Voila! Finally, the Seabiscuit
script is here for all you quotes spouting fans of the movie starring Tobey
Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Elizabeth Banks, etc. This script is a transcript that was painstakingly
transcribed using the screenplay and/or viewings of Seabiscuit. I know, I know, I still need to get the cast names in there and I'll be eternally
tweaking it, so if you have any corrections, feel free to
drop me a line. You won't
hurt my feelings. Honest.
[ Man Narrating ]
They called it the car for Everyman.
Henry Ford himself called it
a car for the "great multitude. "
It was functional and simple,
like your sewing machine
or your cast-iron stove.
You could learn to drive it
in less than a day,
and you could get any color
you wanted, so long as it was black.
When Ford first conceived the Model T,
it took 13 hours to assemble.
Within five years, he was
turning out a vehicle every 90 seconds.
Of course, the real invention wasn't the car;
it was the assembly line that built it.
Pretty soon, other businesses
had borrowed the same techniques.
Seamstresses became button sewers.
Furniture makers
became knob turners.
It was the beginning and the end
of imagination...
all at the same time.
[ Clattering, Clanking ]
Howard?
- Charles, l'm talking to you.
- Hmm?
They need spokes,
same as the others.
They oughta make a better spoke.
Yeah? Then what
would you do?
[ Clicking Tongue ]
[ Horse Whinnies ]
[ Narrator ]
It was a land of opportunity.
[ Bird Squawks ]
The country was shrinking,
and there was life
to be made out West...
for any man with drive
and ambition.
[ Trolley Bell Rings ]
If your dream was big enough
and you had the guts to follow it,
there was truly a fortune
to be made.
[ Charles ]
How are you, sir?
[ Engine Sputtering,
Steam Hissing ]
Damn thing blew on me.
What?
It's a Stanley Steamer.
The boiler blew.
- Oh?
- Can you fix it?
Uh--
Sure. Sure, l can fix it.
[ Clanking ]
[ Sighs ]
This is an amazing machine.
It's got a two-stroke boiler system...
that's heated
by this huge fire grate.
l mean, it's--
Well, it's basically
a very small locomotive.
Thank you.
Now, l made
some improvements.
It wasn't your boiler that was blowing;
it was your bleed valve.
So, with increased pressure,
l can see you getting
up to miles an hour.
Really?
Oh, yeah. And if you superheat the excess,
l can see you reaching--
Fifty, maybe miles an hour.
Is that right?
Easily. And the thing
of it is, Mr. Coughlin,
you don't feed it,
you don't stable it, and unless
you hit a lamppost, the thing's not
gonna get sick and die on ya.
- That's funny.
- To tell you the truth,
l wouldn't spend more than five dollars
on the best horse in America.
[ Breathing Heavily ]
[ Horse Nickers ]
[ Vehicle Approaching ]
[ Charles ]
This is not the finish line, my friends.
This is the start of the race.
The future is the finish line!
And the new Buick White Streak
is just the car to take us there!
[ Crowd Affirming ]
Four in-line cylinders,
/ horsepower,
- [ Man ] Wonderful.
- This is the same car you can buy at any
of our five showrooms across the Bay Area.
- "'The age of the automobile is here,'
boasted Howard. 'The future has arrived."'
- [ Baby Babbling ]
[ Chuckling ]
Oh, my.
Read the part about
the future again.
- Oh, l'm kind of
dealing with it right now.
- Oh, sorry. Here. l'll take him.
Come here, big guy.
Come here. Come here.
Oh, are you the future, huh?
Are you the future?
[ Baby Crying ]
[ Gibberish ]
Are you gonna--
[ Blows Raspberry ]
Are you going to the moon?
[ Simulates Wind Whistling ]
[ Blows Raspberry ]
The moon! Whee!
[ Baby Screeches ]
- l'll take it.
- [ Bird Screeches ]
Do we really
need all this?
No. No. We don't need it--
There's also a caretaker's house,
a paddock, a barn,
some very nice stables.
How big are the stables?
[ Chattering ]
- [ Man ] Got it.
- [ Horse Whinnying ]
- Settle down. Settle down.
- [ Whinnying Continues ]
Quit. Quit. Whoa. Whoa.
- [ Whinnying Subsides ]
- Whoa.
Whoa.
[ Horse Grunting Softly ]
[ Horse Nickers ]
Come on, Dad.
Whoa.
There you go.
[ Woman Scoffs ]
You're not getting him a horse.
Why not?
He's great at it.
- [ Woman ]
Because he's years old.
- So?
So... he should earn it.
All right.
[ Kids Talking Simultaneously,
Indistinct ]
- [ Father] All-- All right. Quiet.
- Everybody knows it.
[ Child ]
Nobody knows Longfellow.
Dickinson.
[ All ]
Ooh!
"We never know how high we are--"
Oh, l know that.
[ Child ]
Yeah. l know.
l know it.
Well?
"We never know
how high we are
till we are called to rise."
- Good.
- Very good,John.
"And then, if we are true to plan,
our statures touch the skies."
- [ Father] Excellent.
- [ Child ] Yes!
- [ Mother] That's really good.
Uh-oh.
- "The heroism--"
- Right.
Right. "The heroism--"
"The heroism we recite...
"would be a daily thing,
[ Groans ] That's it.
"did not ourselves
the cubits warp,
for fear to be a king. "
[ Children Applauding ]
You should be riding it.
You knew the poem.
[ Chuckles ]
Yeah. But he
looks so perfect out there,
doesn't he?
[ Mother ]
Yeah. He does.
That's the poetry
right there, Agnes.
That's the poetry.
[ Charles ]
Thank you. Thank you for coming.
l came here years ago
with cents in my pocket.
l know a lot of us at the table
have a story like that.
And,you know,
l can't help thinking...
that if we can start out there
and end up here, where can't we go
in America?
Hmm? So, as corny as it sounds,
l'd like to propose a toast
to the future.
[ Scattered Murmuring, Laughter]
Because out here, my friends,
the sky is literally the limit.
[ Man ]
To the future!
To the future!
- [ Man # ]
To the future!
- [ Chattering ]
[ Telephone Ringing ]
[ Ringing Continues ]
[ Narrator ]
There were no suicides
on Wall Street that day.
It was a myth
that would grow over time.
The real effect of October
took a little longer to sink in.
By noon, all the gains
of the previous year
had been obliterated.
By : p.m., nearly $ billion
of market value was gone.
Over the next two weeks,
the hemorrhage continued.
And before long,
% of the workforce was unemployed.
A great national migration began.
Displaced families
took to the American highway...
in the last possession
that remained to them;
their automobile.
And all at once,
millions of Americans...
had a new definition ofhome.
[ Dog Barking ]
[ Chattering ]
[ Fire Crackling ]
l made two dollars today.
- What?
- l made two dollars.
Here.
Where did you get these?
[ All Yelling, Whooping ]
Yeah, your boy combed 'em out,
changed all the tack. l didn't have
to tell him a thing.
[ Cheering ]
- Hey, Red,
- [ Man ]
Attaboy!
where'd a young fella
like you learn so much about horses?
His name's Johnny.
You can call me Red.
Whoo!
[ Man ]
Yeah! Whoo! Yeah!
[ Chuckles, Mutters ]
What's wrong?
What's wrong?
[ Mutters, Indistinct ]
What's that?
Everything.
Dickens, Wordsworth.
There's your Arabian Nights
and Moby Dick, even your Milne,
from when you were--
Why? What's wrong?
Mr. Blodget here,
he has a house, a real house.
Dad-- Dad, what's wrong?
- And his wife cooks.
- She is a good cook.
No. No. Shh. Dad. Shh.
There's even a phone next door.
We'll call you.
Every couple of weeks, we'll call you,
and we'll tell you where we are.
No. No.
We're just gonna go home,
all right? Let's go.
Listen to me.
You have a gift.
You have a gift.
Don't-- Don't do this.
