Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Pages 128-129
This passage establishes the conflict and the settings and introduces several key characters,
including the two rival horses.
Short Answer: answer the following questions in complete sentences (repeat part of the
question in your response).
1) What is the Santa Anita handicap?
2) Who is Smith?
3) Who are Charles and Marcela Howard?
4) What does Howard mean when he says, “Put it all on Seabiscuit’s nose, please”?
5) Which two horses are about to compete? (lines 4-7)
6) What did Tom Smith do to fool the reporters? Why? (lines 10-12)
7) Why did the reports think Seabiscuit was lame?
8) How do the Howards feel about Seabiscuit? (lines 13-14)
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Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Multiple Choice: Read each question below carefully, and select the best response to the
question being asked.
1. From what you have read so far, what do you think is the author’s main purpose for
writing this piece?
a) To inform readers about the rivalry between Seabiscuit and Rosemont.
b) To inform readers how much money is at stake when betting at the racetrack.
c) To entertain readers with a fascinating, true story.
d) To persuade readers to bet on the underdog when betting at the track.
2. From what you have read so far, what do you think is the author’s secondary purpose for
writing this piece?
a) To inform readers about the rivalry between Seabiscuit and Rosemont.
b) To inform readers how much money is at stake when betting at the racetrack.
c) To entertain readers with a fascinating, true story.
d) To persuade readers to bet on the underdog when betting at the track.
3. Examine the photograph of Seabiscuit on page 129. What details convey his strength and
will to win?
a) The people on the sidelines are cheering him on, and have invested a lot of money
betting on his win.
b) The horse behind Seabiscuit is struggling to catch up to him, indicating that
Seabiscuit is winning.
c) Seabiscuit’s toned muscles as he surges forward show his strength. His ears are alert
and pointed forward showing his will to win.
d) The dirt flying from both horses hooves show the quick pace of the race, and the
horses’ undeniable speed.
Page 130
Short Answer: answer the following questions in complete sentences (repeat part of the
question in your response).
1. Who is Pollard?
2. Predict! Which horse do you think will win the race? Why do you think so?
3. What physical attributes of a successful jockey does the photograph highlight?
4. What other traits might a trainer look for in a jockey?
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Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Page 131
Short Answer: answer the following questions in complete sentences (repeat part of the
question in your response).
This passage (lines 64-72) highlights the point in the race when both Pollard and Richards
begin to make their final moves to win.
1. What is Pollard waiting for?
2. What does Richards decide to do at this moment?
3. How does Pollard’s decision work out?
4. Which three horses are in the lead by the end of this passage?
Multiple Choice.
1. What qualities do you see in Pollard and Seabiscuit that suggest they may win this race?
Select the two best answer choices.
a) “Pollard had delivered a masterpiece of reinsmanship.”
b) “Pollard pulled Seabiscuit’s nose to the outside and slapped him on the rump.”
c) “It was down to Rosemont and Seabiscuit.”
d) “Seabiscuit pounced…had stolen a three-length advantage.”
e) “Seabiscuit is going to win.”
2. In lines 97-98, the author offers two possible reasons why Seabiscuit lost his composure.
Which reason seems more likely?
a) “…he sensed Pollard’s hesitation.”
b) “…he slowed in hopes of finding an opponent to toy with.”
c) “Seabiscuit took a sharp turn left…”
d) “He had given away several feet of his lead.”
Page 132
1. What details in lines 105-112 suggest that the Richards-Rosemont combination have the
characteristics of a winner? Select the best answer choice.
a) Rosemont was raised under Richards’ care and trusts his jockey on the track.
b) Richards’ is a perfect height to be Rosemont’s jockey and can see perfectly between
his ears.
c) Rosemont is used to Richards’ raging desire and whip pushing him forwards.
d) Richards is a skilled jockey and Rosemont is a fast horse that responds well to
Richards’ instinct.
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Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Reread lines 113-123. What details make this passage not only informative but also
entertaining? Select the three best answer choices.
a) A lot of sensory details are used to describe a few seconds of the race.
b) Short and quick sentences help to build suspense.
c) Hillenbrand offers many perspectives about the decisions made in the race.
d) Specific numbers help readers to visualize the action.
e) Specific terms, such as “half-moon blinker cups” are included.
Page 133
This passage presents the climax of the race.
Short Answer: answer the following questions in complete sentences (repeat part of the
question in your response).
1. Which two horses cross the finish line at the same time?
2. Why were the fans sitting “in agonized anticipation”? What does the photo finish
show? Who won the race?
3. Analyze the photograph. What elements of a dramatic finish does this photograph
capture?
4. What does the photo add to your understanding of the story? Include specific details
about the horses’ appearance, and the jockeys’ appearance, and what you are able to
infer from their body language.
Page 134
Short Answer: answer the following questions in complete sentences (repeat part of the
question in your response).
1. It has been said that true winners must also know how to lose. How might this
saying apply to the behavior of Charles, Marcela, and Pollard in lines 148-160?
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Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Analyze the photograph on page 134. Consider Seabiscuit’s appearance and body
language. Consider Pollard’s appearance and body language. What does this photo
of Seabiscuit show you about their relationship? Be specific and use details from the
photograph in your response.
Page 135
This passage reveals Pollard’s secret: his partial blindness, which may have cost him the race.
1. Who does the public blame for Seabiscuit’s loss?
a) Pollard
b) Marcela
c) Smith
d) Howard
2. Why doesn’t Pollard say more in his own defense?
a) He was uncomfortable with the attention he received.
b) It was part of his jockey contract not to speak to the press.
c) He was trapped. If he defended himself, his career would have ended.
d) He wanted the public to blame the horse to make for an exciting comeback.
3. What secret has Pollard been hiding?
a. He had been paid off to fix the race for Rosemont to win.
b. His poor depth perception made him dizzy, causing him to falter.
c. He couldn’t win without fouling Rosemont.
d. He is blind in his right eye.
4. Why has he been hiding it?
a. His career as a jockey would be over.
b. He would face extreme criticism.
c. He would face jail time for fixing a race.
d. He feared Smith would blame Seabiscuit.
5. What consequence may this secret have had?
a. He would have nowhere to go, and no other career options.
b. He would face jail time for fixing a race.
c. It would have ended Seabiscuit’s career as a racehorse.
d. He would have lost the family he found in the Howards, and Smith.
Personal Response: What did you admire most about Seabiscuit? What did you admire
most about Pollard? Give reasons to support your answers.
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Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
After Reading
Comprehension
1. Recall! Which horse was Seabiscuit’s main challenger in the race?
2. Recall! How did the stewards determine which horse had won the race?
3. Clarify! Why did Pollard keep the blindness in his right eye a secret?
4. Identify Author’s Purpose Circle the most likely reasons that Hillenbrand wrote
Seabiscuit: An American Legend.
a.to persuade readers to buy a horse
c. to explain facts about Seabiscuit’s life
b.to share her feelings about horses
d. to entertain readers with an exciting tale
5. Evaluate! How does the revelation about Pollard’s blindness in his right eye affect
your evaluation of Seabiscuit as a racing horse?
6. Historical Context. Commenting on Seabiscuit, Hillenbrand said, “The subjects that
I’ve written about—the men and the horse—were radically different individuals,
but the one thread that pulls through all of their lives…is this struggle between
overwhelming hardship and the will to overcome it.” When Seabiscuit raced, the
United States was reeling from the Great Depression, a catastrophic economic
collapse that began in 1929 and continued through the 1930s. What might
Seabiscuit have represented to the country at that time?
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