Laura Hillenbrand's 2001 book Seabiscuit: An American Legend told the true-life story of heroic 1930s racehorse Seabiscuit and the men who handled him. The book was a surprise best-seller and won critical acclaim, including being named a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Hillenbrand wrote the book despite suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and vertigo, illnesses which began after she suffered a case of food poisoning while a sophomore at Kenyon College in 1987. A specialist in thoroughbred history, she has written for Equus, Turf, American Heritage and many other publications.

Extra credit: Hillenbrand's book was the basis for the 2003 Universal movie Seabiscuit, starring Tobey Maguire and Jeff Bridges.