[ Whimpering ]
Dad, don't do this.
We'll be back.
Go on. Go with Mr. Blodget.
No.
He's gonna take care of you, sweetie.
Go with him.
Mom, don't do this.
[ Gasping ]
l don't know. You still
look pretty tall to be a jockey.
l've never been over .
Where'd you learn
to ride like that?
Home.
All right.
Here's the way it works.
l pay you $ a week to ride.
You owe nine dollars for your meals,
six dollars to sleep in the stalls,
three dollar tack fee.
That's the deal.
How do l pay all that back?
[ Scoffs ]
You win.
[Jockey Grunting ]
Ow!
[ Indistinct Shouting ]
You son of a bitch!
Get off of me!
- [ Fabric Ripping ]
- [Jockey Shouting ]
[Jockey Screams ]
Yah!
[Jockey ]
Get lost!
[ Both Grunting ]
[ Grunting ]
[ Yells, Indistinct ]
[ Grunts ]
Get off of me!
Get off of me!
[ Indistinct Shouting ]
[ Crowd Cheering, Shouting ]
[ Cheering, Shouting Continue ]
Get off of me!
A nose?
You lose a race a nose,
you'd better fall off tryin:!
Here. Muck these stalls down,
every damn one of'em!
A nose!
For Christ's sake!
[ Charles ] No. No, Bill.
l'm not gonna do it.
No more layoffs.
Well, it can't
get any worse.
Look, if it stays like this,
we'll just--
Bill, we'll be fine, really.
We will.
All right. l'll see you in town.
Frankie, come on.
It's a glorious day outside.
- Why don't-- Why don't you
go fishing or something?
- l'm reading.
You can read when it's raining.
Come on. l'll teach you to drive the truck.
You already taught me
to drive the truck.
- Well, what are you reading?
- Flash Gordon.
- [ Sighs ]
- Come on, Dad. It's about the future!
We'll be in San Francisco
till Wednesday.
[ Charles Continues Talking,
Indistinct ]
[ Ignition Turns Over ]
[ Birds Squawk ]
[ Ringing ]
Yeah? What?
[ Crying, Muted ]
[ Clock Ticking ]
[ Inhales Sharply, Sobs ]
[ Crossing Bell Dinging ]
- [ Charles ]
Come inside.
- l'm not done.
Sam can do that.
l don't want Sam to do it.
l want to do it.
- Annie.
- Don-- Don-- No!
[ Driver]
Ma'am.
[ Engine Revs ]
- [ Indistinct Shouting ]
- [ Boxer Grunts ]
[ Shouting, Grunting Continue ]
[ Cheering ]
- [ Yelling, Indistinct ]
- [ Gasping ]
Come on, Red!
Come on!
[ Crowd Cheering ]
[ Muted Cheering ]
[ Muted Gasping ]
[ Crossing Bell Dinging ]
[ Mariachi ]
[ Narrator ]
At a time when the world
really needed a drink,
you couldn't get one
in the United States of America.
[ Chattering In Spanish ]
Liquor was illegal.
Diversions were scarce,
and there's just so much
a human being can do without.
Soon, the border town was born,
providing everything to the south
that their neighbor to the north
would not.
You could find anything;
food, companionship,
decent gin,
and with gambling outlawed as well,
- the chance
to turn bad luck into good.
- [ Crowd Cheering ]
Relax! You got it!
You got it! You got it!
Go!
That jockey was ridin'
like he's got an anvil in his pocket.
l'm gonna bet
with you no more.
l no like it.
Who's that?
George Woolf,
greatest jockey in the world.
[ Kids Chattering ]
[ Woman ]
That's Charles Howard?
[ Woman # ] Yeah.
l thought
he came down here for a--
Quickie divorce?
- Why?
- [ Woman ]
Look at him.
Nothing quick about that.
[ Grunts, Sniffs ]
[ Exhales ]
[ Sniffs ]
[ Retching ]
It was in the palace
of the great sultan.
[Jockey ]
Sultan of where?
The Sultan of Araby.
l'd been living there
for almost a year, racing his Arabians
across the desert by day...
and finishing my personal history
of the region by night.
Then one day, the sultan
summons me into his throne room.
He looks at me and says,
- "John Pollard--"
- "John Pollard,
you are my greatest jockey.
It is you l have chosen
to ride my hundred-mile race
from Kusmat to Tripoli."
[ All Chuckling ]
-mile.
All right. -mile.
Excuse me, sahib.
- [ Red ] You didn't need to wreck it, Georgie.
- When you started tellin' that story,
it was only miles.
Yeah, well,
everything gets longer
in the retellin'.
Just ask your friend Wanda
over there.
You know, if you start ridin'
a little more and talkin' a little less,
you might start winnin' some races.
- l got two bucks says
l beat you in this one.
- [ George ] l'm not sure if you do,
but l got five says l beat you.
[ Red ]
Done.
[ Starting Bell Rings ]
[Jockeys Shouting ]
- [ Red ] Give me odds.
You're the favorite.
- Even money.
- Nah! Forget it! Two-to-one!
- Fine.
You got it. Hey,Johnny.
You're on a speed horse. What
are you doin' back here with me?
l like the conversation,
and it's not a speed horse.
Don't try to hook me.
You goin' tonight?
Nah. You?
Nah.
What time?
l don't know. : ?
Okeydoke.
Oops. There's my hole!
Gotta go! Yah!
[ Yells ]
[ Coaxing Horse ]
[ Red ]
Goddamn it!
[ Man Shouting In Spanish,
Indistinct ]
- [ Men Shouting In Spanish ]
- [ Horse Whinnying ]
- Whoa!
- [ Shouting Continues ]
- [ Gun Cocks ]
- [ Man ] We got him!
- l'll take him.
- Get the hell out of here.
- l said, l'll take him.
- He's got a fractured foot.
If you're gonna shoot him anyway,
l'll save you the bullet.
[ Horse Whinnies ]
- [ Man ] Whoa.
- Fine.
Let him go. Hey.
Let him have him.
[ Man ] Mira.
[ Men Shouting In Spanish ]
[ Horse Whinnies ]
[ Grunting Softly ]
Now, bud.
Yeah, boy.
[ Mariachi ]
[ Girls Singing In Spanish ]
[ Chattering, Laughter ]
[ All Cheering, Whooping ]
[ Cheering Continues ]
Okeydoke,Johnny.
There's the hole! Gotta fly!
[ All Cheering, Whooping ]
[ Man ]
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!
[ Red ]
There once was a princess
from Siam...
who was sitting here
sort oflike l am.
l wined her and dined her,
and then l reclined her.
[ Singing Continues, Faint ]
Ah, shit.
What rhymes with Siam?
That's great.
You make that up?
Pretty obvious, huh?
- That's beautiful.
- No. You're beautiful.
Don't say that.
You pay me.
So, you wanna--you know--
get going?
Sure. Why not?
- How do you miss a hole like that?
- There's my hole! Gotta fly!
[ Trainer ]
Are you blind?
Ángel, are you okay?
[ Crowd ]
ˇOlé!
ˇOlé!
[ All Chattering, Cheering ]
[ Cheering Continues, Distant ]
[ Woman ]
You don't wanna watch?
No. Not really.
l don't either.
[ Crowd, Distant ]
ˇOlé!
So, what? They brought you
down here to make you feel better?
Is that it?
Yes. Sort of.
Those guys, they think
everything is fixed with a party.
l'm sorry. Who are you?
Oh. Marcela Zabala.
My sister, Isabella,
she's married--
No. No, no. l know.
Nice to meet you. Charles.
Mucho gusto.
So, do you feel better?
No. No, not really.
No. How could you?
With something like that.
[ Cheering, Muted ]
[ Counting In Spanish ]
[ Light Slapping ]
[ George ]
Come on, buddy. Wake up.
Come on.
[ Groans ]
[ Sighs ]
- Did l lose?
- Oh, no. You clobbered him.
Easy.
