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Not many would expect a racehorse to be on columnist Walter Winchell's list of top ten newsmakers, along with President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Nazi leader Adolph Hitler, but that's just the distinction Seabiscuit earned in 1938. Given his ungainly gait and inelegant build, Seabiscuit's emergence as a champion thoroughbred in the 1930s was quite startling and captured the nation's attention during the bleak years of the Great Depression. His amazing story, based on author Laura Hillenbrand's best-selling book SEABISCUIT: AN AMERICAN LEGEND, is brought to life in this one-hour documentary through archival footage of Seabiscuit's major races and commentary about the men who turned him into a superstar -- his owner Charles Howard, trainer Tom Smith, and jockey Red Pollard.
For more on the program, visit the AMERICAN EXPERIENCE companion Web site at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/seabiscuit/.
Local Resources
For many, the state of Kentucky is often synonymous with horseracing, as it's home to Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby, but the tri-state area also has its share of famed racetracks, important races like the Belmont Stakes, and numerous horse farms. Discover more at the following Web sites:
New York Breeding & Racing Program
http://www.nybreds.com
New York Racing Association: Aqueduct
http://www.nyra.com/aqueduct
New York Racing Association: Belmont Park
http://www.nyra.com/Belmont/
Dutchess Views Farm
http://www.dutchessviewsfarm.com
Sugar Maple Farm
http://www.sugarmaple-farm.com/index2.html
New Jersey Horse
http://www.newjerseyhorse.com
Thoroughbred Breeders' Association of New Jersey
http://www.njbreds.com
Monmouth Park Racetrack
http://www.monmouthpark.com
Meadowlands Racetrack
http://www.thebigm.com
Photo credits: The San Diego Historical Society Photography Collection, AP/Wide World Photos, and Library of Congress.
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