‘Lazy, undersized’ symbol of hope

November 1 1938 — Seabiscuit, 11-time winner for the season, beats Triple Crown champion War Admiral by four lengths in a 1.9km match race at Pimlico. War Admiral, ridden by Charles Kurtsinger, starts as 1-4 favourite. The estimated 40,000 fans at Pimlico from across the US are joined by 40 million listening on the radio. After a walk-up start, Seabiscuit, with George Woolf in the saddle, takes the lead and never relinquishes it.

Foaled on May 23 1933, Seabiscuit grew up on Claiborne Farm, Paris, Kentucky. Undersized (15 hands high) and knobby-kneed, he was given to sleeping and eating for long periods. Owned by the Wheatley Stable, he was trained by James Fitzsimmons, who saw potential in him but felt the horse was too lazy. He achieved marginal success and was sold to auto entrepreneur Charles S Howard for $8,000 in August 1936. With Tom Smith as trainer and Red Pollard as jockey — injury kept him out of the

“Match of the Century”— Seabiscuit blooms into a champion, with 33 victories and record earnings of $437,730 in six years ... and a symbol of hope to many Americans during the Great Depression. Woolf, 35, (in both pictures with Seabiscuit) dies on January 4 1946 after falling off his horse at Santa Anita Park the previous day. Seabiscuit retires on April 10 1940. Until his death of a probable heart attack on May 17 1947, he receives over 50,000 visitors at Ridgewood Ranch near Willits, California,