[ Groans ]
Easy, easy.
Nice and slow.
l'm fine. l'm fine.
Come on. Let me
buy you some turtle soup.
l'm fine, George.
Go win yourself a race or something.
Let's go down to Sloan's,
and we'll just--
l'm fine, George.
l don't need your help, and l sure
as shit don't need your charity.
Leave me alone,
all right?
[ Sighs ] It's been years
since l've been on a horse.
[ Marcela ] Don't worry.
It's the kind of thing
that comes right back.
[ Clicks Tongue ]
Let's go.
[ Marcela ]
Come on!
[ Charles Whistles ]
[ No Audible Dialogue ]
[ Bells Ringing ]
[ Bells Continue Ringing ]
[ All Chattering, Cheering ]
[ Inaudible Dialogue ]
[ Man ]
What? She got you back up on a horse,
and now you wanna buy 'em?
[ Charles ] Yeah. Maybe. Maybe a couple.
[ Man ]
You wanna win or just own 'em?
l wanna win.
What sort of question is that?
Well, you're gonna
need a trainer before
you buy horses.
No. You need two.
So you can fire one, eh?
[ Distant Cheering ]
Randy Thatcher's barn.
Trains about or ponies.
Good fella too.
Real horse person.
A real horse-shitter. Scusa.
Now, now. l don't know.
Maybe you want a smaller barn,
somebody who can take the time to--
- [ Charles ]
Who's that?
- [ Man ] Huh?
Oh, he's a crackpot.
Lives alone in the bushes.
What's he do?
l don't know. He used
to be a trainer, farrier. Now hejust
looks after that horse.
Come on.
Let's look at another barn.
[ Animal Calls, Distant ]
[ Branches Snapping ]
- Howdy.
- Hello.
Wh-- You hungry?
No. No, thanks.
l'm fine.
Charles Howard.
Tom... Smith.
Nice to meet you, Tom.
[ Exhales Sharply ]
What's-- What's in his bandage?
Oh, that's hawthorn root.
It increases circulation.
You wanna sit down?
Oh. All right.
Thank you.
[ Coughs ]
Will he get better?
Already is... a little.
Will he race?
[ Dog Barking, Distant ]
No. Not that one.
So why are you fixing him?
'Cause l can.
Every horse
is good for somethin'.
He could be a cart horse
or a lead pony.
And he's still nice to look at.
You know,you don't
throw a whole life away...
just 'cause
he's banged up a little.
Is that coffee?
Yeah.
It's bad, though.
[ Chuckles ]
You always tell the truth?
Well, l try to.
[ Tom ]
It ain'tjust the speed.
It's the heart.
You want something
that's not afraid to compete.
Half these horses
are just show ponies.
You want something
that's not gonna run from a fight.
How do you find that?
Look, l won the Robles Handicap.
l was second in the Tijuana Derby.
l won the Manzanita Oaks.
You know, that used to be a stakes race.
l know.
l would've won T.J.,
but the piece of shit lugged out on me.
- Sounds great. We'll let ya know.
- Look. l can work 'em out in the morning.
[ Horse Nickers ]
Or even hot-walk 'em
if you need me to.
Really? You'll hot-walk 'em?
This is somethin' else.
A dream come true,
walkin' you around.
Hook you up to a plow,
pull me around for a little while.
Come on.
You ever run in the money?
Huh?
Hey. Hey.
You ever run in the money?
[ Horse Whinnies ]
l don't think so. Couldn't beat
a human being, let alone another horse.
[ Scoffs ]
You goddamn sack-of-crap
old plater.
Probably the fastest
you're gonna run in your entire life,
you piece-of-shit old glue-pot.
- That's right.
- [ Horse Nickers ]
[ Narrator ] The first time
he saw Seabiscuit, the colt was walking
through the fog at ; in the morning.
Smith would say later that the horse
looked right through him...
as if to say,
"What the hell are you looking at?
- Who do you think you are?"
- [ Horse Grunting ]
He was a small horse,
barely hands.
He was hurting too.
There was a limp in his walk,
a wheezing when he breathed.
Smith didn't pay attention
to that.
He was looking the horse
in the eye.
God... damn.
He was the son of Hard Tack,
sired by the mighty Man O' War.
But the breeding did little
to impress anyone at Claiborne Farms.
Get rid of him.
[ Whinnying ]
At six months,
he was shipped off to train with
the legendary trainer Sunny Fitzsimmons,
who, over time,
developed a similar opinion of the colt.
Is that a racehorse
or a lead pony?
[ Narrator ]
Thejudgment wasn't helped
by his gentle nature.
Where his sire had been a fierce,
almost violent competitor,
Seabiscuit took to sleeping
for huge chunks of the day...
and enjoyed lolling for hours
under the boughs of thejuniper trees.
His other great talent was eating.
Though half the size of other colts,
Seabiscuit could frequently
eat twice as much.
Fitzsimmons decided
the horse was lazy...
and felt sure he could train
the obstinance out ofhim.
l want you to hit him
as many times as you can
over a quarter of a mile.
When he didn't improve,
they decided the colt
was incorrigible.
They made him a training partner
to better horses,
forcing him to lose
head-to-head duels...
to boost the confidence
of the other animal.
By the time
he was three years old,
Seabiscuit was struggling
in two cheap claiming races a week.
Soon he grew as bitter and angry
as his sire Hard Tack had been.
He was sold
for the rock-bottom price
of $ .
And, of course,
it all made sense.
Champions were large,
they were sleek,
they were without imperfection.
When they finally did race him,
he didjust what
they had trained him to do.
He lost.
[ Banging ]
[ Seabiscuit
Neighing ]
What exactly
is it you like?
[ Neighing ]
He's got spirit.
[ Banging ]
l'll say.
Can-- Can he be ridden?
Oh, sure.
-[ Banging ]
- [ Neighing ]
Eventually.
[ Neighing ]
He can be
a little touchy.
Yeah, l got it.
No. Really.
l'm fine.
- [ Neighing ]
-[ Men Shouting ]
[ Fabric Tearing ]
Jesus Christ!
That horse is nuts!
[ Growling, Neighing ]
[ Neighing Continues ]
[ Red ] Come on!
Come on! Come on!
Let's go! Come on,
you sons ofbitches!
[ Neighing ]
[ Red ]
Let's go!
Come on!
Let's go! Come on,
you sons of bitches!
l'll take all of you!
Come on! Come on!
[ Snorting ]
[ Neighing ]
[ Banging ]
[ Banging ]
[ Growling ]
[ Neighing ]
[ Neighing ]
It's okay.
- l'm not afraid of you.
- [ Snorting ]
Sure. l know.
l know what
you're all about.
You hungry?
Huh?
Yeah. Bet you are.
Huh? Come on.
Come on, boy.
[ Snorts, Grumbles ]
[ Chuckles ]
Yeah.
[ Snorting ]
Why don't you just
breeze him around
one turn.
Give the folks a look.
[ Red ]
Right.
Red Pollard,
Mr. and Mrs. Howard.
Yeah. Hi.
Hello.
[ Neighing ]
Well, we'll just
be movin' on.
Does he breeze?
Well, we'll find out.
Seems pretty fast.
Yeah.
In every direction.
Hell, he's so beat up,
it's hard to tell what he's like.
l just can't help feelin'
they got him...
so screwed up
runnin'in a circle,
he's forgotten
what he was born to do.
He just needs to learn
how to be a horse again.
Well, how do
you do that?
How far do you
want me to take him?
Till he stops.
Okay.
That seems like
a pretty good ride.
Hope so.
That's it, boy.
You're all right.
Let's see what you got, boy.
[ Clicks Tongue ] Ha! Ha!
Ha! Ha! Whoo!
That's it, boy. That's it!
Yeah!
Whoo!
Whoo-hoo!
Well, at least
he wasn't expensive.
No. That's true.
Whoo!
[ Laughs ]
Goddamn it!
You're an amazing animal!
