…today’s secret…Seabiscuit

Seabiscuit was a champion thoroughbred racehorse (1933-1947).

He was small, knobby-kneed, slept and ate a lot. He lost his first 17 races. He was the butt of many stable jokes.

The 30s were America’s Great Depression years. America was down-and-out.

Charles Howard was an entrepreneur who knew how to fail. He bought Seabiscuit for peanuts on one of his upswings.

Charles hired a down-and-out trainer named Tom Smith to see if the horse knew what he was born to do and could do it.

Charles and Tom found a down-and-out jockey named Red Pollard to ride Seabiscuit.

These three down-and-outers made racing history with this down-and-out horse. All four had heart.

Seabiscuit learned he could run. He won and won and won. He defeated Triple-Crown winner War Admiral in a two-horse match race in 1937. Millions listened on the radio.

It wasn’t the number of wins or earnings that stirred a nation. It was the idea of Seabiscuit.

Seabiscuit, Charles, Tom, and Red were all banged up from the Depression.

“You don’t throw a whole life away just because you get banged up a little,” said Tom.

America needed a lift in the 1930s and they got it from three men and a racehorse. These unlikely champions gave America hope during one of America’s worst times.

The people you are helping also need a lift. They didn’t all start at the same place nor had the same opportunity.

Frederick Douglas wrote in 1859 that “The man who will get up will be helped up. The man who will not get up will be allowed to stay down.”

If they are in front of you…they want help to get up.

Give it to them.

Note: Seabiscuit’s saddle sold for $104,260 in 2015.