Seabiscuit

Seabiscuit is a 1999 nonfiction book written by Laura Hillenbrand about the rise to fame and racing glory of an American racehorse named Seabiscuit. In the depths of the Great Depression, Seabiscuit rose from obscurity to international fame, and became a symbol of hope for many Americans. Born in 1933, he was owned by the Wheatley Stable, which had the famous James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons as its trainer. Fitzsimmons found Seabiscuit to have speed, but he only used it when prodded with the whip. Still, the horse’s record was uneven, and Fitzsimmons didn’t have the proper time to invest in developing him as a winning racehorse. Seabiscuit’s owner put him in claiming races, in which any horse in the field could be purchased before the race, but no one was interested in him. Finally, a trainer named Tom Smith and his employer, Charles Howard, saw potential in Seabiscuit and bought him.

Howard had made his fortune in the automobile business and Smith had learned his trade in the fading “Old West.” When Seabiscuit came to the pair, he was mentally and physically worn out from all the racing the Wheatley barn had put him through.