Whoo!
[ Laughs ]
[ Whistle Blowing ]
You can
come inside, you know.
l'm fine. Thank you.
Yeah,
you look it.
No, really, l'm fine.
Okay.
Suit yourself.
[ Charles ]
Welcome.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
[ Charles ]
It's okay.
Oh, l'm not that hungry.
Mmm. Sure you're not.
It's just a lot of food.
It's okay.
Rather have you strong than thin.
[ Narrator ]
They called it "relief,"
but it was
a lot more than that.
It had dozens of names;
N.R.A., W.P.A.,
the C.C.C.
But it really came down
tojust one thing.
For the first time
in a long time,
someone cared.
For the first time
in a long time,
you were no longer alone.
[ Crickets Chirping ]
[ Horse Neighing ]
[ Banging ]
[ Bucket Clattering ]
[ Bleating ]
Goat racing?
Oh, no.Just trying
to calm him down a little.
Smart ones
hate being alone
all the time.
Oh.
And sometimes
another animal,
it just--
just soothes them a bit.
[ Bleating ]
[ Bleating ]
[ Snorting ]
Pretty quiet in there.
[ Laughing ]
What'd you do?
Go take a look.
Oh.
[ Chuckling ]
Rock of ages, cleft for me
l am hid and safe in thee
For the water
and the blood
From thy riven--
[ Tom ]
Okay. You don't
break him or anything,
but we gotta see
what he's got.
[ Snorting ]
You take him
to the ˝/ pole...
and turn him loose.
Turn him loose?
Yeah, son.
He's a racehorse.
Ha! Ha!
Come on!
Come on!
Ha! Come on!
l know you got more than this!
Let's show 'em, boy!
How's he look?
Asleep.
Come on!
Let's show 'em, Pops!
Come on!
Whoo! There it is! Yeah!
Whoo!
Oh, my.
Yeah, you and me! Let's go!
Whoo! Whoo-hoo!
[ Exhales ]
-[ Charles ] Boy. Fast?
- Oh. Yeah.
How fast?
Your horse just broke
the track record at Tanforan.
Sometimes they--
they just, uh,
hanker for a little competition.
[ Laughing ]
As long as we're talkin'long shots,
l got a real doozy for you, folks.
[ Blows Slide Whistle ]
We got a horse
that's going off at -to-
and that's a short price, my friends.
This horse couldn't win
a church raffle, let alone
a $ allowance.
[ Taps Cymbal ]
Yeah, talk about
a jump in class.
This is the skunk
of the garden party.
[ Raspberries ]
Yes, he's the surprise
in the punch bowl.
As a matter of fact, l'll lay
even money that this nag, Seabiscuit,
couldn't even finish six furlongs.
This is Tick-Tock McGlaughlin
live at Clockers' Corner.
[ Plays Call To Post ]
Wow.
[ Sighs ] l wanted maroon.
They only had bright red.
Oh, it looks great.
You don't think
the "H" is too big?
You seen the size
of our jockey?
- [ Sighs ]
- Come on.
Okay. Favorite's
that gray over there.
He's got a big late charge,
so lock in early with him
and stay right off his flank.
Okay.
Once our boy sees
who the competition is,
he'll do most of the work.
But don't move
till that gray does.
What if it's late?
- [ Snorting ]
- Let's go.
-[ Track Announcer Over P.A.]
Twelve minutes to post.
- [ Seabiscuit Grumbles ]
l don't think
it's gonna matter much.
[ Neighing ]
Honestly.
[ Call To Post ]
-[ Man ] Come on in.
-[ Track Announcer ]
Number Pollard on Seabiscuit.
Hey, sahib.
Kinda small, isn't he?
Gonna look a lot smaller
in a second, Georgie.
l got five bucks
says he doesn't.
[ Snorting ]
[ Track Announcer ]
Starter's poised. The flag is up.
-[ Bell Ringing ]
-And there they go.
Pirate's Gold breaks first,
followed by Geronimo
on the outside.
Silver Treasure is third,
followed by Seabiscuit.
[ Track Announcer Continues,
Indistinct ]
They're coming by
the five-furlong pole.
It's Pirate's Gold, Geronimo,
Hill's Army and Agua Dulce.
Whoa!
Son of a bitch!
Ha! Ha!
Piece of shit bastard!
What the hell is he doing?
[ Track Announcer ]
...opening up a ˝--
a -length lead--
- Let's go!
- What are you doing?
[ Red ]
l'm gonna put you on the rail,
you piece of shit!
- Get off of me!
- How do you like that,
you son of a bitch?
You're gonna drop me, man!
-[ Track Announcer ]
The two horses are flying down--
- You like the rail?
- Here comes the cavalry charge!
- [ Red ] Knock me off my horse!
It's Silver Treasure on the inside.
Silver Treasure on the inside.
Silver Treasure and Pirate's Gold.
And at the wire
it's Silver Treasure.
Aw, damn it.
What the hell
were you thinkin'?
He fouled me.
- What am l supposed to do,
let him get away with that?
- Well, yeah, when he's -to- .
- He almost put me in the rail!
- Well, did he?
Look, we had a plan.
He fouled me, Tom!
What am l supposed to do?
He cut me off!.
He fouled me!
Son? Son.
What are you so mad at?
[ Red's Father's Voice ]
There's a phone next door.
We'll call you.
Every couple of weeks, we'll call you
and tell you where we are.
[ Red's Voice ]
No. We'rejust gonna
go home. All right?
[ No Audible Dialogue ]
[ Sighs ]
[ Father's Voice ]
You have a gift.
You have a gift.
[ Red ]
l need to borrow some money.
All right.
[ Red ]
I, uh,
l haven't been to a dentist,
and m--
Well, l-I need to borrow
some money.
- That's fine.
- l don't know when
l can pay you back.
l mean, when we win.
When we win, l can pay you back.
That is if you
still want me to ride.
Of course l want you to ride.
How much do you need?
[ Red Inhales ]
Uh,
ten dollars.
Here.
Than-- Uh--
It's fine.
Thank you.
l really appreciate it.
That's it, Pops.
We're okay now.
It's all right, boy.
Yeah, we're okay.
Nothing to worry about.
All the time in the world, boy.
That's it, Pops.
Nice lead.
Just like that, boy.
Just like that.
What do you think, boy?
You ready to go?
[ Whinnies ]
You and me.
Let's go, boy. Let's go. Ha! Ha!
Ha! Ha!
[ No Audible Dialogue ]
[ No Audible Dialogue ]
[ Crowd Roaring ]
Whoo!
[ Narrator ]
In the end, it wasn't the dams...
or the roads
or the bridges or the parks.
Or the tunnels
or the thousands
of other public projects...
that were built
in those years.
It was more invisible
than that.
Men who were broken
only a year before...
suddenly felt restored.
Men who'd been shattered
suddenly found their voice.
Well, l just think
this horse has a lot of heart.
He may have been down,
but he wasn't out.
He may have lost a few,
but he didn't
let it get to him.
We could all learn
a lick or two
from this little guy.
Oh, and by the way,
he doesn't know he's little.
He thinks he's
the biggest horse out there.
- [ Laughing ]
-So you got big plans
for this little horse?
Oh,yeah. See, sometimes
when the little guy,
he doesn't know
he's a little guy,
he can do great big things.
- [ Clamoring ]
- Can we get a shot here?
See, this isn't
the finish line.
The future is the finish line,
and the Biscuit is just the horse
to get us there.
[ McGlaughlin ]
"Just the horse to get us there. "
You certainly made a believer
out of me, Mr. Howard.
It's time for this old tout
to eat some crow.
Four and blackbirds,
to be exact, all baked up
in some humble pie,
and l'll take mine ŕ la mode.
[ Call To Post ]
Oh.
And one more thing, Mr. Howard.
l just wanna say--
Thanks for the champagne.
Don't mention it.
Did you see the infield?
No, not yet.
Take a look.
