The film is loosely based on the life and racing career of Seabiscuit, an undersized and overlooked Thoroughbred race horse, whose unexpected successes made him a hugely popular media sensation in the United States during the Great Depression.
Film je djelomično temeljen na životu i trkaćoj karijeri Seabiscuita, često zanemarivanog konja za utrke kojega je neočekivani uspjeh učinio medijskom senzacijom u SAD-u za vrijeme Velike depresije.