The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-02-15
BAD LEGS MAY BAR BISCUIT FOR
 S1OO,OOO RACE
Howard Champion Beaten for $z,OO0 Purse; To-
 day Was Winner
BY JACK GUENTHER United Press Staff Correspondent

(United Press Stair C0rreSpOnuent
 Arcadia, Calif., Feb. 15-CUP)-- Charles s. Towards dream of mak- ing his Seabiscuit the greatest money winner of all time may eva porate today when further examin- ation reveals the extent of lameness that caused the six-year-old son of Hard Tack to be soundly beaten in his first start of the season-in race for a paltry purse.
 A 1-5 favorite for the $100,000 Santa Anita handicap March 4, Seabiscuit may not be able to go to the post because of the lameness and the unsound knees which robbed him of the opportunity to run against War Admiral in spe- cial match race for $100,000 prize at Belmont last spring.
 Winners share of the Santa Anita handicap will amount to more than $90,000 and such purse added to Seabiscuit's $34o.490 earnings would have eclipsed the $376,744 won by w. s. Kilmer's Sun Beau.
 Looks Bad
 Veterinarian J. H. Peters said the strain was not as serious as he had believed at first.
 T can't say definitely Seabiscuit is out of the Santa Anita and I can't say he is in," Peters said. We cannot decide until the leg loosens up. We may not know until to- morrow.
 T think he may walk out of the soreness satisfactorily. At first I thought his chances were about even. I examined him again and found him frisky and in much bet- ter condition. However, it will take a mighty sound horse to carry 134 pounds mile and quarter"
 Seabiscuit pulled up lame after being beaten 2 1-2 lengths by Neil McCarthy's today in a $2,000 mile allowance race yesterday. Jockey George Woolf applied the bat freely in a hard stretch drive, but the Howard Ace couldn't close the gap. Still 1t took new track record of 1:35-3-5 to beat the gallant little Grandson of Man O War.
 Woolf eased his mount up, dis mounted and walked, instead of rode, back to the judges stand. The Biscuit favored his right forefoot Trainer Smith said then he did not believe Seabiscuit had broken down. He thought it was a slight soreness that would not prove serious.
 Perturbed
 Owner Howard, who refused to guess whether Seabiscuit would start in the handicap-less than three weeks away-was perturbed.
 T have never seen Seabiscuit pull up so lame before" he said. He has had trouble with his knees before, and we had to call off the match race with War Admiral on that account, but he never acted this way"
 In 1897 and again last year the Biscuit charged down the home- stretch in front of the field in the Santa Anita handicap only to be beaten by the closest possible Ma,,- gain-a nose-in this richest of all turf prizes. It was Rosemont, own- cd by William DuPont, Jr., who nip- ped him at the wire two years ago and carried off top money of $90,- 700. In 1888 1t was Stagehand who collared him in the stretch and won in a hard driving finish for first money of $9i, ,450.
 Seabiscuit, handicap champion for 1887 and 1888, and named the morse of the year" last year, was picked up for $6,500 from the Wheatley stable by Howard in 1886. Last year he came home ahead six times to earn $i30,395. In all the Biscuit has gone to the post 84 times, won 3l, placed second IA, and third l2.