Your little horse is sellin' out
the cheap seats.
Oh, my gosh.
Hey, what do you think
about all those folks
in the infield, Red?
That's who we're ridin' for,
folks with a quarter in their pocket.
Red! Red! Red!
That's an awful lot of hoopla
for such a little horse!
"Though he be but little,
he is fierce."
What's that?
What?
That's Shakespeare, boys.
That's Shakespeare.
[ Laughing ]
Oh, Shakespeare.
[ Clamoring ]
[ Cheering, Shouting ]
Holy cow!
[ Cheering ]
Look at that, Biscuit.
Look at that.
There you go.
Oh, my God.
There he is!
Seabiscuit! Yea!
That's for you, Pops.
That's for you.
[ Cheering ]
That makes six consecutive victories
for this little colt from nowhere,
one shy of the record.
Why, he may be
the biggest sensation on four legs
since Hope and Crosby.
Yes, it's standing room only
every time this pint-size pony
slips on a saddle,
and if you can't afford the quarter,
a comfy tree limb
will catch you a glimpse.
So what is the secret
of this rags-to-riches story?
l have it on good authority
they feed Seabiscuit...
two pints of ice-cold beer
before every race.
Reporting from trackside
in an equine exclusive,
Oh, my gosh!
- this is Tick-Tock McGlaughlin,
Movietone News.
- Who was that?
Ahh.
Morning.
What-- What's this?
It's beer.
From an admiring public.
It's pretty good too.
There's more in there.
Where's the horse?
Signing autographs.
He what?
[ Clamoring ]
[ Flashbulbs Popping ]
Here you go, Max.
Let it dry for a minute
before you sell it.
Hey, Charles. You think
you can break the record?
Oh, let's ask him.
Hey, Biscuit.
You gonna win one more?
You gonna break the record?
Hey, Charles.
What do you think finally
turned this horse around?
Well, l think we just
gave him a chance.
Sometimes all somebody needs
is a second chance.
[ Murmuring ]
l think there are a lot
of people out there...
know just what
l'm talking about.
You got that right.
Here, boys.
Take some horseshoes with you.
Right here, Charles.
Hey, thanks.
These are special.
- Never run out of luck.
- Great.
Sam! Where the hell
are my horseshoes?
[ Charles ]
You quit?
l can't work like this.
He's not a parade animal.
He's a racehorse.
Look, Tom,
a little bit of public relations--
l can't get him
to be a great horse...
if l can't get the time
to work with him.
What do you mean?
He is a great horse.
We don't know that yet.
He's won six stakes in a row.
Against who?
This-- This is a great horse.
[ Man ]
First he smashed them
in the Kentucky Derby.
Then he crushed them
in the Preakness.
Then he destroyed
all comers in the Belmont
to snatch the Triple Crown.
At almost hands,
he's as big as he is fast.
Eighteen hands?
Can't be too fast a runner.
Yeah, he's big.
Born of perfect breeding,
displaying perfect form,
boasting a perfect record,
the millionaire Mr. Riddle
may have finally created
the perfect horse.
Until next time,
this is Horace Halstedter
for Metrotone News.
[ Charles ]
What the hell
does that mean anyway?
Perfect. He's perfect.
What the hell
does "perfect" mean?
What?
You show me something
that's perfect,
l'll show you something
that's not.
Look, he's obviously
the best horse in the East.
We're obviously
the best horse in the West.
The country deserves
to see which horse is better.
Yo-ho-ho-ho! You may not be able
to see it, folks, but the gauntlet
just landed on my desk.
[ Light Bang ]
Are we talking about
a match race?
Whatever Mr. Riddle wants.
Match race, stakes race,
potato sack race.
Just 'cause we're littler
doesn't mean we're scared.
Right you are, and in
the heartland of America,
every little guy knows
exactly what you mean.
You hear that, Mr. Riddle?
You have an appointment
with destiny, a date with--
Destiny.
Destiny. Yes, exactly.
So destiny,
and his name is Seabiscuit.
[ Man ]
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
[ Clamoring ]
Does Seabiscuit stand a chance--
l'm glad they finally have racing
in California.
[ Laughing ]
Do they use
Western saddles out there?
- [ Laughing ]
- Look.
Comparing these two horses
is ridiculous.
War Admiral
is a real racehorse...
who's won every prestigious race
in America.
This little colt of theirs
is running out on some cow track.
[ Laughing ]
If we responded
to every fledgling challenger...
who wants to make
a name for themselves,
it wouldn't be fair to us.
But it wouldn't be fair
to them either.
You wouldn't putJack Dempsey
in the ring with a middleweight.
[ Laughing ]
Huh?
Would you?
[ Laughing Continues ]
"Middleweight"?
l'll kill him.
l'll knock
his goddamn block off!.
He's chicken!
l know. l know.
"Middleweight"?
We just have to
flush him out.
[ Tom ]
How?
Well, this is still America.
Right?
Yeah.
Cash.
- A hundred thousand dollars?
- The biggest purse
in American history.
l sure hope so.
You'd get every top Eastern
thoroughbred. All of'em.
You'd put this place on the map.
They might have all that
blue blood crap.
Our money
is just as good as theirs.
Charlie--
Doc, this is our moment.
Now, they're stuck in the past.
This is the future.
Great.
Come here.
What?
Come on.
Don't you wanna see 'em?
Pilin' off of those train cars.
Comin' out here to your track.
Huh? That's victory
in itself.
Doc?
That's--
That's the finish line
right there.
You sell cars like this?
Hundreds of'em.
Hold your horses!
Hold your horses!
Just when you thought you'd
seen it all, Doc Strub
has raided the cookie jar.
He has smashed the piggy bank
and sold the family silver.
$ for one horse race?
Makes me want to
throw a saddle on my back.
Will the Biscuit be the favorite?
Not likely, folks.
We're about to be invaded.
[ Train Whistle ]
We're talking Derby winners,
Preakness winners,
Belmont winners.
Hold on, hold on.
l guess that's all one horse.
But at bucks,
how can the Admiral
not want to dock his ship...
in this friendly port?
This is Tick-Tock McGlaughlin
live from Clockers' Corner.
[ Playing Call To Post
On Xylophone ]
They raised a hundred grand!
Hey, how 'bout
that hundred grander?
No, thanks.
[ Chortles ]
[ Clamoring ]
Excuse me, boys.
Shit!
Charles!
Shit.
Yeah, l know what you mean.
The hell with it.
We'll run him anyway.
There are still going to be
the greatest horses
in the world,
and if we win this thing,
they're gonna have to face us.
He's gonna have to face us.
[ Thunderclap ]
Okay. Special Agent's
pure speed.
He's gonna go to the lead,
but he can't handle the distance.
So don't get sucked in.
l won't.
Indian Broom
could be there too.
[ Tom ]
We'll know they're holdin'him back
if they use the ring bit.
Now, the one to worry about
is Rosemont.
He closes
like a freight train,
and he'll fight you for it
at the end.
You gotta have
some momentum built up...
by the time
he makes his move.
[ Tom ]
It's still kind of soggy out there
from the other day,
so try to stay off the rail
where it's deep.
[ Red ]
l figured l'd sit back
about three wide.
[ Tom ]
Yeah, that's fine.
And other than that,just--
just try to feel it.
[ Cheering ]
[ Tom ]
He'll tell you
when he's ready.
[ Gates Slam Shut ]
[ Gates Slam Shut ]
[ Gates Slam Shut ]
[ Bell Ringing ]
[ Crowd Roaring ]
Yeah, boy!
Come on, Red!
Ha! Ha!
[ Crowd Roaring ]
Yeah, come on.
Go! Go!
- Whoo-hoo!
- Watch him. Watch him.
Come on! Come on!
[ Flashbulb Pops ]
[ Crowd Gasps, Groans ]
It's not my fault.
Not this time.
l told you look out
for Rosemont.
l thought l had it.
You stopped ridin'!
l couldn't see him!
