Seabiscuit – L2T – Second Language Tech

First Sentences

182 Words

This is a story about a horse.

His name is Seabiscuit.

Seabiscuit is a horse.

He is small.

He is not big.

He can run fast.

Seabiscuit is from the United States.

He is a racehorse.

Other horses are big.

Seabiscuit is small.

People laugh at him.

People say he is too small.

Seabiscuit loses many races.

He does not win.

He is sad.

He is lonely.

A man sees Seabiscuit.

The man buys the horse.

The man is kind.

He helps Seabiscuit.

He gives him food.

He gives him care.

Seabiscuit is happy.

Seabiscuit meets a rider.

The rider rides the horse.

The rider likes Seabiscuit.

Seabiscuit likes the rider.

They are friends.

They train every day.

They work hard.

Seabiscuit runs faster now.

He wins races.

People watch the races.

People cheer.

People are happy.

There is another horse.

The other horse is big.

The horses race together.

Seabiscuit runs fast.

Seabiscuit wins the race.

Seabiscuit is a champion.

He is small.

He is strong.

He does not give up.

Seabiscuit shows us something.

Small is okay.

You can win.

Level 1 Reader

612 Words

Seabiscuit: The Great Little Horse

This is a story about a horse. His name is Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit was not big. Seabiscuit was not strong. But Seabiscuit had a big heart. He ran very fast.

A Small Horse

Seabiscuit was born in the United States. He was born in 1933. He was a racehorse. Seabiscuit was small. Other racehorses were tall and strong. Seabiscuit was short and funny-looking. People laughed at him. They said, “He is too small. He is too slow.” But they were wrong.

A Sad Start

At first, Seabiscuit did not win races. He lost many races. He came in last place. People did not like him. They did not give him good food. They did not give him love. He was a sad horse. He was lonely.

A New Life

One day, a man saw Seabiscuit. The man was Charles Howard. Charles Howard bought Seabiscuit. He wanted to help him. He believed in the little horse. Charles Howard had a trainer. The trainer was Tom Smith. Tom Smith was kind. He looked at Seabiscuit and smiled. “This horse is special,” he said. Tom gave Seabiscuit love. Tom gave him time. Tom gave him good food and care. Seabiscuit was happy. Seabiscuit smiled.

A New Friend

Seabiscuit needed a jockey. A jockey is a person who rides a horse in a race. Tom found a man. His name was Red Pollard. Red was not a big man. Red was not a rich man. Red had no home. But Red loved horses. Red understood Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit liked Red. They became friends.

Learning to Race

Red rode Seabiscuit. They trained every day. They worked hard. Red talked to Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit listened. Now Seabiscuit was fast. Very fast. He began to win races. People saw him. People cheered. They said, “Go, Seabiscuit, go!”

A Star is Born

Seabiscuit won more races. He became famous. Everyone loved Seabiscuit. He was small, but he was strong. He was like the people. In the 1930s, life was hard. Many people had no money. Many people were sad. Seabiscuit gave them hope. He gave them smiles. He showed them: Small is okay. You can win.

The Big Race

There was another horse. His name was War Admiral. He was tall. He was fast. He was the best horse. People said, “War Admiral will win.” They said, “Seabiscuit is too small.” But Seabiscuit was ready. The big race was in 1938. Seabiscuit raced War Admiral. Red could not ride. He was hurt. Another man, George Woolf, rode Seabiscuit.

Seabiscuit vs. War Admiral

The race began. Seabiscuit ran fast. War Admiral ran fast too. Neck to neck. Side by side. The people shouted. “Go, Seabiscuit! Go!” Then Seabiscuit went faster. Faster and faster! He passed War Admiral. He won the race!

A True Champion

Seabiscuit was now a champion. He was a hero. He was famous in all of America. But then—bad news. Seabiscuit hurt his leg. People said, “He will never race again.” But they were wrong. Red was also hurt. He could not ride. But he did not give up. He got better. Seabiscuit got better too. They both worked hard.

One Last Race

Seabiscuit raced again. Red rode him again. People watched and hoped. Seabiscuit ran fast. He won! People cried. People cheered. It was a happy day.

The Little Horse That Could

Seabiscuit was small. But he was strong. He was fast. He was brave. He did not give up. Red did not give up. Tom did not give up. Charles did not give up. They worked together. They believed in each other. Seabiscuit showed the world: Never give up. You can win.

Level 2 Reader

584 Words

Seabiscuit: The Fast Little Horse

A Slow Start

In the 1930s, America was in the middle of the Great Depression. Life was hard. Many people had little money. They looked for hope, something to believe in.

At this time, a small and strange horse named Seabiscuit began to race.

Seabiscuit was not a beautiful horse. He was short. His legs were a bit crooked. He liked to sleep and eat more than run. Many people thought he was lazy. At first, Seabiscuit lost many races. People laughed at him.

But one man saw something special in him.

A Team of Misfits

That man was Charles Howard, a rich businessman who sold cars. He wanted to try something new. He decided to own a racehorse.

Howard found a horse trainer named Tom Smith. Tom was quiet and loved horses. He had a special way of working with animals. He believed that Seabiscuit just needed time and care.

Tom worked with Seabiscuit every day. He didn’t push him too hard. He let him rest, eat, and slowly grow stronger. The horse started to trust him.

