SEABISCUIT

foreign [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] foreign descendants of the first horses brought to this continent by Fortes and the conquest of Mexico spirited herds of animals roaming the Prairies of our American Frontiers they're thundering hope helding the birth of the West captured and broken they became the constant companion and servant of the Indians Pioneers Earth turned Westwood their very lives depending on the endurance of a horse New Frontiers were established thus began the Roundup of wild creatures forces to Aid Man in building an empire and Matt Fury stallions engage in combat burning Defiance at Manor beats his last news Titan about phony who struggled for an uncluttered accessory same indomitable Spirit lives today in the fighting Bronco of Wild West Main although highly mechanized the Army both flying horse specimens which make a box black Cavalry units and intelligence reading is responsible for the amazing salty Trotters and the thrilling Thoroughbred Polo ponies with seeds and stamina to spare but it is a Churchill Down where America's Finest racehorses are going to be seen in this country's most famous Turf classic the Kentucky Derby here breeders and sportsman enter their blue blood Thoroughbred and a performance of speed Sleek powerful bodies a thrilling page in Kentucky's colorful Cavalcade of horses through the air almost within the shadow of this historic fact another event was a transpired bringing more glory to the Bluegrass State midnight April 1933 a Watchman makes the rounds at Clairemont Farms Paris Kentucky [Music] hmm hello yeah hurry doc [Music] daddy swing on and thus the cult was born a frightened bundle of fuzz reassured by the knickering of its mother and the touch of devil hands horses at Birth measure the same from the knees down as one full grown like some children folks too need coaching at Meal Time and proud indeed of the baby is heart attack father of the cult and even granddaddy man of war a champion if there ever was one takes the matter seriously and Demands a bow thus with such names as hard tax and man of war in the family it was decided to name the little fellow sea biscuits just a few hours old yet cocky enough to fall a swing on his mother outside the barn for the first glimpse of a sunrise and a world full of strange things right from the start he demanded extra attention a funny little fuzz tale with jangling legs that supported a wee body Carefree hours spent romping with an alert mother whose every action denoted her great maternal pride in this awkward youngster time Sea Biscuit Bruce Drew longer and so did his appetite he just naturally wanted to eat all the time and when his little tummy got real full sleepy eyes fought against clothing foreign [Music] nothing much to worry about except that even little Cults must be all to Broken sooner or later and as far as Sea Biscuit was concerned it was much sooner than he desired [Applause] [Music] fortunately the halder was only on for short spells allowing him plenty of time to gaze at distant Horizons dreaming of things that only little Cults think of [Music] but mothers commanding when he brings him back to reality gosh he had almost forgotten it was Meal Time Again existence for the cult was a beautiful thing days magically turning into months Seabiscuit has grown into the weanling stage then tragedy strikes all of the Wheeling including seabis could have rounded up and separated from the Mayors mothers they will never see again radically the dash about another enclosure trying to Fathom the separation frightened willings who do not realize that they have grown up Sea Biscuit alone crowds the rail as a Handler pauses the swing on his mother fearfully he called but for the first time mother is left by his side just an old mayor whose eyes longingly followed the little Cult of yesterday who now stands separated from her a man months past Seabiscuit leaves Kentucky Bound for Aqueduct Park New York consigned to his owners the weekly Stables where he receives his first training in being saddled from James fitzsimmon's veteran Trainor time of spectacquainting the horse with just a light cloth repeatedly Handler's Triumph until finally the horse becomes accustomed to the procedure and allows himself to be saddled highly intelligent Seabiscuit took readily to his lessons accepting the presence of an exercise boy in his back without too much fun much easier to handle in this respect than his father heart attack this accomplished Seabiscuit was prepared for the important task of conducting himself properly at the barrier walkthroughs standing still without nervous displays of temperament all necessary for good barrier manners then the Final Touch in his education from the barrier for the first time and Seabiscuit is ready for his racing career 5. Seabiscuit is edited in these first race an allowance event for two-year-olds distance three-eighths of a mile assembly horses leaped in unison and the race is on this is the new thrilled with Sea Biscuit never before Eddie heard the Roar of the crowd lying dirt flicks both horse and Riders sweating beats struggle to overcome the lessons by the leaders Seabiscuit answers The Yards he abduction Stout with an added burst of speed but ahead of him flying figures still whole repositions Jackie Stout attempts before the outside to gain more room there's dangerous throwing the horse off side the South Pole Sea Biscuit in Readiness for an old thing that's never came into the stretch is why hey and wise Duke with Steve biscuit fighting it out with blue dollar for third place but it wasn't his day and Stephen runs forward earning fifty dollars his first winning tired and excited his first race over but the old plenty game meanwhile in California Charles S Howard Western racing enthusiastic reader was seeking a good