What are you talkin' about?
He was flyin' up your tail!
Yeah, well, l can't--
What?
See out there!
He lied to us.
What?
He lied to us.
You want a jockey
who lies to us?
What do you mean?
He can't see.
He's blind in one eye.
[ Sighs, Mutters ]
[ Muttering ]
[ Chuckles ]
It's fine, Tom.
- It's fine?
- Yeah, it's fine.
"You don't throw
a whole life away...
just 'cause it's banged up
a little bit."
Good night.
[ Clamoring ]
All right, all right.
Hold it.
Well, l guess
that little horse of theirs...
turned out to be
a glorified claimer after all.
[ Reporters Laugh ]
Huh?
Well, at least we don't have
to deal with this David and
Goliath nonsense anymore.
Huh? Huh?
You can say that again.
All right, boys.
Let me through.
Wait a minute. Mr. Riddle--
[ Clamoring ]
[ Scoffs ]
The hell with it.
[ Charles ]
Just a couple of announcements.
First, Red Pollard will remain
Seabiscuit's jockey,
now and forever.
Second, if they're too scared
to come and race us,
we're gonna go find them.
We're gonna enter every race
where War Admiral is on the card,
and if he scratches,
which he probably will,
we'll enter the next race
he's on the card.
And we won't come home
until we've faced him,
win, lose or draw.
You know,
l'd rather have one horse like this
than a hundred War Admirals.
- Thanks, fellas.
- [ Clamoring ]
[ Whistle Blowing ]
[ Crossing Guard
Bells Ringing ]
[ Man Speaking Over P.A.,
Indistinct ]
[ Man ] Gotta see him!
[ Woman ]
Come on!
[ Excited Chattering ]
[ Cheering, Applause ]
Look, I, uh--
l really don't know what to say.
Uh, we appreciate it.
[ Laughing ]
l'm sure the Biscuit
appreciates it too.
He's just a little shy
about speaking in public.
[ Laughing ]
He'd thank you himself.
l guess, uh,
you all are here today...
because this is a horse
who won't give up.
[ Man ] That's right.
Even when life
beats him by a nose.
That's right!
Ain't that the truth.
But, heck,
everybody loses a couple.
[ Man ]
Yes, sir.
And you either pack up
and you go home,
or you keep fighting!
Isn't that right?
Yeah!
- That's right!
-[ Charles ] That's right.
Now,
do you want to see a match race?
Yeah!
Yeah!
You do?
Yeah!
You wanna see this young fella
ridin' that horse?
- Yeah!
- Yes!
Seabiscuit!
[ Cheering ]
Extra! Extra!
Biscuit on the warpath!
[ Flashbulb Popping ]
Will there be a match race?
It's all right here.
Extra! Extra!
Biscuit on the warpath!
[ Charles ]
l don't know what
they're so worried about.
l mean, look at us.
Our horse is too small.
Our jockey's too big.
[ Crowd Laughs ]
- Our trainer is too old.
-[ Laughing ]
Forgive me, Tom.
And l'm too dumb
to know the difference!
- Yeah, Charlie!
- You'd think they'd want to race us
instead of running away!
[ Crowd ]
Yeah!
Ladies and gentlemen,
l am staring at
a swarm of humanity,
a sea of hungry faces demanding
the match of a lifetime.
They have come here tonight
in the cold, in the wind,
[ Mimics Wind Blowing ]
in the chill of a late
October night.
Let me make my way
over to one of them so you
can hear it for yourself.
Excuse me. Excuse me.
l'm sorry. Excuse me.
Ma'am, ma'am, if l may.
What brings you out here tonight
with your three small children,
clamoring for a view
of this little horse?
Because we want to see
a match race!
[ Cheering ]
l said, don't you think...
Mr. Riddle
owes this country a--
Match race!
Match race!
Match race! Match race!
Match race!
Match race! Match race!
Match race! Match race!
Fine, but it's on my terms.
Any terms you want.
Mile and / ths.
l won't accept anything else.
All right.
Want a walk-up start
with a bell.
We won't be using
any contraptions.
You mean a starting gate?
- Fine.
- And we run it here,
at our home track.
That's not negotiable.
Mmm. Seems like
a nice enough place.
Oh, l'm sure you'll find it
quite comfortable,
Mr. Howard.
[ Red ]
Jesus Christ!
[ Red ]
l wanna be a horse.
[ Tom ]
Well, you're almost
big enough.
[ Red ]
That's very funny.
[ Marcela ]
It doesn't even smell
like a barn.
[ Charles ]
Hmm. They probably
deodorize it every morning.
[ Tom ]
Well, they still crap.
[ Laughing ]
Well, they do.
They do.
Over here, pal. Right over here!
There you go!
This way.
This way.
[ Whinnies ]
Biscuit, here--
Whoa!
What's that thing?
[ Red ] They got us
in the servants'quarters.
Is that him?
No.
Bit too small.
That's him.
[ Charles ]
Oh, my God.
Maybe he's the kind of horse
that just looks good
in the paddock.
Wow.
We gotta get to the lead.
Biscuit never goes
to the lead.
l know,
but... we gotta teach him
to break first.
If that monster shakes loose,
we'll never catch him.
What, retrain him?
We got two weeks.
[ Scoffs, Chuckles ]
Excuse me.
[ Clears Throat ]
Uh,
we'd like to buy
your bell.
They didn't tell me
you were comin'.
Oh, probably just an oversight.
Do you want me
to turn on some lights?
No. No.
No?
[ Tom ]
Okay. It's a predatory
response.
If l just brush it
past his flank,
he'll bolt.
- We want to teach him
to do it with the bell.
- How far you want me to take him?
A hundred feet.
Just so he learns to break first.
Okay. Got it.
- You ready?
- Ready.
[ Whip Whooshes ]
[ Bell Rings ]
[ Rings ]
[ Whip Whooshes ]
[ Bell Rings ]
[ Rings ]
All right.
Here we go.
[ Rings ]
[ Whistling ]
[ Whistling Continues ]
Oh, come on, Tom!
When you gonna work that horse out?
When he wakes up, l guess.
Geez!
For cryin'out loud!
[ Red ]
The whole track?
l just want him
to do it once...
with nothin'
in front of him.
- Yeah, but l can't see out there.
- That's all right. He can.
Aw, come on, Tom.
Tom, please. Wha--
Why do you always
have to do this? Shit!
- [ Rings ]
- [ Red ] Oh, great.
[ Chuckling ]
[ Seabiscuit Panting ]
[ Red ]
Jesus Christ.
[ Thundering Hoofbeats ]
[ Red ]
Wow. Huh.
Oh, my God.
[ Red Chuckles ]
Tim.
Hey.
Pumpkin. Hey.
How ya doin', Pumpkin?
Ohhh. Are you shy?
Hey, Red?
Oh, my gosh.
Yeah. Guess l should have
used you as a jockey
instead of a groom.
No, no. It was--
That was great.
Look, l-l'm in a little trouble.
l got this horse over in Annex,
and l been tryin'
to sell a share of him.
Tough times and all?
l was wonderin' if--
if maybe you'd breeze him for me.
If folks saw
Red Pollard--
Yeah. l'll breeze
your horse for you.
It's on.
[ Red ]
Good.
Just take him
for five furlongs
at around a minute-one.
[ Sighs ]
Can he do that?
Should.
[ Man ]
Try it now.
[ Engine Grinding ]
[ Starter Whirring ]
Okay, try it again.
[ Engine Grinding ]
[ Engine Starts,
Revs, Backfires ]
- [ Neighing ]
- Whoa! Whoa!
- Easy! Easy! Easy!
- [ Neighing ]
[ Horse Shrieking ]
[ Whinnying ]
[ Grunting ]
Aaah!
- [ Man # ] Stop it!
-[ Man # ] Whoa!
[ Men Shouting ]
[ Grunts ]
Look, most of the damage
was restricted to his leg.
How bad is it?
