Man O' War (horse)

Man O' War, (March 29, 1917 Nursery Stud farm, Lexington, Kentucky - November 1, 1947, Faraway Farm) [1] is considered by many to be the greatest US thoroughbred racehorse of all time. During his career just after World War I, he won 20 of 21 races and $249,465 in purses.

From the prominent sire Fair Play, out of the mare, Mahubah, Man O' War was owned and bred by August Belmont, Jr. (1851-1924), whose father's accomplishments were recognised through the naming of the Belmont Stakes. However, Belmont Jr. joined the United States Army at age 65 to serve in France during World War I. While overseas, his wife named the new foal "My Man O' War" in honor of her husband. However, when the Belmonts made the decision to liquidate their racing stable and at the Saratoga yearling sale in 1918, Man O' War was sold to Samuel D. Riddle for $5,000 who brought him to his Glen Riddle Farm near Berlin, Maryland.

Trained by Louis Feustel and ridden by jockey Johnny Loftus, Man O' War made an impressive racing debut at Belmont Park on June 6, 1919, winning by six lengths. Three weeks later he won the Keene Memorial Stakes.

In the early 1900s, there were no starting gates. Jockeys circled around - as they still do - but then gathered their horses in a line and were sent away by the signal of the starter's flag. In Man O' War's only loss, the Sanford Memorial Stakes, he still was circling with his back to the starting line when the flag was dropped. After the jockey got Man O' War turned around, he already was far behind the pack. Despite this, he still came close to winning, losing by a half-length as he charged across the finish line in second. The horse that won was Upset, whose name is sometimes (falsely) thought to have popularized a new phrase in sports ("upset" meaning an upstart beating the favorite). Man O' War finished his 2-year-old campaign winning 9 of 10 races.

In 1920, Johnny Loftus was denied a renewal of his jockey's license by the racing commission and was replaced as Man O' War's rider by Clarence Kummer. That May, 3-year-old Man O' War was not entered in the Kentucky Derby because his owner did not like racing in Kentucky and believed it was too early in the year for a young horse to go a mile and a quarter. The previous year, Sir Barton had won the first-ever U.S. Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, but at the time it did not have the prestige and importance that only came 10 years later when Gallant Fox accomplished the feat under a great deal of media attention.

After handily winning the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland, the horse was sent to Elmont, New York for the Belmont Stakes. Man O' War won the then-1 3/8th miles race by 20 lengths, setting another American record with a time of 2:14.20, beating Sir Barton's mark set in the previous year by over 3 full seconds. That year he also won the Dwyer Stakes, the Travers Stakes and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. As the racing season wound down, no one wanted to race his horse against the seemingly invincible Man O' War, who had easily won every race he entered. At the Lawrence Realization Stakes, no other horse was willing to go up against him until finally a horse named Hoodwink was persuaded to enter. Man O' War won by an astonishing margin in excess of 100 lengths while setting a new world record of 2:40 4/5 for a mile and five-eighths.

The final start of Man O' War's illustrious career came in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in the Kenilworth Park Gold Cup, a race that for the first time was filmed in its entirety. For this 1¼ mile match race, Man O' War was up against the great Sir Barton but easily drew away in the final quarter-mile to defeat the Triple Crown champion by 7 lengths. Following his undefeated season of 11 straight wins, the superstar horse was shipped to Faraway Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, to stand at stud. Over his two-year career, Man O' War won 20 of 21 races, setting three world records, two American records and three track records.

As a sire, Man O' War was impressive as well; producing more than 64 stakes winners and 200 various champions. Two of the more famous of his offspring were Battleship, who won the 1938 English Grand National steeplechase, and War Admiral, the 1937 Triple Crown winner. Another of his offspring, Hard Tack, sired Seabiscuit. His son War Relic was his most successful sire. Tiznow, Honour and Glory, and Bertrando are all sire-line descendents of Man O' War.

Man O' War died in 1947 at the age of 30 of an apparent heart attack only one month after his longtime groom, Will Harbut. He was originally interred at Faraway Farm, but in the early 1970s his remains were moved to a new burial site at the Kentucky Horse Park where his grave is marked with a statue by American sculptor, Herbert Haseltine. His biography, "Man O' War" by Page Cooper and Roger Treat, first published in 1950, is a classic of its kind. Walter Farley, author of The Black Stallion series, also wrote a biography of Man O' War.

Man O' War was inducted in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1957. In the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the Top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, Man O' War was ranked No. 1.

{{Pedigree|name = Man O' War|f = Fair Play
ch. 1905|ff = Hastings
br. 1893|fff = Spendthrift|ffff = Australian| fffm = Aerolite| ffm = Cinderella|ffmf = Tomahawk| ffmm = Manna| fm = Fairy Gold
ch. 1896|fmf = Bend Or|fmff = Doncaster| fmfm = Rouge Rose| fmm = Dame Masham|fmmf = Galliard| fmmm = Pauline| m = Mahubah
b. 1910|mf = Rock Sand
br. 1900|mff = Sainfoin|mfff = Springfield| mffm = Sanda| mfm = Roquebrune|mfmf = St.Simon|mfmm = St.Marguerite| mm = Merry Token
b. 1891|mmf = Merry Hampton|mmff = Hampton| mmfm = Doll Tearshieet| mmm = Mizpar|mmmf = Mangretor| mmmm = Underhand Mare (FNo.4-c)|

Man O' War is also a direct descendant of the Godolphin Arabian.

See also

External links

* Unofficial Thoroughbred Hall of Fame
* Quick online racing game
* Man O'War (born 1917 - died 1947)
* The Ultimate Horse Dictionary