Man o' War (USA)

March 29, 1917 – November 1, 1947

Fair Play (USA) x Mahubah (USA), by Rock Sand (GB)

Family 4-c

Still considered by many to be the best American racehorse of all time, Man o' War was put to the test only twice in his career: once when a closing second to Upset in the Sanford Memorial Stakes after a poor start and a bad trip, and once when conceding 18 pounds to the speedy John P. Grier in the Dwyer Stakes. At his best “Big Red” was simply untouchable despite enormous weight concessions, winning easily and giving the impression that he could have done much more. He set world records for 9, 11 and 13 furlongs and American records for 1 mile and 12 furlongs and retired to stud after an effortless seven-length romp over the first Triple Crown winner, Sir Barton, in the Kenilworth Park Gold Cup. As his longtime stud groom Will Harbut never tired of saying, he was “de mostest hoss.”

Race record

21 starts, 20 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds, US$249,465

1919:

• Won Keene Memorial Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Belmont)
• Won Youthful Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Jamaica)
• Won Hudson Stakes (USA, 5FD, Aqueduct)
• Won Tremont Stakes (USA, 6FD, Aqueduct)
• Won United States Hotel Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
• Won Grand Union Hotel Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
• Won Hopeful Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
• Won Futurity Stakes (USA, 6FD, Belmont)
• 2nd Sanford Memorial Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)

1920:

• Won Preakness Stakes (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
• Won Withers Stakes (USA, 8FD, Belmont; new American record 1:35-4/5)
• Won Belmont Stakes (USA, 11FD, Belmont; new world record 2:14-1/5)
• Won Stuyvesant Handicap (USA, 8FD, Jamaica)
• Won Dwyer Stakes (USA, 9FD, Aqueduct; new world record 1:49-1/5)
• Won Miller Stakes (USA, 9.5FD, Saratoga)
• Won Travers Stakes (USA, 10FD, Saratoga; equaled track record 2:01-4/5)
• Won Lawrence Realization (USA, 13FD, Belmont; new world record 2:40-4/5)
• Won Jockey Club Stakes (USA, 12FD, Belmont; new American record 2:28-4/5)
• Won Potomac Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Havre de Grace; new track record 1:44-4/5)
• Won Kenilworth Park Gold Cup (match race with Sir Barton) (CAN, 10FD, Kenilworth Park; new track record 2:03)

Honors

• National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 1957)
• Saratoga Walk of Fame (inducted as part of the inaugural class in 2013)
• Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame (inducted in 2020)
  
• American Horse of the Year (1920)
• American champion 2-year-old male (1919)
• American champion 3-year-old male (1920)

Assessments

Man o' War was rated as the greatest American racehorse of the 20th century by expert panels convened by The Blood-Horse (Thoroughbred Champions, Eclipse Press, 7th printing, 2005), the Associated Press, and Sports Illustrated.

In their book A Century of Champions (1999, Portway Press Ltd.), British experts John Randall and Tony Morris rated Man o' War as the seventh best North American racehorse of the 20th century.

At 2, Man o' War was rated at 136 pounds by Daily Racing Form handicapper C. C. Ridley, 16 pounds above second-rated Blazes.

As an individual

Man o' War stood 16.2½ hands at maturity. He was a powerful chestnut with a slight Roman nose, prominent withers, excellent bone, virtually flawless legs and feet, and a deep girth. He was sometimes faulted as being coarse and having a slightly dipped back that deepened with age; according to Charles Hatton of the Daily Racing Form, he stood 17 hands at the highest point of his hips, an inch and half higher than his withers. He also had an unusually wide chest, though his action showed none of the paddling often associated with such conformation. His action was high and bounding but with a huge stride.

Courageous and willing on the track, Man o' War showed some of the high-strung temperament of his dam Mahubah and maternal grandsire Rock Sand around the barn, sometimes chewing on his own hoofs in the manner of a nervous human's chewing of fingernails. Those who knew him well considered him highly intelligent but willful; he could be handled by persuasion but not by force. He was deeply attached to his almost equally famous stud groom, Will Harbut, and was also fond of both John Loftus, the jockey who rode him throughout his juvenile season, and of groom Frank Loftus, who taught Man o' War to fetch his hat and carry it as if the horse were an oversized dog.


As a stallion

According to Jockey Club records, Man o' War sired 219 winners (57.4%) and 62 stakes winners (16.3%) from 381 named foals. He is a Solid chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.


Sire rankings:

Per The Blood-Horse:

• Led the American general sire list in 1926; 2nd in 1928, 1929, and 1937; 5th in 1925 and 1941; 7th in 1927 and 1938; 9th in 1936
• 2nd on the American broodmare sire list in 1933 and 1942-1950; 3rd in 1937, 1939, and 1941; 5th in 1938 and 1952; 6th in 1940; 7th in 1935 and 1951; 8th in 1936 and 1954; 10th in 1953 and 1955.

Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):

• Led the American general sire list in 1926; 2nd in 1928, 1929, and 1937; 5th in 1925 and 1941; 7th in 1927 and 1938; 9th in 1936.
• 2nd on the American broodmare sire list in 1933 and 1942-1950; 3rd in 1937, 1939, and 1941; 5th in 1938 and 1952; 6th in 1940; 7th in 1935 and 1951; 8th in 1936 and 1954; 10th in 1953 and 1955.

Notable progeny

American Flag (USA), Annapolis (USA), Bateau (USA), Battleship (USA), Blockade (USA), Clyde Van Dusen (USA), Crusader (USA), Edith Cavell (USA), Florence Nightingale (USA), Judy O'Grady (USA), Maid at Arms (USA), Mars (USA), Scapa Flow (USA), Tsukitomo (JPN), Valkyr (USA), War Admiral (USA), War Feathers (USA), War Relic (USA), Warrior Lass (USA)


Notable progeny of daughters

Ace Admiral (USA), Ace Card (USA), Adile (USA), Athenia (USA), Blue Denim (USA), Blue Swords (USA), Columbiana (USA), Cravat (USA), Creole Maid (USA), Dauber (USA), Dawn Play (USA), Firethorn (USA), Gold Foam (USA), Greek Ship (USA), Harmonica (USA), Helioscope (USA), High Fleet (USA), Hypnotic (USA), Jabot (USA), Level Best (USA), Mata Hari (USA), Pavot (USA), Price Level (USA), Rampart (USA), Sky Ship (USA), Snow Goose (USA), Thumbs Up (USA), Vagrancy (USA), Vicaress (USA), War Plumage (USA)


Connections

Man o' War was bred by August Belmont II. He was owned by Samuel D. Riddle, who purchased the colt for US$5,000 at the 1918 Saratoga yearling sales. Man o' War was trained by Louis Feustel. He entered stud in 1921 in Kentucky at Hinata Farm, later moving to Faraway Farm. He was pensioned in 1943 due to a heart attack and died at Faraway Farm in November 1947.


Pedigree notes

Man o' War is inbred 5x5 to three-time leading English sire Galopin and and seven-time English leading sire Hermit, both winners of the Derby Stakes. He is a full brother to 1924 Jockey Club Gold Cup winner My Play and to minor stakes winner Masda, dam of stakes winners Dazzler (by Whisk Broom II), Incandescent (by Chicle), and Maeda (by Pennant); second dam of seven stakes winners including 1949 Suburban Handicap winner Vulcan's Forge; and third dam of six stakes winners including 1946 Triple Crown winner Assault.

Man o' War was produced from Mahubah, a full sister to English stakes winner Sand Mole and a half sister to Canadian stakes winner Tactics (by Hastings). His second dam Merry Token is a half sister to English stakes winners Tanzmeister (by Saraband), Watchtower (by Muncaster) and Watchful (by Thurio).


Books and media

• Noted author and lithographer C. W. Anderson wrote the first biography of Man o' War. Titled Big Red, it was released by the Macmillan Company in September 1943, four years before Man o' War's death.
• The first posthumous biography of the champion was Man o' War, written by Page Cooper and Roger L. Treat. It was published by Julian Messener, Inc., in 1950.
• Another biography, Man o' War, was the first release in the Thoroughbred Legends series from Eclipse Press. It was written by Edward Bowen and was published in 2000.
• Dorothy Ours authored the highly acclaimed Man o' War: A Legend Like Lightning. The runner-up for the 2006 Castleton Lyons Book Award, Ours' biography was published by St. Martin's Press.
• Walter Farley, author of the Black Stallion series, penned a fictionalized biography of Man o' War that was released in 1962 by Random House.
• Man o' War is profiled in Chapter 45 of Abram Hewitt's Sire Lines (1977, The Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association; updated and reprinted by Eclipse Press in 2006)
• Man o' War is profiled in Chapter 5 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
• Man o' War: Best Racehorse Ever was published by Random House in 2005 as part of the Step Into Reading series for elementary school children. The book was written by Jennifer McKerley and illustrated by Terry Widener.
• Rommy Faversham's 2005 work Samuel Riddle, Walter Jeffords and the Dynasty of Man o' War is the first book of the Great Breeders and Their Methods series, published by The Russell Meerdink Company, Ltd. Faversham's book focuses on Man o' War's breeding career and long-term legacy.
• Man o' War is one of 205 stallions whose accomplishments at stud are profiled in Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, The Australian Bloodhorse Review), a massive reference work written by Jennifer Churchill, Andrew Reichard and Byron Rogers.
• Man o' War is one of 50 Thoroughbreds profiled in Royal Blood: Fifty Years of Classic Thoroughbreds. Written by racing historian Jim Bolus with illustrations and commentary by noted equine artist Richard Stone Reeves, the book was released by The Blood-Horse, Inc., in 1994.
• Footage of Man o' War's race against Sir Barton in the Kenilworth Gold Cup can be accessed at the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, https://www.canadianhorseracinghalloffame.com/2020/10/15/man-o-war/.

