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70-467: A number of famous horses raced at Suffolk Downs, including Seabiscuit , Whirlaway , Funny Cide , and Cigar . The Massachusetts Handicap (or MassCap) was the track's most significant annual event, last held in 2008. The track is a 1-mile (1.6 km) dirt oval with a seven- furlong inner turf track. Non-race functions at the venue included the Hot Dog Safari . The track provided the name of

140-530: A business relationship with company allegedly connected to Russian mobsters. On November 5, 2013, East Boston voters rejected Suffolk Downs' casino proposal with 4,281 votes to 3,353. The track partnered with Mohegan Sun on a project entirely located in Revere, Massachusetts , where Suffolk Downs has 53 acres of property. Suffolk Downs competed with Wynn Resorts plan for a resort in Everett, Massachusetts , that

210-515: A foot caught in a stirrup. DeSpirito credited Wajda with saving his life. For his bravery, Wajda received honors from the New England Turf Writers and New York Turf Writers organizations. On March 21, 1964, Pappas sold the track to New York businessman David Haber . On August 18, 1966, The Beatles played a concert before 24,000 fans on the track's infield. On June 19, 1968, Dancer's Image made his final public appearance. He

280-400: A last-minute bill that allowed the track to air and accept bets on races from other tracks. Suffolk Downs handled $ 161,456 in simulcast bets that day. In 1986, Odgen Corporation sold the track to Belle Isle Ltd., led by Buddy LeRoux . In 1987, LeRoux threatened to close Suffolk Downs unless the state granted financial concessions to the track. In January 1988, the state Legislature gave LeRoux

350-744: A license to open a track in Westport, Massachusetts ) attempted to gain control of horse racing in eastern Massachusetts. According to the Eastern Racing Association, Foley secretly worked to acquire a license for Outdoor Amusements, Inc. while Connors demanded that his fellow Eastern Racing Association shareholders sell him their stake in Suffolk Downs or they would not get any favorable racing dates. The racing commission voted to revoke Outdoor Amusements' license due to misleading information in their application, but found that there

420-584: A match race for Seabiscuit against Ligaroti, a highly regarded horse owned by the Hollywood entertainer Bing Crosby and Howard's son, Lindsay , through Binglin Stable , in an event organized to promote Crosby's resort and Del Mar Racetrack in Del Mar, California . With Woolf aboard, Seabiscuit won that race, despite persistent fouling from Ligaroti's jockey. After three more outings and with only one win, he

490-559: A newly constructed Clubhouse video lounge, a tribute to MassCap winners in the Grandstand, and a new racing strip. In 1995, the track saw the opening of a redesigned Legends Bar & Grill, improvements to the lighting, upgrades to the backstretch and racetrack, and a remodeled paddock and winner's circle. Also that year, the MassCap returned from a six-year hiatus. Cigar won the race. It was his eighth consecutive victory in his Horse of

560-513: A nose. The defeat was devastating to Smith and Howard and was widely attributed in the press to a jockey error. Pollard, who had not seen Rosemont over his shoulder until too late, was blind in one eye due to an accident during a training ride, a fact he had hidden throughout his career. A week after this defeat Seabiscuit won the San Juan Capistrano Handicap by seven lengths in track record time of 1:48 4 ⁄ 5 for

630-563: A number of legal victories, including one which allowed children to attend the races. In 1971, Realty Equities sold Suffolk Downs to National Raceways Inc., a subsidiary of the National Mattress Company. A year later, the track was sold to Ogden Corporation . On February 14, 1976, the inbound platform of the Suffolk Downs MBTA station was destroyed by fire, which hurt track attendance. The outbound side of

700-590: A performance venue known as The Stage at Suffolk Downs opened inside the racetrack with a capacity of 8,500 people. The first building of the redevelopment is expected to open in spring 2024, with 470 apartments for rent. The overall development plans up to 15,000 residents, retail, restaurants, life sciences laboratory, and 40 acre of open space. [REDACTED] Media related to Suffolk Downs at Wikimedia Commons 42°23′N 71°01′W  /  42.39°N 71.01°W  / 42.39; -71.01 Seabiscuit Seabiscuit (May 23, 1933 – May 17, 1947)

