UHS Honors English 9 P2 2017 discussion

Liam Munro

Hilbert

Honors English 9

1 December 2017

Book Review: Seabiscuit: An American Legend

In the book Seabiscuit: An American Legend, it centers on the immensely famous racehorse, Seabiscuit. The story develops on the horse’s owner Ron Howard, and then expands to Seabiscuit’s trainer, Tom Smith, and primary rider, John “Red” Pollard. The story is set in a time when automobiles were gaining popularity, and horses were being used less and less for transportation, which adds to the magnitude of the story. Ron Howard acquired a Buick franchise, and became very rich when his vehicles were the only viable ambulances in the 1906 earthquake. He then dealt with the loss of his son, and remarried. He and his wife Marcela opened a stable in 1935, and purchased Seabiscuit a year later. Buying this horse would eventually change Ron Howard’s life, and change horse racing forever.

Tom Smith trained Seabiscuit very seriously, and Ron Howard entered him in small, less popular races to keep Seabiscuit somewhat under the radar of the major racing institutions. In certain races, called handicap races, horses are given different amounts of weight to race with depending on their skill. Thus, another reason they entered Seabiscuit in the small races was to keep his handicap weight low. Seabiscuit raced in the Santa Anita Handicap for three years, losing the first by the slightest, and lost the second to the racehorse Ligaroti. Seabiscuit and his rider, Red Pollard, were both injured in the race, but in 1939 Seabiscuit, now an underdog, would race in the Santa Anita Handicap one more time.
I chose the book Seabiscuit: An American Legend because it seemed like a fast-paced, adrenaline pumping story. The book did provide all of these things and had a great plot. The concept of being an underdog also appealed to me because I like movies where that is a common theme. An underdog is someone who has small chances of succeeding, but ends up defying all odds and winning. The tale paints a colorful picture of life in the early 1900’s, and shows the challenges of racing horses. I recommend this book, especially to people who like adventurous books. The story is very heartwarming, and shows the payoff of determination from both Seabiscuit himself, and his team.

This would normally not be a book I would read, as I normally like fantasy books, but this sounds really interesting. This review alone gave me a lot of information about horse racing that I didn't know before, like how some of the horses are handicapped, so I'm excited to see what I can learn when I read the full book. I think it's really interesting how there's a lot more strategy in horse racing than just the actual race, like how they're keeping Seabiscuit under the radar so he doesn't get handicapped. I almost never read a nonfiction book outside of school, but I'll be sure to read this one on my own!

I️ am personally allergic to horses, but i️ was definitely attracted to this book review/book. The book sounds interesting and touching. For a person that isn’t a huge horse person, It sounds very interesting, and I would like to read it. Sea Biscuit does seem like an interesting name, and I️ am excited to see where the plot goes. Pet stories always get me emotional. I️ am excited to read this book, it sounds good.

When I began reading your review I didn’t know what to think. With a name like “Seabiscuit” I didn’t know what to think. Now usually, I am more of a fantasy or supernatural story reader. But when I got into the review it sounded like an underdog story that I could really enjoy. The most interesting part of the review was the transformation during Red Pollard’s time from the era of horses ending to the era of cars beginning. This really takes a turn when racing horses comes to play and how the handicapped horseman and the handicapped horse had a chance to race one more time. This story would definitely have me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen to Seabiscuit and if he could make it in the racing world. I will definitely consider reading this in the future because it sounds like a really good book!