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Fun facts

• Man o' War won the 1920 Lawrence Realization by an estimated 100 lengths, the largest official margin of victory for any major American stakes race in the 20th century. Noted sportswriter Joe Palmer believed the true margin was closer to 200 lengths.
• Man o' War's time of 1:35-4/5 for the Withers Stakes was a new American record for times made in actual competition but did not best the record of 1:34-4/5 set by Roamer in a 1918 time trial.
• Man o' War's constant companion during his racing days was a retired show hunter named Major Treat. He also enjoyed the company of an Airedale terrier named Barry.
• Man o' War's favorite treat was oranges.
• Man o' War's coat was marked by a large gray patch on his near stifle. He also had black “Bend Or” spots, handed down from the famous racer and sire of that name.
• Like many other famous horses of his time, Man o' War had his name and image used to sell a number of products. Among them was "Man o' War Bond," a line of stationery manufactured in Lexington, Kentucky.
• Over 500,000 visitors signed the Faraway Farm guest book beginning after Man o' War moved there in May 1922 and ending in the spring of 1947 after Riddle closed the farm to visitors due to the stallion's declining health. The true number of visitors who came to see Man o' War will never be known as many forgot to sign the guest book.
• Called “the onliest horse to have a birthday” by Will Harbut, Man o' War routinely received telegrams, carrots and other tributes on his actual birthday, March 29. On his 21st birthday, he was the guest of honor at a party attended by Kentucky governor A. B. “Happy” Chandler and announced by Clem McCarthy.
• Man o' War's death in 1947 was observed by a moment of silence at all American racetracks. His remains are buried at the Kentucky Horse Park, where Herbert Haseltine's heroic bronze statue of the great horse greets thousands of visitors yearly. Big Red shares his final resting place with his sons War Admiral and War Relic and with the great jockey Isaac Murphy.
• On April 12, 1947, the First Cavalry Division of the U.S. Army made Man o' War an honorary colonel. Big Red received full military honors from all 3,000 members of the unit when news of his death reached their station in Tokyo, Japan.
• The Man o' War Stakes was inaugurated in 1959. It is currently run as a weight-for-age race at 11 furlongs on the turf at Belmont Park. A Grade 1 race since the graded stakes system was introduced in 1973, it was dropped to Grade 2 status in 2004.
• The gold trophy Man o' War received for his victory over Sir Barton was designed and crafted by Tiffany & Co. and was valued at US$5,000 at that time. Now known as the "Man o' War Cup," the trophy was donated to Saratoga Race Course by Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Riddle and is presented as the trophy for the Travers Stakes, a tradition begun with Granville's victory in 1936. The winning owner receives a gold-plated replica to keep.
• Saratoga is also the custodian of the eighth pole that marked the climactic point of Man o' War's duel with John P. Grier in the 1920 Dwyer Stakes. The historic pole was moved to Saratoga in 1959 following the 1956-1959 renovation of Aqueduct (where the race was held) and is currently displayed just inside Gate B.
• ESPN ranked Man o' War 84th among the top 100 North American athletes of the 20th century, making him one of only three non-humans on the list.
• Samuel Riddle's purchase of Man o' War was ranked #18 in Horse Racing's Top 100 Moments, a review of racing in the 20th century compiled by The Blood-Horse and released in 2006. Man o' War's upset loss to Upset in the 1919 Sanford Memorial is also on the list at #29, and the broadcast of his funeral checked in at #80.
• Man o' War Boulevard is a major thoroughfare in Lexington, Kentucky.
• According to bassist Joey DeMaio, the heavy metal band Manowar is named for the great champion.
• Will Harbut died a month before his beloved Man o' War, but his family has carried on his legacy in the Thoroughbred industry. His son Tom Harbut was an exercise rider for Man o' War's sons War Admiral and War Relic before eventually becoming the stallion manager at Spendthrift Farm, and his great-grandson Greg Harbut runs a successful bloodstock agency.
• The Man o' War Project is an ongoing research project at Columbia University designed to explore the potential of equine therapy in treating military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• When he was nine years old, Hall of Fame trainer Charlie Whittingham got a tattoo of Man o' War. He was still showing off that tattoo seven decades later.

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Photo credit

Photographer unknown. From the collection of Quarter Horse Record (Susan Larkin); used by permission.



Last updated: August 16, 2024