Seabiscuit was one of the most remarkable Thoroughbred racehorses in history. From 1936 to 1940, Americans thronged to racetracks to watch the small, ungainly racehorse become a champion. He had an awkward gait but ran with dominating speed; he was mild-mannered yet fiercely competitive; and he was stubborn until he became compliant. His inferior performances as a young racehorse led to later dominance on the turf.
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Seabiscuit An American Legend
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Ms. Laura Hillenbrand has written a captivating book entitled Seabiscuit An American Legend. The story takes place in the 1930's. It is a story about a little horse who became a hero. It is a must read for horse racing fans and all who love to see a horse win against all odds.
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Seabiscuit was one of the most popular horses of all time.
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Santa Anita Park is the Home of SEABISCUIT. The legendary racehorse ran many of his greatest races at Santa Anita. In the movie Seabiscuit, many of the scenes were filmed at this famous track. In 1940 Seabiscuit, one of the most popular horses of all time wins the 1940 Santa Anita Handicap after losing photo decisions in 1937 and 1938 and being sidelined with an injury in 1939. This comeback victory is Seabiscuit's last race and is one of the biggest sports stories of the year. In 1941 a life-sized bronze statue of the immortal Seabiscuit, which was sculpted by Ted Wheeler went on public display in the Paddock Gardens. It is one of the few life-sized bronzes ever erected in the memory of a horse. The movie is a wonderful comeback story about an under-dog all America horse Seabiscuit. His development into a winner so closely paralleled everyone's aspiration of their lives in the post depression years.
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Seabiscuit takes on the 1937 Triple Crown Winner War Admiral and beats him by 4 lengths... what a race horse!
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This is may take you way back and then some of you may had not appeared on the scene as yet. I was living in Lacona at the time and things were quite easy for me because I was attending Kindergarten in Cocoli. It was only a few days before Christmas and many of the kids were wondering where had the parents hid the toys. Back in those days Tilly winks board game was a give. Some kids would also receive maybe checkers, monopoly game, Duncan Yo-Yo, spinning top and probably a baseball mitt. The little girls got dolls, jacks, skip rope and some little cooking utensils. It must have been Christmas of 1944. The United States had been at war since 41. The talk in the Canal Zone at all the grownup gatherings was that the war was coming to an end. We had the Nazis on the run and once the war was over in Europe we could take care of the Japs in good order. Most of everybody was tired of the war. The rationing had really been quite strict but we all did our part for the war effort. So, when Christmas day arrived I was surprised when I received a little cowboy suit, Red Ryder BB gun and a Race Horse board game. Wow, I thought I was in 7th heaven. I think the racehorse board game was by Parker. But board game had an oval track with dice and you would shake up the dice in a cup and let it rip. The total number as I recalled was the number of spaces you marked out on the track layout. Another great think about the game was one of the horses on the game board was named Sea Biscuit. My Dad had told me the story about this unbelievable small horse that had beaten the Triple Crown Winner of 1938 War Admiral who happen to be his uncle in a match race. Well, one of my uncles would take me to the track (El Hipodromo) maybe once a month. I enjoyed seeing the races and the colorful silks that the jockeys wore. It was always a great outing because my uncle would buy me a little cup of ice cream, which I ate, with a little wooden spoon. But lets get back to Seabiscuit and the board game. We would spend hour after hour playing that game. Especially when it rained. We would take turns acting like an announcer and calling the race. There was always “beetle Bomb.” As a little kid, Seabiscuit was the horse! He was a winner! He was a small horse with funny looking knees, something us little kids could relate to in the old Canal Zone. Seabiscuit’s greatness soon was apparent by his victories. Seabiscuit established a remarkable record. He started 89 times, winning 33 races, being 15 times second and finishing third on 13 occasions. He wound up in the winter of 1940 with earnings of $437,730. This made him the leading money-winner in the world When he retired he was the best known and the most beloved sporting figure in the world. His popularity surpassed even the very important people in public service and in the arts. The reason I mention this is that on a home leave to San Francisco, California we stopped at a shopping mall in San Bruno just south of the city. The mall had been built over an old racetrack. As we walked about admiring the stores filled with all kinds of wonderful merchandise for the holiday season, I came face to face with the likeness of Seabiscuit in a statute. He had been honestly depicted by the sculpture in his race to the finish as he rounded the clubhouse turn. Every detail of courage was accented with the flair nostrils and the jockey low upon the horse neck as if whispering, “You can win this one… come on Seabiscuit show the people what you got!” I hadn’t thought about that little horse until I notice that Amazon.com had it as one of its featured selections. But I have not forgotten that little board game with all the different colored metal horses and Seabiscuit was one of them.
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