Thoroughbred for his stable one that might be worth staking and assisting him in his search was Tom Smith Howard's veteran Trainor Publications devoted to horses were carefully checked for leads that might result in a purchase days on end spent at various racing meets always seeking a horse that would answer their rigid demands not too expensive yet a thoroughbred that possessed that elusive something that makes a winner never considered a great Horse by his owners he was cast in the role of Breadwinner in the overnight cleaning events in minor Stakes literally a gypsy horse who was running his head off at Eastern Shrek 17 times he went firstward before winning a race still he campaigned his great heart refusing discouragement participating in The Amazing amount of 35 events in his first season enough races to have ruined an ordinary two-year-old the Sea Biscuit took it and came back for more ever interesting and colorful is the horse auction turfman gathered from far and wide to swap horses and Yarns pure fine thoroughbreds are hammered down by Duck Bond famous Kentucky Auctioneer still seeking a horse Charles Howard is an interested spectator geez tell him to make me a 50 legal 15 play speed 14 14 15 thank you 1700 with you I got 16 17 We Go 70s 1800s plenty of horses for sale but none that please Howard and his search still goes on Saratoga August 1936 Howard and Trina Smith watch the Mohawk flaming Stakes a powerful Bay of horses streaking thunder-like past out of thoroughbred both men are entranced by his style and performance seabis can almost seem to sense their eyes upon him and flashed across the line an easy winner shortly after the race Howard and his trainer look Seabiscuit over both are thrilled and excited their long search is over here is the horse they have been looking for hastily completing his examination Howard immediately contacted the Wheatley stable representative who was willing to sell and the price agreed upon was eight thousand dollars two thousand dollars more than the amount asked for Seabiscuit in his last claiming race there is no question but Howard would have paid twice the purchase price so Keen was his desire to possess this great but misunderstood horse from out he's over Seabiscuit greets his new owner and comes under the Howard colors for the first time a great break for the animal and a feather in Howard hat for each rude foresight almost immediately the checking over process began allowing owner and trainer the opportunity of closely setting the horse in action here with championship material that needed only development and care like a lodestone Seabiscuit drew the attention of brooms and handlers alike while owner and trainer patiently awaited the results to these men Seabiscuit was no ordinary horse and he became the focal point of an intense conditioning campaign important with the Foot Care legs and bandage bandage and shoes metal shot hooks to grip the turf a picture repeated over and over again here was activity feverish in its intensity a bait colored muscular machine literally taken apart and restyled to satisfy the exacting demands of Howard's Rehabilitation of the Horse no one wanted the Rising Sun of an early morning was the signal which brought Seabiscuit out for the necessary workout an event religiously attended by Howard and trainer Smith seabiscuits every practice performance was a scene to behold here was a page from the past a charger with what it had falling into space his is an effortless guide a symphony of motion he is not a big horse standing only 15 in three-quarter hands tall extremely quick and clever and very controllable hail set high in flying seabiscuits shows no weakness no effects of the 47 races engaged in as a trial horse for the Wheatley Stables patience and kindness plus the fine training of Tom Smith have converted seabiscuits courage and intelligence into speed speed that was amazingly consistent [Music] satisfied how it enters the horse at Detroit for a series of races sporting the white red and white triangle funded past Professor Paul and the great Azure car to win the governor's handicap and over four thousand dollars for his owner other victories followed including the 5500 Scarsdale handicap at Empire City then Westwood to Baymeadows California he continued his streak winning two races of succession his earnings totaling over forty thousand dollars at this point Ola Howard called a hall to see biscuits activities the horse had made good with a Vengeance and a two-month vacation was ordered days devoted to satisfying his healthy appetite a trade he possessed even as a cold within the short period of four months this rejected horse weeded out of a great stable became front page news and Rose above his normal Destiny to repay Mr and Mrs Hollard for their kindness and affection a fighting horse with a heart that matched his owner's confidence February Santa Anita's Seabiscuit loses a hundred thousand dollars by an old to Rosemont in the handicap betting twenty thousand dollars per second place the beginning of his amazing Financial march across the tracks of the United States Steve biscuit took them all on asking no quarter and giving none backed in four key shuttled from Flames attract covering thousands of miles of black Buckley animal that broke records and horse's heart fourth-loving fans had found an idol and back speed let's get to the Limit 15 times he went closer during 1937 returning millions of dollars to his Legion of admirers winning eleven races placing seconds wide third one and boosting his earnings to over 168 thousand dollars [Music] 1938 Sea Biscuit thoroughly rested is entered in the Santa Anita a hundred thousand dollar handicap 18 horses are set to go Dynamite awaiting only a definition to set them off hence the scripts the crowd All Eyes wants to start and they're off in a Gallop