770-629: A probable heart attack on May 17, 1947, in Willits, California , six months before his grandsire Man o' War . He is buried at Ridgewood Ranch in Mendocino County, California . In 2009, after an eight-year-long grassroots effort by Maggie Van Ostrand and Chuck Lustick, Seabiscuit was honored by the United States Postal Service with a stamp bearing his likeness. Thousands of signatures were obtained from all over

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840-422: A purse of $ 400,000. The first race was held in 1935, just months after the track opened in late 1934, and the event was open to three-year-olds and up until 1969. The Santa Anita Handicap instantly became one of the nation's top races because it offered a minimum purse of $ 100,000, then a staggering amount for a horse race. In its early years, the race was most commonly referred to among horsemen and racing media as

910-604: A symbol of hope to many Americans during the Great Depression . Seabiscuit has been the subject of numerous books and films, including Seabiscuit: the Lost Documentary (1939); the Shirley Temple film The Story of Seabiscuit (1949); a book, Seabiscuit: An American Legend (1999) by Laura Hillenbrand ; and a film adaptation of Hillenbrand's book, Seabiscuit (2003), that was nominated for

980-816: A track charter and license on January 11, 1935 and on April 9, the Massachusetts Racing Commission granted the corporation a license to race in East Boston. Construction did not begin until April 29 due to legal entanglements. The track opened on July 10, 1935. The first card consisted of eight races, with the Commonwealth Stakes, a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds, serving as the feature race. The Commonwealth Stakes featured twenty-two horses from eighteen stables, including horses owned by Edward R. Bradley , Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt Jr. , and Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney . The race

1050-500: The 1 + 1 ⁄ 8 mile event. Seabiscuit was rapidly becoming a favorite among California racing fans, and his fame spread as he won his next three races. With his successes, Howard decided to ship the horse east for its more prestigious racing circuit. Seabiscuit's run of victories continued. Between June 26 and August 7, he ran five times, each time in a stakes race , and each time he won under steadily increasing handicap weights (imposts) of up to 130 pounds (59 kg). For

1120-669: The Academy Award for Best Picture . Seabiscuit was foaled in Lexington, Kentucky , on May 23, 1933, from the mare Swing On and sire Hard Tack , a son of Man o' War . Seabiscuit was named for his father; "sea biscuit" is another name for hardtack , a type of cracker eaten by sailors. The bay colt grew up on Claiborne Farm in Paris, Kentucky , where he was trained. He was undersized, knobby-kneed, and given to sleeping and eating for long periods. Initially, Seabiscuit

1190-476: The Greater Boston area. On October 20, 2017, it was revealed that Suffolk Downs would be used in a bid to bring Amazon's second headquarters to Massachusetts. In 2018, it was revealed that the Suffolk Downs development would move forward despite Amazon opting to move its second headquarters to Virginia and New York City. HYM Investment Group bought the property for $ 155 million in 2017. In June 2023,

1260-541: The Narragansett Park was named managing director of the track, however he backed out after a few months because he felt East Boston was not a suitable site for a race track and instead wanted to build a track in Framingham or Natick . Richard Danielson, Charles Adams , Bruce Wetmore , and John R. Macomber were also members of the track's first board of directors. Eastern Racing Association applied for

1330-605: The National War Fund . This contribution was the single largest donation to the war effort by any sports venue. On February 20, 1944, the Aldred Investment Trust purchased a majority of the voting stock in the Eastern Racing Association. Gordon B. Hanlon was elected president of Suffolk Downs. Three months later the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced that it had filed a complaint in federal court accusing Hanlon his fellow directors of

1400-423: The "Hundred-Grander." Another nickname for the race dating back to that time, "The Big 'Cap", is still in regular use. Probably the dominant figure in the early years of the race was Seabiscuit , as the race proved to be a metaphor for his career. In his first two attempts to win it in 1937 and 1938, he lost in photo finishes , with the second loss to a horse carrying 30 pounds less than he was. He suffered what

