Narragansett Race Track - The Biscuit

The Biscuit

While the “Race Track War” was getting started, a top horse was getting ready to make a final appearance at Narragansett. Of all the Champion horses that ran at 'Gansett, by far, Seabiscuit ran at the track the most. "The Biscuit" performed at Narragansett Park for two different owners and in two distinct forms.

During the early part of his career in 1935, the two year old Wheatley Stable colt Seabiscuit won his first race in his 18th lifetime start. It occurred at Narragansett Park. In his next effort, Seabiscuit won the Watch Hill Claiming Stakes which carried a winners share of $2,795. This amount was more than the horse had won in all previous starts combined for Hall of Fame trainer Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons. After a 5th place finish in the Old Colony Stakes on the 4th of July, 1935, the connections returned for the park's fall meet. In the Pawtucket Handicap, Seabiscuit would place second. The star in waiting was given some time off in the winter and then ran at Narragansett Park twice as a 3 yr old. He would garner a 4th in the Providence Handicap and a first in an allowance race. The circuit moved north and, with Seabiscuit's form going bad, the stable sold the horse to Charles S. Howard for $8,000 after 2 rebound wins at Saratoga Race Course. The horse was transferred from the Wheatley barn to the care of another Hall of Fame trainer, R. Thomas Smith. And the rehabilitation of Seabiscuit was begun.

Seabiscuit returned to Narragansett Park as a racing star for the 1937 Narragansett Special Handicap. With a purse of 31k added, the Special was one of the top races in the country despite the fact that the track president had been arrested on the Thursday night before the race. Pawtucket Mayor McCoy posted O'Hara's bail, and more than 30,000 people came out for the big race. Seabiscuit was on a seven-race winning streak and packed the assigned top weight of 132 lbs. - the most he ever would carry. After a forecast of cloudy, the track came up muddy after two days of rain. As a result, a mud-loving, Calumet Farm cast-off named Calumet Dick won with an impost of 115 lbs. Snark, of Wheatley Stable, finished second while saddled with 117 lbs. Seabiscuit under Red Pollard got up for 3rd and then started another winning streak. Seabiscuit was named the top Handicap horse for 1937, American Horse of the Year for 1938, and retired in 1940 as the all-time Thoroughbred earnings leader.

In total, he ran 7 times at Narragansett Park with 3 wins.