God, l don't know.
It's, uh, shattered.
Eleven, breaks.
Something like that.
We're gonna
have to operate.
Just sit tight for me.
Well, we're all done.
He'll always limp,
but, uh, it looks like
he's gonna walk again.
[ Sighs ]
W-Will he ride?
No, he's not gonna ride.
Y-You're sure?
He won't ride.
He's gonna walk.
You take care.
Th-- Thank you.
Hey.
Uh, you should see
the other guy.
You're gonna be fine.
Couple of months, you're gonna
be up and around like new.
l'm the one
who makes up the stories,
remember?
Well, yeah.
Uh, maybe a little longer
than that.
Yeah.
Look, I, uh-- l think we're
gonna have to scratch.
No.
No, don't scratch.
Son, he's a great horse,
but he can't run by himself.
Don't scratch.
[ Sighs ]
Call Woolf.
- Son, nobody's riding--
- It's okay.
Call him.
Are you gonna scratch?
No, we're not
gonna scratch.
Red Pollard wants Seabiscuit
to win this race more than anything
in the world.
He wouldn't let us scratch.
Thank you much.
l appreciate it.
You're welcome.
[ McGlaughlin ]
The Iceman cometh!
What a pinch hitter.
Why, it's like getting Babe Ruth
off the bench. Nerves of steel,
ice water in his veins.
Why, George Woolf is--
Irrelevant.
They can get the Four Horsemen
of the Apocalypse
as far as l'm concerned.
Won't make any difference.
War Admiral is a superior horse
with superior breeding.
Doesn't matter
who the passenger is.
He's got a strong left lead,
Georgie.
Banks like
a friggin' airplane.
He might need help
switching to it, so ease him
off the rail just before the turn.
Like you did
in the Gold Cup.
Exactly.
He needs a good warm-up,
so take him out slow.
When you do ask him,
don't use the whip.
Just flick it twice,
show him it's there.
He'll know it's time.
Right.
And, um, never on the left side.
They hit him on the left side
when he was a baby.
l wish it was you,Johnny.
Aw, come on.
l'll be right there with you.
Aaah!
Ay, ya, ya, ya, ya!
Great. Now, show him the stick
at the quarter pole,
and he'll give you
a whole new gear.
[ Kissing Sound ]
[ Red ]
Okay, now,
force him to that left lead
a little earlier,
and he'll give you even more.
[ Red ]
Great.
Now, shut the door.
Okay. You know how Smith
wants you to fight for the lead
by the first turn?
Yeah. We were workin'
with that bell.
[ Thunder Rumbling ]
l was a little nervous
about that.
No, that's fine.
But you gotta give it up
on the backstretch.
Give it up?
Give him back the lead.
He fights for it, Georgie.
If you bring him head to head
with that other horse,
and he looks him in the eye,
there's no way
he loses that race.
You just hold him
through that final turn...
and let him get
a good look at the Admiral.
Then let him go.
It's not in his feet, Georgie.
[ Thunderclap ]
It's right here.
[ Narrator ] By ; a.m.
the closest place to park...
was blocks away.
The volume of refreshments alone
was staggering.
Seventeen thousand gallons
oflemonade.
Sixty thousand hot dogs.
Two thousand kegs ofbeer.
NBC broadcast the race,
and businesses around America
scheduled a half day of work...
so their employees
could hear the call,
thanks, in part, to a missive
fired by Mr. Howard only the day before.
Look, l know this is
a fancy track and all,
but l think they oughta
open up the infield...
so normal folks
can come see the race.
You shouldn't have to be rich
to enjoy something like this.
[ Narrator ]
Seabiscuit entered the race
a two-to-one underdog,
but you would never know it
from the growing noise
in the infield.
[ Boy ]
Get your program!
[ Narrator ] By the time it was over,
more than million Americans...
would hear the call.
[ Tom ] Okay, it's--it's still
kinda soggy at the rail,
so try to keep him
out of there.
There's a dry tractor tread
about five feet out off the fence.
l walked the track
this morning.
Good. Good.
Now, he oughta break
just like we worked on.
But, um,
there's one more thing.
What? Let him catch me
on the backstretch?
You're not the only one
who knows this horse.
[ Charles ]
Safe trip, George.
And a short one.
Let's go, Sam.
Charley!
George. Huh.
[ Man On Radio ]
The twojockeys have
acknowledged each other.
It's a quick hello,
like boxers touching gloves.
Come on, George.
This is no time
for small talk.
Both the horses are now
on the main track, and you can hear
the roar from the crowd.
[ Crowd Cheering ]
[ Quiet Chattering, Indistinct ]
[ Boy ]
There he is!
[ Cheering Continues ]
[ Nickering ]
[ Whinnying ]
[ Bell Ringing ]
[ Man On Radio ]
It's Seabiscuit by a nose,
now by a head.
He's leading War Admiral,
pressing on him a neck behind.
They fly toward the clubhouse turn.
Who will be into it first?
It's Seabiscuit, and he was there first
and driving for the backstretch!
[ Loud Cheering ]
Now, coming into the backstretch,
it's Seabiscuit.
Going down the backstretch.
[ No Audible Dialogue ]
Now, back him off, son.
Back him off. Back him off.
Come on back, George.
Come on, come on, come on.
[ Race Announcer ]
Now on the backstretch,
Seabiscuit still with the lead.
Come on, Georgie.
Don't fool around.
l sure hope you're right, Red.
Here we go.
Easy, Pops.
Goddamn it,Johnny.
[ Track Announcer ]
It's now War Admiral!
It's War Admiral!
It's Seabiscuit and War Admiral,
neck and neck as they go
down the backstretch!
Close, Pops.
Easy, Pops.
That's it.
Whoo.
[ Announcer ]
It's Seabiscuit. Now War Admiral!
Now Seabiscuit! Now War Admiral!
Not going now, Pops.
[ Announcer Shouting, Indistinct ]
Do it.
Do it now.
Come on, George!
- Turn him loose. Turn him loose.
- Do it now, George!
So long, Charley!
Hyah!
- Turn him loose!
-[ Announcer ] Here comes Seabiscuit!
It's Seabiscuit going away!
[ Continues, Indistinct ]
Come on, Biscuit!
[ Cheering Grows Louder]
Yes! Yes! Whoo! Yes!
[ Whooping ]
[ Excited Chattering ]
[ Cheering ]
Congratulations.
Amazing.
Congratulations.
Thank you.
[ Amplified On Speaker]
Iceman, you did it.
How does it feel?
Well, l just wish my good friend
Red Pollard was up here today
instead of me.
He will be.
[ Man On Radio ]
This concludes our radio broadcast
of the race of the century.
Now a word from our sponsor,
the American Oil Company.
Money can't buy
a finer motor oil--
[ Triumphal ]
Easy does it.
Watch it. Wa--
Watch those wheels.
[ Whistle Blowing ]
[ Call To Post ]
All hail the conquering hero.
Yes, folks, he's back.
The little engine that could.
No more match races for this
little pony because, quite frankly,
they're all outta matches.
Who's he gonna race? Pegasus?
l pity these other horses. Heh.
[ Loud Cheering ]
[ Thumping Sound ]
[ Thumping Continues ]
[ Thumping Continues ]
[ Whinnying ]
[ Shouts ]
[ Whinny Echoing ]
[ Whinny Echoing ]
When will they know?
[ Marcela On Phone ]
l don't know.
Maybe an hour. l'm not sure.
Charles is with the vet right now.
[ Sighs ]
Does it hurt when he bends it?
'Cause if it doesn't hurt
when he bends it--
We don't know anything yet.
l'll call you as soon as we do.
l promise.
All right.
He was runnin' easy on me.
There was no warning.
He's gotta be all right.
He's gotta be all right.
Mr. Howard.
[ Sighs ]
Well, he ruptured
a whole ligament.
l put a splint on him
just to keep him immobilized,
but right now
he's totally lame.