1470-479: The Aldred Investment Trust of gross abuse of the trust, including drastically changing the investment policy of the trust without giving adequate notice to security holders by purchasing stock in the Eastern Racing Association. On January 19, 1945, Judge George Clinton Sweeney found Hanlon and five other Aldred officials guilty of gross abuse of the trust and control of the track was given to the trust's receivers, Edward O. Proctor and Edward F. Goode. On April 24, 1945,

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1540-548: The Blowfish , and John Lee Hooker . Van Morrison was scheduled to appear but cancelled citing "exhaustion". On March 30, 2007, Coastal Development LLC, a New York-based real estate development company headed by Richard Fields, purchased a majority stake in Sterling Suffolk Racecourse LLC by buying the shares of Patricia Moseley and a number of smaller shareholders. Fields purchased the track with

1610-725: The Board and the man credited with reopening the track, died at the age of 66. He was succeeded on the board by his widow, Patricia. On June 8, 1998, Suffolk Downs hosted Eddie Andelman 's Hot Dog Safari to benefit the Joey Fund/ Cystic Fibrosis Foundation . The event was attended by 35,000 people. On June 19, 1999, Suffolk Downs held its first concert in decades when it hosted the Guinness Fleadh music festival. Thirty acts performed during twelve-hour festival, including Elvis Costello , Hootie and

1680-581: The Massachusetts Handicap. The race was attended by 40,000 people. Seabiscuit won the race in 1:49, which broke the track record for 1 1/8 miles. The victory was Seabiscuit's seventh consecutive win, a career high. The winner's purse of $ 51,780 was the largest of Seabiscuit's career up to that point and would only be surpassed by his final victory, the 1940 Santa Anita Handicap . In 1938, 60,000 people turned out to watch Seabiscuit defend his MassCap title against War Admiral . However, Seabiscuit

1750-650: The Santa Anita Handicap, richest of all races." Santa Anita Handicap The Santa Anita Handicap is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early March at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California . It is a Grade I race for horses four years old and up and was once considered the most important race for older horses in North America during the winter racing season. The ten- furlong Santa Anita Handicap currently offers

1820-460: The Year season. Cigar won the race the following year to earn his 15th consecutive win. The race was attended by 22,000 spectators. On May 31, 1997 Suffolk Downs hosted New England's first million racing day, with six stakes races including the MassCap. On July 7, 1997, Sterling Suffolk Racecourse LLC purchased the track from Bell Isle. On April 9, 1998, James B. Moseley, Suffolk Downs' Chairman of

1890-432: The concessions he asked for, which allowed racing to continue through the 1989 season. LeRoux made it known that he would allow the track's license to expire after the concessions expired, under the premise that racing was no longer profitable. The track closed after racing on December 30, 1989. Races were scheduled for the next day, however, track management canceled them out of fears of vandalism. Between 1990 and 1991, there

1960-599: The crowd of well-wishers to the winner's enclosure for some time. On April 10, 1940, Seabiscuit's retirement from racing was officially announced. When he was retired to the Ridgewood Ranch near Willits, California , he was horse racing's all-time leading money winner. Put out to stud, Seabiscuit sired 108 foals, including two moderately successful racehorses: Sea Sovereign and Sea Swallow. Over 50,000 visitors went to Ridgewood Ranch to see Seabiscuit in those seven years before his death in 1947. Seabiscuit died of

2030-418: The edge of alcoholism. A local doctor broke and reset Pollard's leg to aid his recovery, and slowly Pollard regained the confidence to sit on a horse. Wearing a brace to stiffen his atrophied leg, he began to ride Seabiscuit again, first at a walk and later at a trot and canter. Howard was delighted at their improvement, as he longed for Seabiscuit to race again, but was extremely worried about Pollard, as his leg

2100-425: The fast-closing Santa Anita Derby winner, Stagehand (owned by Maxwell Howard, not related to Charles), who had been assigned 30 pounds (14 kg) less than Seabiscuit. Throughout 1937 and 1938, the media speculated about a match race between Seabiscuit and the seemingly invincible War Admiral (sired by Man o' War, Seabiscuit's grandsire). The two horses were scheduled to meet in three stakes races, but one or

