Four Legged Heroes: Seabiscuit's Comeback

After nearly disastrous injuries, Seabiscuit and jockey Red Pollard return to Santa Anita for a third and final try at winning the "hundred grander". Excerpt from the masterful American Experience documentary directed by Stephen Ives. (The documentary was far better than the Hollywood Movie!)

[@Rascal19617]

Great movie "Seabiscuit", Great Champion. Amazing horse. Watch movie over and over, never get tired of this great movie based on a true story. Seabiscuit was an incredible athlete, he was a real champion. Seabiscuit's name will always live on in the history books and in his fans minds. R.I.P. Seabiscuit ❤❤😢😢

[@46foryounger]

Amazing true story❤️ Love the movie should have won the Oscar. Love that his daughter is in this documentary; she’s so lovely.

[@jewingewing3040]

Seabiscut won the heart of a nation. Both jockey and horse had a bond and fixed each other.

[@pocogirl]

Seabiscuit's stance, and the way he is holding his head up so high, and still. You know that horse knew he was the winner.

[@deaconjones2243]

Mrs. Christianson, Your father would have been very proud of the way you described the singularity of Seabiscuit and himself.He may have quoted Shakespeare and Emerson,but they would have quoted you when it came to their union.Best sports story of all time.

[@Pferdecoach]

i saw the movie Seabiscuit so many times and every time watching i am crying so touching

[@kleew5840]

Me too. I cried on documentaries of it too.

[@Seabiscuit923]

He's such an amazing horse. He had the true heart of a champion.

[@tonybletas930]

I came across an excerpt from the book on seabiscuit some years ago and I was so moved by the exploits of this most amazing pony and the people who brought him to the spotlights of fame. I've never had an interest in horse racing but the story had me obsessed on this one horse and how he captivated the planet at a time when the world was about to rape itself in world war. Buy it or borrow but get the book and be moved by human and animal working as one to be enshrined forever as true heroes

[@captainbart]

Ditto Tony, read the book, than watched the movie, than, came here to more.

[@ClassyMarching14]

Seabiscuit is my role model. If i have learned anything in this life is it to never doubt the underdog; they got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Fueled my mentality of competition in life, on the marching band field, and in the saddle. Never let anyone underestimate you.

[@bellelise.]

Oh boy, I hear ya there. You said it all. Thanks!

[@ScottInVa1760]

What an awesome story!!! The background on Seabiscuit and the Howard racing team is even more fascinating than the movie depicted. An amazing group of people with an amazing horse for the ages!!

[@wayneo1269]

What a great story and so inspiring.

[@katewalsh7783]

I get tears in my eyes everytime I read or see anything about the 'Biscuit' and Red. Great true story! 💞

[@daneb.mcfadhen9896]

I have read Laura Hillenbrand's book 3 times. It is, to date, one of the best books my eyes have ever taken in. If you like true tales that push you to sit on the edge of your seat, this is the one. The details are staggeringly well done. I cried, I laughed, I clenched my fists and burst out like a boy whenever the 'Biscuit' shot across the wire. One of my favorite passages: Long after the horses and their handlers had left the track, the din died away and the crowds trickled out. Workmen crisscrossed the grounds. A lone fan still stood at the east end of the grandstand. As the sun dropped in the winter sky, the man called out to the empty track. "Ha-ray for Seabiscuit! Hoo-ray for Seabiscuit!" His voice carried up to the press box, where the reporters were banging out their stories. The room was still ringing with the sensation of what had happened. "Oh," wrote Jolly Roger, "that I lived to see this day."

[@COSMOTOPPER777]

When you consider what a great horse War Admiral was (and looked the part), Seabiscuit's stretch run seems even more amazing. He was still accelerating when he crossed the finish line. Inspiring to watch every time I go back to this one.

[@pamtime22]

Yes, Seabiscuit (Pops) probably would have continued to run on and on! Seabiscuit probably thinking, eat my dust!

[@jimmymalone9139]

ADMIRAL NOT THAT GREAT

[@DLbramming]

This amazing documentary, made me cry, just as much as the hollywoodfilm. There's a lot of great racehorses, but never someone as great as Seabiscuit. I'm a big fan. Hope you never remove this video, cause I have favorited it. I think the best part is seing Red with Seabiscuit, and the two of them, crossing the last finish line :')

[@ractajeno]

I can't think of anyone better to narrate this wonderful documentary than Scott Glenn, though Chris Cooper would have been excellent too! What a truly inspiring story!

[@tbthomas5117]

Scott Glenn's work as a narrator is among the all time greats (IMHO). Chris Cooper good too.

[@errolsubratie9369]

Just finished looking at this, it brings tears to my eyes what a great and wonderful combination the Owner Trainer Jockey and a Great Horse.

[@NorthernSold1]

A superb heart touching story of sporting immortality...

[@scottduyser8583]

@ 7 years old!!!! Amazing

[@napoliansolo7865]

Never get tired of Red and Seabiscuit's stoty.

[@drsomeone1]

Every great character in this world experienced failure, even seabiscuit, and some of them for long time had this experience. But the common things between them is that they never stopped believing and trying till they succeded. If you dont taste failure you wont taste victory.

[@Pferdecoach]

yes !

[@douglasspicer3555]

Santa anita is truly "the great race place" . If only I could go back and spend one more weekend there with my father !

[@napoliansolo7865]

That last picture of Red and Seabiscuit you can just see the biscuit just thinking YUP!

[@pamtime22]

Like some people, some animals have the innate belief in themselves that they will be champions and legends! Seabiscuit (Pops) and Red had it! Like Red's daughter said "together they were a comet, a star, a ball of fire". I hope to meet them in heaven someday!

[@RahulPerhar]

This is a truly inspiring video ... a very great post ... thanks for it.

