Howard told us, to our surprise, that not only do Seabiscuit’s silvered hooves exist, but that we would be able to borrow them for testing,” Cooper says. Image Credit: Jacqueline Cooper, Seabiscuit Heritage FOundation. What Michael Howard had in mind was well beyond anything they could have imagined. While Seabiscuit was buried in an undisclosed grave at Ridgewood Ranch, they wondered if an old brush with some of the champion’s hair still existed. Michael Howard, the great-grandson of Seabiscuit’s owner, Charles Howard, into the conversation to see if he had any suggestions. Looking for a solution, Cooper brought Col. We realized pretty quickly that would be very difficult to do, considering we didn’t have any DNA from Seabiscuit ,” Cooper says. “I wanted to know if it would be possible to see which of Bronze Sea’s traits stemmed from Seabiscuit. Cooper, who lives at Ridgewood Ranch (the Northern California home of Seabiscuit) had long had an interest in preserving Seabiscuit’s legacy. It was at one such conference that his work caught the attention of Cooper, who owned a fifth-generation descendant of Seabiscuit named Bronze Sea. As he discussed his method at conferences, he began making a name for himself in the world of horse racing. He also started his own company, Thorough- Gen LLC, genetically testing horses around the country to give owners insight into the potential of their Thoroughbreds. Partnering with other Binghamton faculty, Tammariello established the Institute for Equine Genomics and started testing gene variants found in horses of all skill levels, hoping to determine what exactly makes a good racehorse. “I wondered if anyone had ever looked at the genetics of racehorses, and I thought it was a fascinating interaction between my knowledge of genetics and genomics, and my interest in horse racing,” he says. But as time went on, his interest in horses started finding its way into his work. When he first came to Binghamton University, he studied the molecular regulation of neurodegeneration using models of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. I grew up going to a really small race track, and I’ve always loved it,” Tammariello says.Īssociate Professor Steve Tammariello and anthropology PhD student Kate DeRosa. “I’ve always looked at horse racing as this magical kind of sport. While he’s always had an interest in horses, Associate Professor Steven Tammariello never anticipated how much they’d actually be involved in his research. With the help of cutting-edge science and a descendent of Seabiscuit’s owner, a Binghamton University molecular physiologist may have found the answer within the champion’s DNA. Immortalized in a best-selling book by Laura Hillenbrand and an Oscar-nominated film, the story of Seabiscuit has left many wondering what exactly propelled him from zero to hero. “The notoriety this little horse has achieved is quite remarkable.” “Watching the original footage from the War Admiral race still gives me goosebumps,” Cooper says. With tens of thousands of fans in the stands at Maryland’s Pimlico Race Course, and millions more listening in at home on the radio, Seabiscuit pulled away during the final stretch of the race and claimed a dramatic victory by four lengths. Seabiscuit’s rise to the top culminated in the 1938 “Match of the Century” race against Triple Crown winner War Admiral. ![]() He had more newspaper headlines than many other notable public figures at the time, and people were really taking note of his accomplishments,” says Jacqueline Cooper, president emeritus of the Seabiscuit Heritage Foundation. “Out of nowhere, Seabiscuit inspired hope at a time in our history when people were really struggling. After losing his first 17 races, Seabiscuit became a star with a sudden streak of against-the-odds victories. The tale of the nobody who musters the strength to become a champion, attracting supporters along the way and leaving naysayers with their jaws on the floor is forever compelling.ĭuring the Great Depression, a time when Americans were looking for someone - or something - to root for, an underdog came along in the form of a small, lazy Thoroughbred named Seabiscuit. ![]() The story of the underdog is sewn into the fabric of American culture.
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