2170-590: The field. After that, Fitzsimmons did not spend much time on him, and the horse was sometimes the butt of stable jokes. However, Seabiscuit began to gain attention after winning two races at Narragansett Park and setting a new track record in the second—Claiming Stakes race. As a two-year-old, Seabiscuit raced 35 times (a heavy racing schedule), coming in first five times and finishing second seven times. These included three claiming races , in which he could have been purchased for $ 2,500, but he had no takers. While Seabiscuit had not lived up to his racing potential, he

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2240-408: The first horse to eclipse the $ 700,000 career earnings mark by winning the MassCap. From 1959 to 1970, Suffolk Downs hosted harness racing during the fall. On June 30, 1960, while riding Lusty Andy at the track, Henry Wajda pulled fellow jockey Anthony DeSpirito back onto Color Bearer after DeSpirito had been knocked off his saddle in the first turn and was clinging to his mount by one hand and had

2310-761: The first time. Improvements came quickly, and in their remaining eight races in the East , Seabiscuit and Pollard won several times, including the Detroit Governor's Handicap (worth $ 5,600) and the Scarsdale Handicap ($ 7,300) at Empire City Race Track in Yonkers, New York . In early November 1936, Howard and Smith shipped the horse to California by rail. His last two races of the year were at Bay Meadows racetrack in San Mateo, California . The first

2380-408: The gate was well known. Seabiscuit, on the other hand, was a pace stalker, skilled at holding with the pack before pulling ahead with late acceleration. From the scheduled walk-up start, few gave him a chance to lead War Admiral into the first turn. Smith knew these things and trained Seabiscuit to run against this type, using a starting bell and a whip to give the horse a Pavlovian burst of speed from

2450-578: The horse to automobile entrepreneur Charles S. Howard for $ 8,000 at Saratoga , in August. Howard assigned Seabiscuit to a new trainer, Tom Smith , who, with his unorthodox training methods, gradually brought Seabiscuit out of his lethargy. Smith paired the horse with Canadian jockey Red Pollard (1909–1981), who had experience racing in the West and in Mexico. On August 22, 1936, they raced Seabiscuit for

2520-459: The horse's trainer, lifted Woolf aboard Seabiscuit for the big match race against War Admiral." William Nack, Sports Illustrated , November 29, 1999 On November 1, 1938, Seabiscuit met War Admiral and jockey Charles Kurtsinger in what was dubbed the "Match of the Century." The event was run over 1 + 3 ⁄ 16 miles (1.9 km) at Pimlico Race Course . From the grandstands to

2590-425: The infield, the track was jammed with fans. Trains were run from all over the country to bring fans to the race, and the estimated 40,000 at the track were joined by 40 million listening on the radio. War Admiral was the favorite (1–4 with most bookmakers) and a nearly unanimous selection of the writers and tipsters, excluding a California contingent. Head-to-head races favor fast starters, and War Admiral's speed from

2660-586: The intent to turn it into a Racino . After casino gambling was legalized in Massachusetts in 2011, the track made a bid for a casino license. The track's owners partnered with Caesars Entertainment Corporation on a plan to build a $ 1 billion resort casino on the site. In October 2013, Suffolk Downs and Caesars terminated their partnership after the Massachusetts Gaming Commission raised concerns over Caesars' financial state and

2730-613: The most prestigious honor, the American Horse of the Year Award . In 1938, as a five-year-old, Seabiscuit's success continued. On February 19, Pollard suffered a terrible fall while racing on Fair Knightess, another of Howard's horses. With half of Pollard's chest caved in by the weight of the fallen horse, Howard had to find a new jockey. After trying three, he settled on George Woolf , an already successful rider and old friend of Pollard's. Woolf's first race aboard Seabiscuit

2800-438: The nation, and the final approval was given by Citizens Stamp Committee member Joan Mondale , wife of former Vice President Walter Mondale . Seabiscuit ran 89 times at 16 different distances over the course of his career. ^   a:  The Saturday Evening Post , dated April 27, 1940, reported: "By the following March the horse failed only by inches—because his jockey erred in looking back—to win in his first try at