But there was one more person needed to complete the team: a jockey.

The Right Rider

A jockey is a person who rides a horse in a race. Tom and Charles found Red Pollard, a young man with red hair. He had a strong heart but a difficult past. Red was blind in one eye and often didn’t have a place to sleep. Like Seabiscuit, he had lost many times before.

But when Red met Seabiscuit, something clicked. They understood each other. Both had been laughed at. Both had something to prove.

Winning the Crowd

With Red riding and Tom training, Seabiscuit began to win races. At first, people were surprised. Could this small horse really win?

But then he won again. And again. And again.

People began to cheer for him. Seabiscuit became a symbol of hope. He was not the biggest. He was not the fastest. But he never gave up.

He beat horses much taller and stronger than him. Newspapers wrote stories about him. Children had pictures of him. He became a star.

The Big Race

In 1938, there was one horse everyone called the best: War Admiral. He was tall, fast, and very proud. Many people thought no one could beat him.

Charles Howard wanted to prove that Seabiscuit was better. So, they planned a special race — only Seabiscuit and War Admiral. One-on-one. The race would happen at Pimlico Race Course.

On race day, thousands of people came. Millions more listened on the radio.

The two horses ran side by side. At first, War Admiral was ahead. But Seabiscuit kept going. His short legs moved quickly. Red knew just when to push him forward.

At the final turn, Seabiscuit pulled ahead. He crossed the finish line first!

The crowd went wild. America cheered. The little horse had beaten the champion.

More Than a Horse

After the race, Seabiscuit became even more famous. But his story didn’t end there.

Later, Seabiscuit had a serious injury. Many people thought he would never race again. But, with love and time, he healed. He returned to the track and won his final race before retiring.

Seabiscuit’s story was about more than racing. It was about hope, hard work, and second chances. He showed that even if others don’t believe in you, you can still succeed.

During a hard time in American history, one little horse helped people smile and believe again.

Level 3 Reader

634 Words

Seabiscuit: The Little Horse That Could

In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, many Americans were struggling. Jobs were scarce, money was tight, and hope was hard to find. But in the middle of this difficult time, an unlikely hero brought inspiration to millions. That hero was a small, misunderstood racehorse named Seabiscuit.

Seabiscuit was not the kind of horse people expected to win races. He was short, had crooked legs, and seemed lazy. He often ate and slept more than the other horses. Trainers thought he lacked motivation. He didn’t seem like a champion. In fact, he lost his first 17 races. But appearances can be deceiving.

Everything changed when Seabiscuit was bought by Charles Howard, a wealthy businessman from California. Howard had suffered personal tragedy when his young son died in an accident. He believed Seabiscuit might help him find a new purpose in life.

Howard hired a trainer named Tom Smith, a quiet and unusual man who understood horses better than people. Smith saw something special in Seabiscuit—something others had missed. He believed the horse had spirit and strength, but he needed patience and care. Smith trained Seabiscuit slowly, focusing on building trust and confidence.

The final piece of the puzzle was the jockey: Red Pollard. Pollard was a Canadian who had lost his family in hard times and had been riding horses since he was a boy. He was blind in one eye due to an accident, but he didn’t let anyone know. Like Seabiscuit, he had been overlooked and underestimated. The two formed a powerful bond.

Together, Howard, Smith, and Pollard turned Seabiscuit into a winner. As the horse began to win races, he captured the attention of the American public. People saw themselves in him—a fighter who had been counted out but refused to give up. Newspapers began to write about him. Crowds came to watch him run.

Seabiscuit’s greatest challenge came in 1938, when he faced off against War Admiral, the winner of the Triple Crown. War Admiral was tall, elegant, and fast. Everyone expected him to beat the smaller, slower Seabiscuit. The race was set at Pimlico Race Course, and the whole country was watching.

Although Pollard was injured and couldn’t ride, he helped coach another jockey, George Woolf, to take his place. On race day, Seabiscuit surprised everyone. He started strong and then slowed down, allowing War Admiral to catch up. Then, with perfect timing, Woolf urged Seabiscuit forward. The little horse pulled ahead and won by four lengths. The crowd went wild.

That victory made Seabiscuit a legend. He had proven that courage and determination could defeat size and power. For people living through the Depression, he became a symbol of hope and resilience.

Seabiscuit later suffered a serious injury and many thought he would never race again. But with careful treatment and training, he made a comeback. In 1940, in his final race, Seabiscuit won once again, retiring as one of the most beloved horses in American history.

The story of Seabiscuit is about more than just racing. It is about second chances, the power of belief, and the strength of the underdog. Each person in his team had been broken in some way—Howard by loss, Smith by loneliness, Pollard by injury, and Seabiscuit by rejection. But together, they created something extraordinary.

In 2003, Seabiscuit’s story was made into a successful film based on the best-selling book by Laura Hillenbrand. It reminded new generations of the horse that ran not just with his legs, but with his heart.

Even today, Seabiscuit’s story continues to inspire. He wasn’t born a champion. He became one through hard work, trust, and the refusal to give up. In a world that often rewards the biggest and the strongest, Seabiscuit proved that heart matters most.

Extensive Listening

Level 1 Audio