SEABISCUIT
Seabiscuit (May 23, 1933-May 17, 1947) Seabiscuit was born from
the mare Swing On and sired by Hard Tack (son of Man o' War). The son was named
for the father; the word seabiscuit is the name for a type of cracker eaten by
sailors known as hardtack. The bay colt grew up on Claiborne Farm in Paris,
Kentucky. He was undersized, knobby-kneed, and not much to look at, and was
given to sleeping and eating for long periods. Initially, he was trained by the
legendary Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, who had taken Gallant Fox to the United States
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. Fitzsimmons saw some potential in
Seabiscuit, but felt the horse was lazy, and with most of his time taken
training Omaha (a Triple Crown winner), Seabiscuit was relegated to a punishing
schedule of smaller races. He failed to win his first ten races (not uncommon in
horse racing), and most times finished back in the field. After that, training
him was almost an afterthought and the horse was sometimes the butt of stable
jokes. Then, as a three-year-old, Seabiscuit raced thirty-five times (a heavy
racing schedule), coming in first five times, and finishing second seven times.
Still, at the end of the racing season, he was occasionally used as an outrider
horse. The next racing season, the colt was again less than spectacular and his
owners sold the horse to automobile entrepreneur Charles S. Howard for $8,000,
the equivalent of about 100,000 dollars in 2007. This was no bargain basement
price for a horse, and the sale price proves Fitzsimmons thought Seabiscuit had
potential, and was also probably going to be a decent racehorse sire. Seabiscuit
was not as bad a runner for Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons as the 2003 movie and even the
book by Hillenbrand made him out to be. Many thoroughbred racehorses never break
their maiden and do not win even one race. However, Seabiscuit had not lived up
to his racing potential when Charles S. Howard bought him.
Seabiscuit (May 23, 1933-May 17, 1947) Seabiscuit was born from
the mare Swing On and sired by Hard Tack (son of Man o' War). The son was named
for the father; the word seabiscuit is the name for a type of cracker eaten by
sailors known as hardtack. The bay colt grew up on Claiborne Farm in Paris,
Kentucky. He was undersized, knobby-kneed, and not much to look at, and was
given to sleeping and eating for long periods. Initially, he was trained by the
legendary Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons, who had taken Gallant Fox to the United States
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. Fitzsimmons saw some potential in
Seabiscuit, but felt the horse was lazy, and with most of his time taken
training Omaha (a Triple Crown winner), Seabiscuit was relegated to a punishing
schedule of smaller races. He failed to win his first ten races (not uncommon in
horse racing), and most times finished back in the field. After that, training
him was almost an afterthought and the horse was sometimes the butt of stable
jokes. Then, as a three-year-old, Seabiscuit raced thirty-five times (a heavy
racing schedule), coming in first five times, and finishing second seven times.
Still, at the end of the racing season, he was occasionally used as an outrider
horse. The next racing season, the colt was again less than spectacular and his
owners sold the horse to automobile entrepreneur Charles S. Howard for $8,000,
the equivalent of about 100,000 dollars in 2007. This was no bargain basement
price for a horse, and the sale price proves Fitzsimmons thought Seabiscuit had
potential, and was also probably going to be a decent racehorse sire. Seabiscuit
was not as bad a runner for Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons as the 2003 movie and even the
book by Hillenbrand made him out to be. Many thoroughbred racehorses never break
their maiden and do not win even one race. However, Seabiscuit had not lived up
to his racing potential when Charles S. Howard bought him.