2870-551: The nearby MBTA Suffolk Downs subway station . After parimutuel betting was legalized in Massachusetts , the Eastern Racing Association, Inc. was formed to open a thoroughbred race track in East Boston . Businessman, politician, and former steeplechase jockey Bayard Tuckerman Jr. was the corporation's first president. Harness racing promoter Allan J. Wilson was named vice president. Walter E. O'Hara , promoter of

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2940-466: The other was scratched, usually due to Seabiscuit's dislike of heavy ground. After extensive negotiation, the owners organized a match race for May 1938 at Belmont , but Seabiscuit was scratched. By June, Pollard had recovered, and on June 23, he agreed to work a young colt named Modern Youth. Spooked by something on the track, the horse broke rapidly through the stables and threw Pollard, shattering his leg and seemingly ending his career. Howard arranged

3010-467: The outside. Trusting in his horse's acceleration, Pollard steered between the leaders and burst into the lead, taking the firm ground just off the rail. As Seabiscuit showed his old surge, Wedding Call and Whichcee faltered, and Pollard drove his horse on, taking "The Hundred Grander" by a length and a half from the fast-closing Kayak II under jockey Leon Haas . Pandemonium engulfed the course. Neither horse and rider, nor trainer and owner, could get through

3080-456: The receivers selected Allan J. Wilson to succeed Hanlon as track president. On May 1, 1946, a consortium, led by Boston businessman John C. Pappas , acquired control of Suffolk Downs at a Federal Court-directed public auction . Pappas' $ 3.6 million bid exceeded offers made by Joseph F. Timilty , Henry Simberg (represented at the auction by Paul A. Dever ), and Bay Meadows Racetrack general manager Bill Kyne. On July 30, 1947, Stymie became

3150-524: The running, Seabiscuit finished third. His winning streak was snapped, but the season was not over; Seabiscuit won his next three races (one a dead heat ) before finishing the year with a second-place at Pimlico . In 1937, Seabiscuit won 11 of his 15 races and was the year's leading money winner in the United States . However, War Admiral , having won the Triple Crown that season, was voted

3220-497: The spring of 1939, Seabiscuit covered seven of Howard's mares, all of which had healthy foals in spring of 1940. One, Fair Knightess's colt, died as a yearling. Seabiscuit and a still-convalescing Pollard recovered together at Howard's ranch, with the help of Pollard's new wife Agnes, who had nursed him through his initial recovery. Slowly, both horse and rider learned to walk again (Pollard joked that they "had four good legs between" them). Poverty and his injury had brought Pollard to

3290-565: The start of the La Jolla Handicap at Santa Anita , on February 9, 1940. Seabiscuit was third, beaten by two lengths. By their third comeback race, Seabiscuit was back to his winning ways, running away from the field in the San Antonio Handicap to beat his erstwhile training partner, Kayak II , by two and a half lengths. Under 124 pounds (56 kg), Seabiscuit equalled the track record for a mile and 1/16. One race

3360-445: The start. When the bell rang, Seabiscuit broke in front, led by over a length after 20 seconds, and soon crossed over to the rail position. Halfway down the backstretch, War Admiral started to cut into the lead, gradually pulling level with Seabiscuit, then slightly ahead. Following advice he had received from Pollard, Woolf had eased up on Seabiscuit, allowing his horse to see his rival, then asked for more effort. Two hundred yards from

3430-642: The station remained open The station was rebuilt in 1983 and reopened in January 1984 after the project received a $ 1.9 million grant from the Urban Mass Transportation Administration . The station was rebuilt again from 1994-95 as part of a larger improvement project on the line. On May 21, 1983, Preakness Day, Suffolk Downs aired its first simulcast race after the Massachusetts General Court passed

3500-530: The third time, Seabiscuit faced off against Rosemont again, this time beating him by seven lengths. On September 11, Smith accepted an impost of 132 pounds (60 kg) for the Narragansett Special at Narragansett Park . On race day, the ground was slow and heavy, and unsuited to "the Biscuit", carrying the heaviest burden of his career. Smith wanted to scratch , but Howard overruled him. Never in

