Seabiscuit

In 1938 Walter Winchell printed his annual top 10 newsmakers of their year list which included FDR, Adolf Hitler, and a champion racehorse by the name of Seabiscuit. This documentary tells the story of the stubborn and unlikely horse who was seen to have greatness by a stoic trainer, sold to a wealthy west coast magnate, and ridden to glory by two jockeys, most notably in a one on one showdown with rival and thought to be superior stallion War Admiral. The American Experience's presentation of "Seabiscuit" is a wonderful documentary of what should be considered the greatest sports underdog in American history. The horse's story along with the heartrending story of Red Pollard, one of its jockeys, is told beautifully and with excellent narration by Scott Glenn as well as comment by Laura Hillenbrand, the author of the book upon which the 2003 Oscar nominated film was based. By the time the story reaches Seabiscuit's comeback for his final race, I was surprised to find my eyes welling up, and realized I had been watching one of the finest sports stories in our history.