He's not gonna race again.
Look, um--
l know this is hard,
but l'll put him down for you
if you want me to.
[ Vehicle Approaching ]
Oh, that's okay, Pops.
l'll come to you.
Hey.
[ Nickering ]
Mmm.
See,
first you gotta get
a little flexibility.
Yeah. Then you can
put weight on it.
Then once you start
to put weight on it,
the whole leg gets stronger.
[ Grumbling ]
l know. l know.
l'm in a hurry too, Pops.
But you know what Hadrian
said about Rome.
"Brick by brick, my citizens.
Brick by brick."
See,
they're Arabians,
so they don't need
to drink.
These horses can go
five or six days...
without a drop of water,
like a camel.
Oh. l'm not sayin'
that's what you should do.
l'm just saying
that's what they do.
[ Nickers ]
Oh, good idea.
Take a little rest.
[ Branch Snaps ]
[ Whinnies ]
l don't know, Red.
We're just gonna walk in a circle.
You think the leg
will hold you?
Horse weighs pounds, Sam.
l'm an afterthought.
No, l mean your leg.
[ Red ]
Here comes Seabiscuit
charging down the lane,
picking off competition
one by one.
He's third! Now second!
Now first!
And it's Seabiscuit at the wire...
to win the Santa Anita Handicap
with Red Pollard aboard! Yes!
Nice.
What?
- [ Loud Squawking ]
- [ Whinnying ]
Whoa!
Whoa, Pops. Easy.
Whoa.
Wow. Wow, Pops.
You feel better,
don't you, boy?
It's okay, Sam.
l'm just gonna mow the lawn
a little bit.
Fine with me, Red.
Way to go!
All right.
Looking good.
Yeah, you're great, man!
Whoo!
[ Laughing ]
Is it even possible?
Sure.
Most folks
don't give it a chance.
Most folks just--
The best thing to do
is get him down there
and let him gallop a little.
- That's the only way
we're really gonna know.
- Can he handle that?
Sure. l mean, l-I think so.
He worked great.
l couldn't feel a thing.
Why don't we give him
a full work on Friday morning.
Maybe six furlongs.
See what we got.
Sure. l'll be here.
Thanks, George.
You're welcome.
Comin' along.
Could he be ready?
For what?
Come on. You know what.
Top of the morning to you.
That's, uh--
That's a nice colt.
Who is he?
Just a two-year-old.
He's not ready yet.
Ah.
l thought maybe you were
getting a horse ready
for the hundred grander.
No.
Just a two-year-old.
Hair of the dog.
You been here long?
No.Just got here.
Catching up
on my reading.
Well, l'm sure
l'll see you soon.
Okeydokey.
-[ Triangle Ringing ]
- Stop the presses!
Stop the presses!
This isn't a scoop, folks.
This is three scoops
with hot fudge
and a cherry on top.
And throw in some nuts,
'cause this little horse
drives me crazy!
[ Metal Grating ]
Guess who may be working
six furlongs next Friday.
Guess who may be shooting
for the Big 'Cap.
Oh, my! Saints alive!
You guessed it.
Man, oh, man!
Did you ever guess it!
[ Gong Sounds ]
[ Gong Echoing ]
[ Man On P.A.,
Indistinct ]
A minute- minute- .
Something like that.
He starts to labor,
just slow it down.
Try and see how he feels--
Oh, oh. Whoa, whoa.
[ Whinnying ]
Got you.
[ Whinnying Continues ]
[ Snorting, Whinnying ]
That's all right, Pops.
That's okay, boy. That's okay.
Come here. It's okay.
And this, the most
unkindest cut of all.
Red.
Red, let me talk to you.
Talk to me?
You can't-- Red!
You can't do it!
You could be crippled
for the rest of your life.
l was crippled
for the rest of my life.
l got better.
He made me better.
Hell, you made me better.
Jesus Christ.
Red--
And that's as much my horse
as it is yours.
That's pretty quick.
Goddamn it.
It's up to him, Red.
Yeah, but if he says
that l can't--
He's the doctor.
It's up to him.
[ Doctor ]
You made this?
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
It-- It wraps around
my riding boot,
fasten it all the way
up the calf.
Right.
l barely feel anything
in the stirrups.
Look, it could shatter
at any moment,
even right now.
Forget about racing.
You see that right there?
That's barely healed.
There's no way to know
how much weight it could hold
under stress.
If it gets reinjured,
it's possible he could
never walk again.
Possible. He just said
it was possible.
Well, hell, anything's possible.
We proved that already,
didn't we?
This is different.
Yeah!
This is really different.
It's not just a race.
It's the Santa Anita.
l had that race.
l was there.
l know.
[ Men ]
If l had a million dollars
[ Excited Chattering ]
[ Man ]
What's going on?
[ Crowd Cheering ]
Well, even-- even with the brace,
it'll barely hold him.
If he gets bumped,
if he gets jostled--
Do you want to know
what l think?
Of course.
l think it's better
to break a man's leg
than his heart.
It's not just the leg.
It's not!
Okay.
Mar, he could fall.
He could get trampled.
If he gets thrown
from that horse--
He could die?
You know,
l play with this thing
all the time too.
[ Inhales ]
And no matter how hard l try,
l can't get that damn ball
to stay in the hole.
It always rolls out again.
[ Sniffles ]
Just let him ride, Charles.
Just let him do it.
Jumpin'Jehoshaphat,
l could handle one comeback,
but this is ridiculous.
Who's next-- Lazarus?
Oh, the heroism, the madness,
the excitement.
The largest crowd
ever to see a race
at Santa Anita!
Fifty-five thousand in the stands,
in the infield,
and it's only : !
It's not bad.
St. Christopher.
For luck.
A little late for that,
don't you think?
All right.
Let's go win us a race.
Ready?
Yup.
[ Grunts ]
Whichcee's the speed.
He's gonna be
out on the lead, but...
l don't think
he'll handle the distance.
Just stalk him
like always.
Right.
Wedding Call
could make a late run.
Now, he's got some guts,
so look out for him too.
Won't make that mistake again.
Relax, guys.
It's gonna be fine.
Okay.
[ Horns;Fanfare ]
[ Cheering ]
Charles, it's gonna be great.
Thank you, Frank.
Hope so. Bless you.
Good luck, Mr. Howard.
Thank you.
Good luck.
You're lookin' good.
Well, l feel fine.
[ Strub ]
Relax. Buy you a couple
of drinks, huh?
That's a good idea.
[ Chuckles ]
Who you bettin'on?
[ Sighs ]
[ Horse Nickers ]
[ Crowd Cheering ]
[ George ]
Hey, old man.
What are you doing here?
Got another mount.
Just 'cause l'm not riding him
doesn't mean l'm gonna sit it out.
Don't worry.
l don't stand a chance.
l'll see you at the finish.
[ Cheering Grows Louder ]
[ Bell Ringing ]
[ Running Hoofbeats ]
[ Grunting ]
Aaah.
[ Groans ]
Aaah.
Come on, boy.
Come on. Come on!
Hyah! Come on! Go!
- How you doin', Red?
- Georgie.
You guys all right?
There you go, boy.
There it is.
Have a nice ride,Johnny.
Come on, Pops.
Ha! Ha!
Go on with it,Johnny!
Go on!
Come on, Red!
Whoo-hoo!
There it is, boy.
Come on, Biscuit!
[ Red's Voice ]
You know, everybody thinks we found
this broken-down horse and fixed him,
but we didn't.
He fixed us.
Every one of us.
And l guess, in a way,
we kind of fixed each other too.
If l had a million dollars
l knowjust what l would do
l'd tie a string
around the world
And bring all of it to you
Those little things
you pray for
Whatever they may be
l'd have enough
to pay for them all
C.O.D.
If l spent a million dollars
l know l would never care
Because as long
as you were mine
l'd still be a millionaire
That's why l'm always dreaming
Dreaming of what l would do
If l had a million dollars
For you