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His groom called him "de mostest hoss that ever
was" and that about sums it up for Man o'War in the eyes
of most American racing fans. Man o'War was not just a
great racehorse -- he became the standard by which all runners
have been compared then and ever since. Everything he did was
bigger than life, his accomplishments on the track, his
dominance as a stallion, and his tremendous charisma that drew
visitors from around the world to see him in life and in death.
Man o'War, a horse of mythic proportions, was probably
the greatest American racehorse ever, and the masterpiece
created by the great breeder August Belmont. |
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his dam, Mahubah |
his sire, Fair Play |
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Man o'War on the Turf
Man o'War was not an easy horse to break, showing much of
the fiery nature inherited from Fair Play and Hastings, probably
enhanced by the nervous energy coming from Mahubah and *Rock
Sand. As a yearling, he had been a gawky, spare-looking
individual that appealed to many, including Riddle, as a
potential hunter-jumper. Many considered him something short of
elegant, but he filled out into a truly magnificent specimen,
tall and powerfully muscled, with the high head carriage of the
Fair Plays. Man o'War's running gait was unusual,
a bounding leap that covered a tremendous amount of ground. He
was a free-running horse and despite his size, showed tremendous
agility and acceleration at the break.
His reputation in workouts preceded him, and Man o'War
was the favorite in his racing debut, which he won, a 5 furlong
maiden race at Belmont on June 6, 1919, by 6 lengths. Three days
later he won the Keene Memorial (5.5f.) by 3 lengths, and
followed up with victories in the Youthful Stakes (also 5.5f.),
and Hudson Stakes (5f.) before the end of the month, winning
both wire-to-wire. This wasn't just another good 2-year-old,
however. In his first 2 races, he had carried 115 pounds, and
was bumped up to 120 for the Youthful. His impost in the Hudson
Stakes was a whopping 130 pounds, a weight which he carried in
his next 5 starts.
Man o'War raced just once in July, taking
the Tremont Stakes (6f.) from flagfall to finish, and moved on
to the prestigious Saratoga meet in August. He won the United
States Hotel Stakes (6f.) by 2 easy lengths over Upset, but they
met again 11 days later in the Sanford Memorial Stakes (6f.). In
that event, the circumstances of which have become legendary,
Man o'War's stablemate *Golden Broom set the pace, followed
by Upset and then Man o'War himself, boxed behind the lead pair.
Upset took over the lead into the stretch from *Golden Broom,
who was tiring on the rail, but Man o'War had to go wide
and around Upset to get past, and in doing so, ran out of room,
with Upset hanging on for the win by half a length.
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American Flag (out of *Lady
Comfey by
Roi Herode)
bore a striking resemblence to his sire, and retired to stud
alongside him at Faraway Farm. He proved a successful sire
despite limited opportunities, getting 16 stakes winners led by
the champion 2-year-old filly Nellie Flag, who became a top
broodmare for Calumet Farm (dam of champion Mar-Kell, Kentucky
Oaks winner Nellie L., and Sunshine Nell) and established an
important female line that later produced Forego, Bold Forbes,
and Saratoga Six. American Flag also sired Gusto (Jockey Club
Gold Cup), Gay Dalton, Flag Pole, and Greek Flag. Besides Nellie
Flag, several of his daughters left a mark, particularly Lady
Glory, whose daughter Raise You produced the top sire Raise A
Native.
Man o'War's second crop produced one of his greatest
runners, the glorious golden chestnut Crusader (1923 out of Star
Fancy by
*Star Shoot)
won the Belmont Stakes, Jockey Club Gold Cup, and Suburban
Handicap at 3 and was considered one of the best of his era. As
a sire, Crusader was a serious disappointment, and only appears
in modern pedigrees through his daughter Heatherland (dam of
stakes winner and producer Heather Time, by Time Maker). Another
from the 1923 crop was the champion 3-year-old filly Edith
Cavell (out of The Nurse by
Yankee),
who won the C.C.A. Oaks, Latonia Oaks and Pimlico Cup (against
males), and won a second Pimlico Cup at the age of 5. The 1923
crop also included the
Travers Stakes winner Mars (out of Christmas Star by
*Star Shoot).
The 1924 crop produced the champion 2-year-old and Futurity
winner Scapa Flow.
With only 3 crops racing, Man o'War was America's Leading
Sire in 1926. He continued to sire a batallion of good runners,
although dominated by classic level performers and
later-maturing handicappers in the tradition of his sire Fair
Play. The outstanding racemare Bateau (1925) was a top
2-year-old, won the C.C.A. Oaks at 3, and matured into one of
the best handicappers, male or female, in the country, winning
the Suburban Handicap and Whitney Stakes at 4.
Man o'War was retired from stud service
due to a heart condition a few years before his death in 1947.
He died on November 1 of that year as a result of a heart
attack, at the age of 30, and the news shocked the nation. His
body was embalmed and placed in an oak coffin, where he lay in
state for visitors. He was buried a few days later in a public
radio broadcast. Riddle had set aside ground at Faraway Farm for
Man o'War's grave and those of some of his best
offspring, and had a life size bronze statue of the great horse
erected over the grave. This ground was given as a park to the
city of Lexington upon Riddle's death. In the early 1970s, the
graves and statue were moved to the newly developed Kentucky
Horse Park, where they remain today.
A match race had been offered and agreed upon
between the 3-year-old sensation Man o'War and the older
champion Sir Barton, who dominated his crop at 3 and 4. The
previous season, Sir Barton had won the Kentucky Derby,
Preakness, and Belmont Stakes, before that race became known as
"the Triple Crown" of American racing. In the match race at 10
furlongs, known as the Kenilworth Park Gold Cup, Man o'War
ran Sir Barton off his feet and won by 7 lengths in a
humiliating display of superiority. That said, Sir Barton was
giving the year-younger colt 6 pounds and was suffering a flare
up of chronic hoof problems at the time. A film of the race
shows Sir Barton floundering behind Man o'War the entire
trip, looking like a beaten horse every step of the way
That final victory marked the end of Man
o'War's race career, of 20 wins in 21 starts and $249,465 in
earnings, a new record. Owner Riddle opted to retire him at this
young age rather than face the crushing weights the handicappers
had promised to impose on the red horse to make it fair for his
opposition. Man o'War retired to Hinata Farm, north of
Lexington, Kentucky which Riddle leased while shopping for a
farm of his own. The horse and his retinue of mares and
youngstock was relocated to Faraway Farm a couple of years later
where Man o'War remained one of the biggest tourist
attractions in the state until his death.
Man o'War in
the Stud
The first crop by Man o'War was foaled in 1922. It was an
exciting group, especially so because Riddle had taken the
advice of expert horsemen like John Madden and bloodlines
specialist William Allison in selecting the broodmares that were
to be his first mates. Riddle was often criticized for the mares
he allowed to be bred to Man o'War, but in retrospect,
this seems to be the result of a "sour grapes" attitude rather
than actual deficiency in quality. The proof came on the race
track, as that first crop produced 3 champions -- the colt
American Flag (Belmont, Dwyer, Withers Stakes) and the fillies
Florence Nightingale (C.C.A. Oaks) and Maid At Arms (Alabama
Stakes, Pimlico Oaks), all of which dominated the 3-year-old
division of 1925.
Man O'War's statue at
Kentucky Horse Park
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