[@pauletterichards4755]

Sea biscuits was like his grandfather man of war!

[@amchalmers06]

I love the horse Secretarial so much, but. Watching this horse, what a great horse, he was funny. I watched his mouth. It was like he was talking. He was something else. Every now and then, if you watch close, you will see a special animal that sets them apart from the rest. Red and Big Red were both so special.

[@geronimoortega9722]

Perfect story. Awsome.

[@Gary-xg9px]

What a tremendous comeback for Seabiscuit in 1940. He was what America is all about. I hope we can make a come back like that in November's Presidential election. It's a long shot.

[@kwgrid]

Did I hear someone in the crowd shout "Oh my God" when Biscuit won?

[@mycrystalline]

I wonder if I'll have another can do a comeback like Seabicuit? I am glad that they put the horse first if he is really injured, though... Nice clip...and so happy that it is in color.

[@nitabonn]

Loved this - thanks for sharing!

[@ractajeno]

I can't think of anyone better to narrate this wonderful documentary than Scott Glenn, though Chris Cooper would have been excellent too!

[@COSMOTOPPER777]

Glad you liked it. My remix of the War Admiral match race is a little more fun than most (music by Ennio Moriccone) if you haven't seen it. Thanks for the comment!

[@MsGlorimar]

Love Red and Seabiscuit's still at 1:44 !

[@arisgod2749]

So imagine if this horse started off with Smith as his trainer as a yearling. Most likely we would be saying this is the greatest horse that ever lived.

[@BWolf00]

Be that as it may, the story, the legacy would never have had the impact that it does even today.

[@normancarter5419]

And probably not - if the horse and the jockey had not had their Job experiences they would probably not have done what they did do because of those experiences.

[@gilkenson53]

It is a true example of today and the USA.. Time for the great American come-back.... Vote for real change!!

[@COSMOTOPPER777]

@gcastro44 I attended Menlo Junior College back in 1970-72. It's a wonderful area.

[@bradshields2416]

Never count someone out ,horses too.

[@COSMOTOPPER777]

I went to some lengths to remove comments from the clip by Laura Hillenbrand (author of the book) without damaging the narrative of the documentary too much. I thought she tended to lean too heavily towards hyperbole and melodrama, rather than letting the story stand on it's own. That said, Canada is a part of America, at least in the original sense of the word. But your point is appreciated, and well taken.

[@stevek8829]

Yes, she leaned toward artistic license.

[@emmabradford137]

@@stevek8829 oh well, she got me excited about Seabiscuit

[@kwgrid]

The scene of Pollard standing with Howard receiving the trophy looks like Red was in pain. :(

[@edwindeleon1130]

its how you treat the horse Dr emoto

[@lindajayneclark767]

oh. i will also ride well again!

[@helainadarmisa]

yea...someone just made a rear horse out of a war horse...

[@zedmarlen]

Tiny note about this "quintessentially American" story: both Red Pollard and George Wolfe were Canadians and Howard had roots in Canada too.

[@kkjhn41]

That is what is quintessentially American about this story. America is a nation of immigrants and dreams. People come here looking for a life they believe they can find no where else. They believe that dreams can be achieved here. Pollard and Wolfe may have been born in Canada but their story, the confluence of these people, this horse and the time and situation they were living in did not and could not occur in just this way anywhere else. This is truly a quintessentially American story.

[@tbthomas5117]

...And technically speaking, 'America' encompasses the entire western hemisphere !;)

[@memorialled_zeppelin-warew1346]

And Seabuiscuits mother and her family were from where i live here in the uk. Seabuiscuits maternal grandsire Normandy won the European Trail Feature 2x (thats two lots of 4 invite only races for top colts/stallions in europe). Hes still the only horse to have done it more than once. Normandy looked like Seabuiscuit. Same size and colour. Same bandy knees. The resemblance is startling. Normandy died of old age at 29 in the 1920s. He is in the European Racing Hall of Fame. And you can visit his gravesite at Bel Doube Horse Park near St Lo in France. Where when he was alive his owner and family owned the Bel Doube Racing Stable... And later stud farm. If you talk about Seabuiscuit in France. Theyll tell you about Normandy. And they know how he made the lines that led to this little guy being born. And what Seabuiscuit was for america in the Depression. Also another fact Normandy was still being ridden everyday and often ponied other racers to the track and back. He was just as tough.

[@ganggreene72]

Reds daugter looks so North of Ireland

[@umbrasyl]

wow...

[@COSMOTOPPER777]

I have to disagree with you just a little... The American Experience documentary (IMHO) was so much better than the Hollywood film. If you haven't watched the companion clip to this one (at cosmotopper777) it puts you in the reality of those 2 minutes where Seabiscuit devastated one of the greatest horses in history, running away in the homestretch. I know there are dozens out there, but this one is special. Thanks for your comment.

[@amchalmers06]

Sorry, I meant The Great Secretariat.

[@capsulacosmos7136]

Every horse has a different story.

[@mivotomivoz5539]

Can't wait to see the Hernandez movie! Did ya hear about it? www.paulickreport.com/news/people/alvarado-adapting-biography-of-santa-anita-announcer-joe-hernandez-to-movie-script/

[@tomdotson6053]

Crying like a chick

[@tbthomas5117]

Yeah, no idea how many times I've replayed it, still gets to me. (I blame it on the fiddler.) If you like Ennio Morricone (RIP), check out the War Admiral/Biscuit match race: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4LbZHmDpKl6e5I I lifted a segment from "Untouchables", dropped it in over the original race footage, and with one 10-sec edit (dumb luck), the music matched the video stride-for-stride. PS: I have explicitly refused to monetize this tube-site, but YT screws it up with ads anyway. Time to replace KZbin (...working on it.)