The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1940-03-07
.SEABISCUIT Isl
BEST COMEBACK.
HORSE OF TURF.
Two Bad Legs Then Re-
tired to Stud, Howard
Star Won
Editors Note: This is the last Of
four dispatches on Seabiscuit.
BY JACK GUENTHER
UNITED Press Racing Editor

NOAAsONA ASbo 4sesVAA18 A1OAVVAl
Arcadia, CAL, March 7.--(UP)-|
When Seabiscuit went limping to his
barn on Feb. IA, 1889, 1t looked like
the saga of Hard Tack's most IA
nous son was ended. The Biscuit
had strained a ligament in his left
ankle. Such injuries often heal, but
seldom will the injured limb stand
up beneath a drive IN the stretch
again. Seabiscuit was out of the
Santa Anita Handicap Of 1889 and
he stayed alone in his stall while his
stablemate, Kayak II, won the race
he twice had lost.
The game little cuss went back to
the Howard ranch near San Fran
cisco and the next thing the racing
world heard was that he had been
placed in stud. That appeared the
clincher. Not more than half-doz-
en- horses ever have been sent into
domestic life and then successfully
returned to the tracks.
But Seabiscuit was restless in his
new life. The old campaigner was
eager to run. Each succeeding day
his ankle was growing stronger. BY
midsummer he had five mares in
foal, but more important to him, he
was beginning to gallop around and
silent Tom Smith was beginning to
talk Of bringing him back.
He came slowly. He began work.
ing steady and hard on the tracks
in northern California. Soon Smith
reported he had stood up under q
drive. But the reports still were TAX
en- with plenty of salt when the
Howard encourage came south to
Santa Anita for the Biscuits fourth
try for the 100000 pot. Well, Sea-
biscuit went over the rainbow, and
the gold was waiting there for him
just as the story books say.
Two Bad Legs
He went slowly and carefully. He
was seven years old now, he had run
in 86 races, and he had two bad
legs. But he also had flame-thatched
Johnny Pollard on his back, and
between them they made q strange
pair-this crippled horse and his
crippled jock. They went out to-
gether, first in sprint after scratch
ing four times because the condi-
tons didn't suit Smith and Howard
They finished third in that first
comeback race. They were beaten
but they had gotten into trouble
and they had proved the most i'm
portant thing of all-the Biscuit
had four legs again. They went into
another sprint and again they were
in trouble and again they finished
far back. They were almost written
off as has-beens then, but a week
later they proved their critics
wrong. They won the $4,000 San
Antonio Handicap going away-and
1T was Seabiscuit again for the
100000 purse of the Santa Anita.
You know about that Santa Anita
now. How, after two heart-stoppine
defeats and breakdown, the Bis
cult made his last try good. How he
broke near the top, went close tt
the front on the first turn, Their
hung on Whichcee like a bulldoe
until they came into the stretch
How he picked up his tired old leg.
IN that run for home while 75,00(
people went crazy with Joy at tn,
sight of something they had hopec
to see but thought they never would
How there was q clean length o.
golden California sun between hin
and his nearest rival when he hi
that finish line on top after foul
long years to boost his lifetime
earnings to $437,730 ard knock Sur
Beau of the perch forever.
| Super1ative
That was the greatest race of 8
truly great career. It was won in tn,
third fastest time ever recorded fol
a mile and quarter and it was wor
under the heaviest weight ever car.
ried to victory by a Santa Anits
winner. 1t was also the superlativ,
moment of a speculative horse.
| And don't you think the Biscuit
didn't know 1t. Far UP in the pres
box, j. j. Murphy called the kid,
last run just as he had called tn,
runs Of $500 horses before. He's {
hard-boiled baby, that Murphy, bu
of the Biscuits triumph he coul,
only say:
| THAT was the first time in my Il
years of charting races that eve
saw horse cross a finish line will
an obvious look of satisfaction OF
his face"