Seabiscuit is one of the most talked about race horses in the history of the United States. Born and bred in Kentucky in 1933, he was a small horse, and his size made a career in racing almost unlikely until he started coming out of nowhere to win races. He would go on to solidify his reputation as a good runner and an inspiration for many Americans as they coped with the fallout and economic plunder from the Great Depression. He has been the subject of many books, documentaries and films and is considered a folk hero in the US to date.

Owned by Wheatley Stable and trained by “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons, Seabiscuit was known to be good at the tracks but lazy. As a result, very little attention was given to his training, and the owners made numerous attempts to sell him after he came up short in tens of races. He was eventually bought by Charles Howard for $8000.

The turnaround

Seabiscuit’s new owner wanted a winner out of him, and he paired him with winners and found a top jockey in Red Pollard from Canada. This was the beginning of success for a horse that was much rebuked and considered a little more than a joke. Between 1937 and 1940, Seabiscuit put together sensational displays and made his old owners wonder where they missed the train. He won the Massachusetts Handicap ,the Boston Handicap, the Santa Anita Handicap ,the Hollywood Gold Cup and plenty more. After an injury in 1939, Seabiscuit came back strongly in 1940 and took several races before he was retired. He is said to have, at the point of retirement, been the leading money winner in history, having accumulated $437,730 from his races. His stud career was a smashing success, with 108 foals on the record. In the 7 years Seabiscuit was a stud, people poured in from all of the United States to see him.

Born in 1983, Dancing Brave grew up in Kentucky and was trained in Britain. As a young horse, Dancing Brave did not particularly stand out. However, when the bay colt went for sale, James Delahooke knew he had a winner. James was one of the most prolific judges of winners at the time, and his opinion was enough to send the market into a spin. In an auction held at the Fasig Tipton Sales, the scout bought the horse when the hammer went down at $200,000. This was by no means considered expensive, and would soon be seen as one of the best bargains of the time. He belonged to Khalid Abdullah.

Career

His two year-old campaign did not exactly take the world by storm. He started out at the Dorking Stakes and then participated in the Soham House Stakes.

A year later, he kicked off his time as a champion by winning the 2000 guineas. Greville Starkey rode him in the 1986, and while Brave ran like the wind, he came in second to Shahrastani. At the King George, Dancing Brave managed to beat Shahrastani to the punch, exacting his revenge in the most spectacular of ways.

In the same year, Brave’s minders gave him some time on the sidelines so he could get ready for Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe . It was not an easy matchup, given that those who were challenging him for the trophy were proven winners and that it was his debut at Paris. His finish was the most spectacular and is considered one of the best sights in flat racing lore.

In the 10 races Brave ran, he managed an incredible 8 wins in quite a short career. At the time he retired, he had made his owners $1,776,723. As a stud, he was estimated at a value of $14 million.

Dancing Brave died in 1999.

Shergar was born in 1978 and is notably known for his win at the Epsom Derby in 1981, which was the 202nd edition. He did this in style too, racing home by a massive 10 lengths. This is the largest margin ever achieved by a runner in this race. He belonged to the Aga Khan, who has always been an avid fan and investor of racing. When the time was right, Shergar was sent to Newmarket where he would train a under the watchful eye of Michael Stoute, credited with making the horse a winner, and a quick one at that.

Career

Shergar’s very first run was in 1980, where he trounced others at Kris Plate. His real forays into racing happened the following year at 3 years old. At the Guardian Classic Trial, he managed to win by a massive ten lengths, which sent bookies into a frenzy and exhilarated fans. It was a feat he would go on to replicate and was always revered for his speed, agility and capacity to put crowds on their feet. After the Guardian Classic, he moved on pretty quickly, getting ready for the Irish Derby. His jockey at this point was Lester Piggott, who was known to be able to get the best out of horses. As predicted, Shergar won the race, cruising home at 4 lengths. The runner-up was far from close, and this cemented Shergar’s legacy as a fast horse of monumental proportions. After 6 wins, one an Epsom Derby, Shergar was officially retired, having collected£436,000 in prize money. He quickly became an established stud, valued at £10 million.

In 1983, Shergar was kidnapped from his stud home by men dressed as the Irish police and hauled away. The police got involved in the investigation but as the days went, the trail got colder. The case remains cold to date but the story attracts scandalous conspiracy theories.