Seabiscuit: The Birth of Performance Enhancing Drugs
The first high-profile case of the usage of performance enhancing drugs was Seabiscuit, a champion thoroughbred race horse made popular today by the 2003 film, Seabiscuit.
Red Pollard riding atop Seabiscuit, horse growth hormones (HGH), and various anabolic steroids.
A symbol of hope during the Great Depression, Seabiscuit rose from anonymity to become a dominant racehorse. Tragically, Seabiscuit sustained a career-threatening injury, which he miraculously sprang back from.
It was his surprising comeback in 1940 that sparked the curiosity of sports reporters across the nation. Not only was the comeback remarkable, but the horse’s physique had noticeably changed since he was last on the track.
Not until Red Pollard’s death on March 7, 1981 did he reveal that he and the trainer, Tom Smith had indeed given Seabiscuit anabolic steroids and horse growth hormone.
The side effects of using HGH and anabolic steroids haunted Seabiscuit for the rest of his days. Up until his death in 1947, Seabiscuit experienced male-pattern baldness,