that soon turns out to be one of the most exciting contests of the Year Tom Cruise and seabiscuits are the favorites in this fourth running of the 137 000 Santa Anita handicap but Seabiscuit is bounced around at the start and has a lot of going to overtake the early leaders [Music] pace is terrific on a fast track Android's been the leader but seabiscuits coming up and so is stagehand that leaves Tom and running like the wind at the end of the stretch it's Seabiscuit and stagehand Seabiscuit lost the classic by a nose last year and again he's challenged stage hands right up there with the leader Earl Sandy's training shows as a big pool fights off seabiscus effort to pull away [Applause] all right a photo finish her race almost instinctively all eyes turn upper to the photo booth within the confines of the tiny room high above the grandstand a piece of sensitized paper holds the answer that means a hundred thousand dollars to see bit through stagehand and thousands more to those who had bet the horses to win a skilled technician realizing the importance attached the still damn picture hurriedly dries and inserts it into a container an eternity for those who anxiously await the outcome yet only a matter of what seconds before the picture is on its way down the Slender wire to the judge's platform intensely Mr Mrs hard await the outcome as the judges closely examine the photograph the crowd is almost hushed as pencil and I determined a microscopic difference tote light Splash a crowd Roars stagehand is the winner or my new difference yet enough to deprive seabiscuits for the second time the honor of winning America's richest state it mattered not that he carried 130 pounds to the Winner's hundreds or the bumping he received at the start just one of those things which made owner Howard realize that even in defeat Seabiscuit was still a chance and hurl the horse into another strenuous campaign a campaign of indications and an attack on sunbow's great financial record of over 376 thousand dollars Steve biscuit has turned on the heat tracked back the track saw him in repeated victories that brought more glory and money to owner Howard and the cry went up stopped that horse each race saw additional weight loaded on his back every stride forcing the indicator up and up here was an apparition that defied the impulse given him seed biscuit was fighting not only horses but the handicappers who matched his victories with additional poundage establishing remarkable records despite his back-breaking handicap [Music] meanwhile Howard canceled the match race between Seabiscuit and War Admiral and reporter sought to reason sporting Pages throughout the nation demanded the race some intimating that Howard's unwillingness was fear of defeat that biscuits legs railing and Howard wasn't Taking Chances until his voice wasn't conditioned to settle the question of turf Supremacy working tirelessly out for G Vanderbilt vice president of the Maryland Jockey Club finally secures Howard's promise for the second time to enter Seabiscuit in the match race and almost immediately War Admiral arrives at Pimlico ready for the battle of the century unlike Seabiscuit War Admiral was not overworked for the two-year-old and sported the imposing record of 19 wins and 23 starts with earnings of 257 thousand dollars next to arrive at the old cross country travel himself sea biscuits fresh as a daisy having spent most of the trip sleeping with naria Kink and those powerful legs and it carried him to the post 83 times before with earnings of over 331 thousand dollars he had set a pace that was blistering and almost in every instant Sea Biscuit when defeated forced his opponents to break track record with only a short time left before the match race already Smith left nothing to chance particular attention being paid to seabiscuit's special saddle a unique bit of racing Tech with its slotted sections each containing bird shop to make up weight that his jockey would like finally the big day arrives and Harvard gives his jockey George Wolf the pep talk before the race 40 000 excited Spectators await the event but there is still time to spare calmly Jackie wolf gets into the Howard Stokes his mind already picturing the star the prize is fifteen thousand dollars but it means more than that to the biscuits and wolf will be in there pitching friendly foes jockey wolf greet Charlie kurtzinger pilot for Samuel riddle whose eyes follow his great horse War Admiral carrying number one the biscuit is the underdog in the betting but Mr and Mrs Howard know their who is the picture of confidence as wolf heads in for the start both forces are ducked into position for the walk-up start as an entire nation crowds its radios for Graham mcnamee's description of the event here was the race of the century the answer to America's Turf Supremacy and they're off neck and neck for the Mile End 316 Freight [Music] [Applause] foreign and seabiscuits will be the second biggest Money winner of all time if he can keep the pace the back stretch battle is hard on both the horses and it's here that the Admiral makes you big but Seabiscuit hangs right on matching stride Force rides foreign [Music] [Music] with 40 000 frenzied people cheering him on the great son of heart attack comes down to the Finish Line in the upset of the year he gets across the finish with a new Fast record foreign [Applause] had won his greatest Victory only thirty thousand dollars separated him from sunbow as the greatest Money winner of all time whether Seabiscuit passes sunbow's record is something for the future to decide but we know that when his time comes to leave this existence he'll be breezing along Like A Champion down the home stretch to that paradise reserve for yesterday's Grace 20 grand gallons and our money and vote will always be on Sea Biscuit snow foreign [Applause]