Seabiscuit Lives On

One of our favorite books from the last couple of years was Laura Hillenbrand’s “Seabiscuit, An American Legend.” It took life in the film “Seabiscuit”, which told the story but lacked the richness of the real saga. The PBS special (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/seabiscuit/) added some of the fibers of the story and the historical feel of 1930’s film of big races and photos of the real players. But the book builds an emotional bond with the characters that the film left pale. I have to confess that I cried when Seabiscuit died. Of course I knew he was long gone, but I’d come to love him as my own, and I cared about him and how his owner, Charles Howard, loved him so much he buried him in a secret spot known only to him.

Santa Anita racetrack, near Pasadena, was Seabiscuit’s home track. Recently, Fred and I took the “Seabiscuit Tour” that Santa Anita offers during their racing seasons. We went and were more than rewarded for the trip. What you’ll see is a vintage racetrack – bigger than what we know at the Del Mar Fairgrounds (where the Biscuit also raced). Santa Anita keeps its historical flavor and charm despite the fact that many of the betting booths now host a computer screen rather than a live clerk.

The tour starts with a tram ride through the barn area, more like a small town of green and white barns. The owners often personalize their barns, and the number of mini jockey statues is amusing.

Next, you have a guided walking tour through the receiving barn, the grounds, the paddock, the silks room, the jockey’s room. A former jockey educated us on the process of defining weight, and the whole costuming process. The boots, helmets and

You’ll see the statues of Seabiscuit and George “Iceman” Woolf, who was an incredibly talented jockey who rode Seabiscuit when Red Pollard was laid up with injuries. The tragic story – omitted from the movie – is that Woolf died during a race at age 35 when he apparently slipped into diabetic shock/coma and was trampled to death. Read the book and you’ll fall in love with him, too.

The finale of the tour is meeting Fighting Furrari, the “star” of the movie. As movies often end up, the leading man is more handsome than the character he plays. Seabiscuit was well known to have knobby knees and an awkward “egg-beater” gait. Furrari has beauty, but wasn’t a winner.

All in all, it was an enjoyable day. Oh, and it cost nothing. And included general admission to the track for the day. If you go, get there early enough to watch the morning workouts. Check the Santa Anita website for season info – it ends soon. But I imagine they’ll continue the tours next season.