Evening star., 1938-10-30
BIC RACE RESULT
Of FANS DEMAND
Rivals Due Front Page in
Track History, Whatever
Happens Tuesday.
By GRANTLAND RICE,

postponed, seems about to take place
Nobody can be sure of it until the two
horses come out on the track, for they
were as close as this-and closer-that
day last June at Suffolk Downs, when
Seabiscuit's leg filled up and the Ad-
miral, starting without his great rival
In the Massachusetts, Handicap, fin-
ished out Of the money for the first
time in his life.
But no bar looms now to the meet
ing Both horses have been working
we'll, the conditions of the race 3-16
miles at 120 pounds-impose no strain
on either, and Sam Riddle and c. S.
Howard, the owners. seem agreed, along
with the racing public, that the Ad-
miral and the Biscuit should hook up
before the Admiral goes into retire.
ment
So Pimlico, next Tuesday, will be
the scene Of a match race that carries
greater natural interest than any the
turf has known in many years. No one
had to drum up the interest in this
one. Like all good matches in any
sport, 1t really was made by the public.
which, recognizing the Admiral and
the Biscuit as the two best horses of
their time, wanted to see them pitted
against each other.
Biscuit Hinted Through"
The Admiral has been established as
the favorite. He was the favorite last
spring for the race at Belmont Park
that never came off and he was the
favorite at Suffolk Downs-favored
over the Biscuit and all the other
starters.
The fact that the Biscuit has been
beaten five times this year-although
In 10 starts he has wone five times
and hasn't finished out of the money
while the Admiral has won every one
of his starts except the Massachusetts,
Handicap, has caused many who liked
the Biscuits chances in the spring to
swing to the Admiral.
There is a rather general feeling that
the BISCUIT has gone over the hill and
that whatever chance he had to beat
the Admiral went with the wind that
soggy day at Suffolk Downs.
This may be true-but nobody will
know for sure until the Biscuit is out
there measuring the strides with the
Admiral. He was beaten before this
year-beaten many times. A horse
that goes to the post 80 Tins can't
win them all. He has been beaten by
great horses and ordinary horses and
horses you never heard of in races
where they packed enough weight on
him to stop freight train.
But he always has finished driving
and he has come back from those de-
feats to break track records-and the
hearts Of the horses that were running
against him.
Whether he wins or losses next
Tuesday at Pimlico, he will go down
In the books as one of the great horses
of the American turf. They know him
from Belmont to Santa Anita, and at
Hialeah, Jamaica, Aqueduct, Saratoga,
River Downs. Tanforan, Detroit and
on practically every other mile track
frcm coast to coast.
He has won 81 races against all
kinds of horses on all kinds of tracks
and under all kinds of conditions-and
finished second II times and third l3
times. Going around and around,
back ana forth across the country.
covering more territory than a platter
IN a gypsys string, he has met the
exacting test Of time by finishing in
the money in Sc Of his 80 starts.
War Admiral has a more brilliant
record, but it covers a shorter space of
time and doesn't take in as much
ground. He. too, is q great horse, al
though he hasn't had an easy time
20 starts-finishing second twice. third
once and running out of the money
once That's more than q good record.
Its darned near perfect.
They set a high standard for the
Admiral. though, the first time he ever
poked his nose into starting gate
They judged him by his sire, Man O.
War. and when some Of his admirers
argued that he was as good as his old
man, q prejudice against him was set
up in the minds Of those who dis
agreed.
As result, even his victories have
been picked to pieces. He had the
Jump at the start. He had the best
post position. The horses he beat
were, for the most part, Of no conse-
quence. Horses have done much less
than the Admiral and received much
more acclaim
hA hnr
thing that any one could expect, even
from . great horse. In most Of his
races he has gone to the front and
stayed there, sometimes shaking on
challenges in a terrific rush down the
stretch. sometimes widening the gap
between himself and his rivals and
turning a race into procession.
He has come from behind to win,
too. Some of his sharper critics inti-
mated, after a few of his runaway vic
tories, that he might be just another
front runner They wondered, audibly
and not too kindly, what he would do II
another horse pulled up to him and, as
they say on the race track, looked him
in the eye.
he didn't get his famous jump at the
start and had to come from behind.
They do not have to wonder about
either Of those things any more. The
Admiral has had other horses look him
in the eye-and fall back. Apd he has
come from behind to snatch the big
end Of the purse in the last few strides
Of a champions charge.
This Is strictly an East-West battle
and the majority of the West rides
with Seabiscuit Part of the Western
delegation. headed by Pat O'Brien, the
well-known motion picture star, has
been on hand for several days. This
delegation will all back the game son
Of Hard Tack.
Charles Strub. general manager Of
the Santa Anita track, who has seen
Seabiscuit In action 20 many times,
doesn't believe any horse can beat him