Seabiscuit
1938 Horse of the Year
Earnings: $437,730 ($5.6 million in 2002 dollars)

The first horse to top $400,000 in winnings, this grandson of Man o' War was a hard-luck hero for Depression-era America. An unlikely winner with short legs, perpetually-bent knees, and an oddball gait, Seabiscuit became a national celebrity. In six years of triumphs and disasters, Seabiscuit compiled 33 wins, 15 second places, and 13 thirds in an incredible 89 races.