Seabiscuit

Horse racing is not as popular today with the general public as it was before World War II, when it dominated spectator sports along with boxing and baseball. What are the reasons for this? What made it more popular then and why has it become less popular today? 

The formation of the Jockeys’ Guild, thanks to the efforts of jockey Tommy Luther, is mentioned in passing toward the end of the book. What was the Guild and why was it necessary? Hillenbrand writes that the steward of the Santa Anita Park banned Luther from racing there for one year, accusing him of forming a union. Why were racetrack managers so opposed to this effort by jockeys to help each other?

What role do you think the Great Depression had in Seabiscuit’s popularity? What social and economic factors contributed to the interest in the horse at that particular time?

There are a lot of controversies surrounding horse racing today, and many feel it is unethical and abusive in its treatment of horses. The use of drugs, racing horses at a young age, and the mysterious deaths of 30 horses during the winter season at Santa Anita Park are just several of the issues involved. Should horse racing be banned? Why or why not? If so, what should be done to ensure the health and well-being of the horses?

In Chapter 14, Hillenbrand describes how the fact that horses are a prey animal helped in Smith’s training of Seabiscuit. Explain this and expand on it. What factors make horses so well suited to running and racing? Use examples like the above as well as biological/physiological aspects that explain where they get their speed, power, and endurance.

Around the turn of the 20th century, anti-gambling sentiment was strong in the US, and laws that prohibited it severely affected horse racing. Hillenbrand writes that of the more than 300 racetracks around in 1900, only 25 remained in 1908, at the height of the Progressive Era. What was the source of this anti-gambling trend? What were the specific causes involving horse racing and what were some larger social and political reasons for it? 

Charles Howard and Tom Smith represent two different American archetypes. Howard was outgoing, rich, and flashy, while Smith was a quiet loner working away at his dream. Describe the archetype each one symbolizes and explain how he represents it. Be sure to use examples from the book to support your ideas. 

Hillenbrand notes in the Epilogue that for a brief period during World War II, Santa Anita Park was turned into an internment camp for Japanese Americans. Research this period of the racetrack’s history and explain how it was chosen for this. How many people stayed there? What were the conditions? What were their daily lives like? And how has the track dealt with or acknowledged this part of its history? Try to use primary source material as much as possible to tell this story.