Opa Reads

The win finally comes for Seabiscuit.

Seabiscuit’s recuperation lasts several months and then the decision is made to bring both him and Red out of retirement.

Owners, trainers, and jockeys meet together at Pimlico track for the race of the century.

This chapter chronicles the ups and downs of Seabiscuit’s East Coast attempt to run against War Admiral.

Seabiscuit doesn’t race for nearly all the weeks leading up to the Santa Anita race because of owner disagreements and Red’s injury. Two jockeys are tried and it is Sonny who rides in the Classic.

Seabiscuit finishes his wins in California, then head east to set track records and become the winner of the largest total prize money for a season.

Seabiscuit loses his run at Santa Anita, but redeems his reputation immediately after in a smaller stakes race but with a stunning performance.

Seabiscuit heals, gets stronger, and starts winning races—beginning in the East and then out West in California.

Seabiscuit is bought, slowly healed, and given the chance to change from irritable to grateful.

Seabiscuit’s birth and trials during his early years are chronicled up to the point in his life when an old cowboy, Tom Smith, recognizes a horse with “real stuff.”

Robert stays cheerful, content, and a perfect hostess to the end of her life.

Robert is beset by an illness of some sort, and she is cared for by family and friends.

Robert does not receive the attention she is used to receiving at dinner time, so she makes a mess of the food items to gain the attention of adults at the table.

Robert ignores the mating instinct as well as the attention of a male quail, she lays 13 eggs, and she swallows a diamond stone.

The author is hosted by NBC which allows her and the Kienzle’s to discover other people who had adopted quail.

Robert enjoys playing chase/tag, she knows how to get attention, and her body proved able to digest even a red cloth ribbon. Three months of vacation came to a happy ending for the Kienzle’s as they returned to a healthy Robert.

Many people visited Robert every week, some who were ornithologists, some artists, and some simply captivated by a bird who loved to make people feel welcome.

Robert demonstrates God-given instinct regarding food, drinking water, fear of birds overhead, and her love of dirt baths.

The Kienzle’s make a good hand off to get Robert into new surroundings, then they leave on their trip. Robert settles into a new routine with Margaret and the three month visit commences.

The Kienzle’s plan a trip to Europe, so the author begins to plan how to care for Robert in their absence.

Robert molts, lays an egg, and gets weighed as springtime comes to the home.

Robert discovers the joy of the crèche (nativity), a Christmas tree, and the excitement of opening gifts.

Roberts is introduced to snow, he shows a love of warmth from his lamp or from fire, and he survives a bleeding toe injury.

We learn of Robert’s routines, beginning with morning practices, and also of phone conversations, his keen sense of order, and of his head injury from falling while asleep.

Robert, a quail born in Cape Cod, appears out of the last egg found in an abandoned nest and he quickly becomes an attached and social bird in the Kienzle home.