Seabiscuit Quotes

Charles Howard: You could be crippled for the rest of your life.
Red Pollard: I *was* crippled for the rest of my life. I got better. He made me better. Hell, you made me better.

Movie: Seabiscuit
Shawn O'Hara, Seabiscuit's Trainer: You've a perfect right to know why I came to America. I'm through training jumping horses for the rest of me days. No doubt you remember the last grand national at Aintree?
George Carson, Head Trainer at Milford Farms: Oh, sure. I remember.
Shawn O'Hara, Seabiscuit's Trainer: I saddled the favorite, Blackwatch. And the jockey was Danny, Margaret's brother. He was a great jockey and a great lad. Blackwatch was the best horse, and Danny the best jockey that day. We were the favorite. We had it won handily. He was running easily. It was just as though Danny were taking that grand, strong horse for a gallop. Sure there were jumps, and Blackwatch flew over them. Then came the last jump. Who knows what happened? Not I. Not anyone. They failed to clear it, and Blackwatch was down with Danny under him. Both boy and horse were done for when I got there. For 30 years I've been training jumpers in the so-called sport of kings. But that day at Aintree it came to me that when you kill a lovely lad and break the back of a fine horse the devil's in it, and not kings. A large part of me heart is in Danny's grave. And as for Margaret, I only hope the time will come when the blackness of that day will be lifted from her soul.

Movie: Seabiscuit
Riddle: [On Radio talking about a match race with Seabiscuit] It wouldn't be fair to us. It wouldn't be fair to them either. You wouldn't put Jack Dempsey in the ring with a middle-weight would you?
Red Pollard: Middle-weight? I'll kill him. I'll knock his goddamn block off. He's chicken, that's what it is. I mean, middle-weight?

Movie: Seabiscuit
Shawn O'Hara, Seabiscuit's Trainer: Listen, Ted, you just finished third on a colt that could have won.
Ted Knowles, Jockey: Oh, is that so? The bad ride beat him, huh?
Shawn O'Hara, Seabiscuit's Trainer: No. His disposition beat him. He's too friendly, too sociable for his own good. Now, I've been working on an idea. I cut two holes in his blinkers, and here's what you've got to do. The next time you start with him, take him to the front if you can. When you can see the head of a horse closing in on you out of the corner of your eye, hit the Biscuit with all the power that's in you, three times, no more. After that, hand ride him to the wire. Is that clear now?
Ted Knowles, Jockey: Sure, that's easy.
Shawn O'Hara, Seabiscuit's Trainer: And get this. Do it every time you start, three terrible, hard cuts.
Ted Knowles, Jockey: Okay, then what?
Shawn O'Hara, Seabiscuit's Trainer: He'll soon learn it's not play, and it won't be long till you notice him cocking an ear back to listen at what's coming up behind. After that, you'll not need the whip. He'll get up and go to get away from it when he gets a peek at the closing horse through the holes in his blinkers.
Ted Knowles, Jockey: Well, it won't hurt to try. I'll ride him just that way.
Shawn O'Hara, Seabiscuit's Trainer: I think it'll work.

Movie: Seabiscuit
[Upon entering Samuel Riddle's stables]
Red Pollard: Jesus Christ. I want to be a horse.
Tom Smith: You're almost big enough.

Movie: Seabiscuit