3570-501: The track's owners agreed to sell it to HYM Investment Group, a Boston real estate developer. The owners at the time stated that they were going to lease back the track and operate live racing in 2017 and 2018, and hoped to continue operating as a simulcast facility after the redevelopment of the property. In October 2017, Suffolk Sterling Racecourse announced that plans were underway to open up a new full-time racetrack in Massachusetts to replace Suffolk Downs. The final season of live racing

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3640-471: The winner; it was known colloquially as "The Hundred Grander." In his first warm-up race at Santa Anita Park , Seabiscuit won easily. In his second race of 1937, the San Antonio Handicap , he suffered a setback after he was bumped at the start and then pushed wide; Seabiscuit came in fifth, losing to Rosemont . The two met again in the Santa Anita Handicap a week later, where Rosemont won by

3710-453: The wire, Seabiscuit pulled away again and continued to extend his lead over the closing stretch, finally winning by four lengths despite War Admiral's running his best time for the distance. As a result of his races that year, Seabiscuit was named American Horse of the Year for 1938, beating War Admiral by 698 points to 489 in a poll conducted by the Turf and Sport Digest magazine . Seabiscuit

3780-519: Was May 18–19, June 8–9, and June 29–30, 2019. The last horse to cross the finish line in the final live race at Suffolk Downs was Colonial Front on June 30, 2019. The facility remains open for simulcasting year-round. In May 2017, Suffolk Downs was sold to HYM Investment Group for $ 155 million to be used as developments. The track will be turned into a housing and shopping district similar to the Boston Landing and Assembly Square developments in

3850-463: Was a champion thoroughbred racehorse in the United States who became the top money-winning racehorse up to the 1940s. He beat the 1937 Triple Crown winner, War Admiral , by four lengths in a two-horse special at Pimlico and was voted American Horse of the Year for 1938. A small horse, at 15.2 hands high, Seabiscuit had an inauspicious start to his racing career, winning only a quarter of his first 40 races, but became an unlikely champion and

3920-598: Was approved by voters in June, opening in 2019 as the Encore Boston Harbor . Following the approval of Wynn's proposal in September 2014, it was announced that Suffolk Downs would close. Limited live racing returned in 2015 and on June 9, 2016, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission approved funding for the track to run on 6 days in 2016. The track was open on July 9–10, August 6–7 and September 3–4. In March 2017,

3990-425: Was escorted onto the track by his owner Peter Fuller, son of former Massachusetts Governor Alvan T. Fuller , and his wife Jane. In 1968, the track was sold to Reality Equities Corporation who brought on former baseball team owner Bill Veeck as president. During Veeck's tenure as president, Suffolk Downs hosted a number of promotions including chariot races, livestock giveaways and mock Indian battles. Veeck also won

4060-523: Was left in the season. A week after the San Antonio, Seabiscuit and Kayak II both took the gate for the Santa Anita Handicap and its $ 121,000 prize. 78,000 paying spectators crammed the racetrack, most backing Seabiscuit. Pollard found his horse blocked almost from the start. Picking his way through the field, Seabiscuit briefly led. As they thundered down the back straight, Seabiscuit became trapped in third place, behind leader Whichcee and Wedding Call on

4130-429: Was no racing at Suffolk Downs. In May 1991, Sterling Suffolk Racecourse LLC., headed by James B. Moseley and John L. Hall II, leased the track from Belle Isle for $ 8.5 million. The group spent seven months upgrading and remodeling the track. On January 1, 1992 racing resumed at Suffolk Downs in front of a crowd of 15,212. The track underwent further renovations in 1993, including a new AmTote Spectrum 2000 mutuel system,

4200-427: Was not enough evidence to establish a conspiracy between Outdoor Amusements, Connors, and Foley. On June 29, 1936, Seabiscuit won an allowance race at Suffolk Downs. This was the first time trainer Tom Smith saw Seabiscuit race and he would later recommend that Charles S. Howard purchase the horse. Smith and Howard would go on to make Seabiscuit a national hero. Seabiscuit would return to the track in 1937 to race in

