pari-mutuel wagering on horses
Hastings -> fairplay -> man o war -> hard tack -> sea biscuit
all racehorses were assigned a weight, called an "impost", to carry in each race.
The impost consisted of the jockey, his roughly four and a half pounds of saddle, boots, pants, and silks, and, if necessary, lead pads inserted into the saddle. To help aspiring riders establish themselves in the sport, a horse ridden by a bug boy had his impost reduced by five pounds. The bug offered a substantial break: The rule of thumb is that every two to three pounds slows a horse by a length in racing’s middle
Phar Lap -- the greatest racehorse in Australian history
Brushup -- War Admiral’s mother.
“For hire: One Rain-Maker Racehorse,” wrote David Alexander.
“Answers to the name of Seabiscuit. Guaranteed to cause rainstorms wherever he goes. Capable of solving all irrigation problems of dust bowl farmers. Can vastly simplify Federal reclamation projects in all drought areas. All businesses now operating under Federal Bankruptcy Law 7-B can become liquid at once by employing services of this miraculous animal.… Clockers have given up timing Seabiscuit with a stopwatch. They’re using a barometer instead.”