4270-434: Was not the poor performer Fitzsimmons had taken him for. His last two wins as a two-year-old came in minor stakes races. The next season started with a similar pattern. The colt ran 12 times in less than four months, winning four times. One of those races was a cheap allowance race on the "sweltering afternoon of June 29," 1936, at Suffolk Downs . That was where trainer Tom Smith first laid eyes on Seabiscuit. His owners sold

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4340-614: Was owned by the powerful Wheatley Stable and trained by "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons , who had taken Gallant Fox to the United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing . Fitzsimmons saw some potential in Seabiscuit but felt the horse was too lazy. Fitzsimmons devoted most of his time to training Omaha , who won the 1935 Triple Crown. Seabiscuit was relegated to a heavy schedule of smaller races. He failed to win any of his first 17 races, usually finishing back in

4410-747: Was scheduled to go head-to-head with War Admiral in the Pimlico Special in November, in Baltimore, Maryland . Sent to race on the East Coast , on October 16, 1938, Seabiscuit ran second by two lengths in the Laurel Stakes to the filly Jacola , who set a new Laurel Park Racecourse record of 1:37.00 for one mile. "George Woolf always said he never had more fun on a racehorse than he did that day in 1938 at Pimlico , when Tom Smith,

4480-469: Was scratched due to an injury minutes before post time. The race was won by Menow . War Admiral finished fourth, breaking his streak of eleven-consecutive victories and marking the only time in his career that he would finish out of the money. On July 15, 1942, Whirlaway succeeded Seabiscuit as the all-time leading money-earner by winning the MassCap. During World War II , the track continued to hold races. On August 8, 1942 Suffolk Downs donated $ 625,000 to

4550-401: Was still fragile. Over the fall and winter of 1939, Seabiscuit's fitness seemed to improve by the day. By the end of the year, Smith was ready to return the horse to race training, with a collection of stable jockeys in the saddle. By the time of his comeback race, Pollard had cajoled Howard into allowing him the ride. After the horse was scratched due to soft going, the pair finally lined up at

4620-552: Was succeeded by Charles Adams. Adams himself would step aside in favor of James H. Connors in December 1937. Although Adams stated that he decided to give up the position to focus on his other interests, he would later say that Connors was elected at the behest of Governor Charles F. Hurley . In 1939, Connors resigned as Suffolk Downs president amid allegations that he, his brother-in-law (State Racing Commissioner Thomas R. Foley), and Outdoor Amusements, Inc. (a company applying for

4690-530: Was the $ 2,700 Bay Bridge Handicap, run over one-mile (1.6 km). Despite starting badly and carrying the top weight of 116 pounds (53 kg), Seabiscuit won by five lengths. At the World's Fair Handicap (Bay Meadows' most prestigious stakes race ), Seabiscuit led throughout. In 1937, the Santa Anita Handicap , California's most prestigious race, was worth over $ 125,000 ($ 2.8 million in 2010) to

4760-413: Was the Santa Anita Handicap, "The Hundred Grander" the horse had narrowly lost the previous year. Seabiscuit was drawn on the outside, and at the start was impeded by another horse, Count Atlas, angling out. The two were locked together for the first straight, and by the time Woolf disentangled his horse, they were six lengths off the pace. Seabiscuit worked his way to the lead but lost in a photo finish to

4830-496: Was the number one newsmaker of 1938. The only major prize that eluded him was the Santa Anita Handicap. Seabiscuit was injured during a race. Woolf , who was riding him, said that he felt the horse stumble. The injury was not life-threatening, although many predicted Seabiscuit would never race again. The diagnosis was a ruptured suspensory ligament in the front left leg. With Seabiscuit out of action, Smith and Howard concentrated on their horse Kayak II , an Argentine stallion. In

4900-476: Was won by Bradley's Boxthorn, which had been a starter in that year's Kentucky Derby . 35,000 spectators watched the first day of racing. Later that month, Seabiscuit would make his Suffolk Downs debut, finishing fourth in the Mayflower Stakes . The first MassCap was held on October 16, 1935 with Top Row taking first ever victory in the event. On May 7, 1936, Tuckerman stepped down as president. He

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