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Man O’War was born on March 29, 1917. His parents were Fair Play and Mahuba. August Belmont sold him to Samuel D. Riddle for a cost of $5,000. Man O’War was always known to be in a hurry. When he was instructed to walk, he ran and vice versa. He had a mind of his own, and he always wanted to go faster. Sadly though, Man O’War never raced in the Kentucky Derby, but there has never been another racehorse like this one. This magnificent animal had a mind of his own and it was apparent to many that he worried about the races. In his stall before entering a race, he would sometimes chew on his hooves or biting his nails so to speak.
During his two seasons he won 20 of 21 races. The year 1920 was his most memorable as he became the winner of the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. In his young days, Man O’War was a tough and attitude driven horse. Breaking him became a difficult task because he was feisty and was known to jump out of his stall. He was fiery and ready to make his mark in racing history.
This colt was trained at Havre de Grace and Pinlico during the spring if 1919. Because of his fiery chestnut color he was referred to as “Big Red”. As days turned into weeks, Big Red finally made it to the racetrack. Participating in the Belmont Park’s straight course, he won by six lengths on June 6, 1919. This was the beginning of the racing career for Big Red. As Big Red entered and won more and more races, he became known as Man O’War…a rock solid stud.
When Man O’War turned three years old, he began to win every race he entered. But, he did have one loss during his career. Man O’War was a close second to a colt named Upset in the Sanford Memorial at Saratoga. What happened at the race was sad. The jockey, Johnny Loftus, was backing up Man O’War at the starting line. But the horse beside of Man O’War sprung through the webbing, and managed to force him sideways. This, of course, put Man O’War off to a bad start. Loftus was in trouble and tried to get back in place, but he knew that he had lost valuable ground. Man O’War did manage to beat Upset in later months at six other meetings.
As his racing career progressed, competition was almost non-existent. He became the most popular horse in racing history. Competitors feared racing against this creature of the racetrack. When he went to the tracks, policemen were hired to protect him. Bystanders would attempt to pull hairs from his mane and tail to keep as souvenirs. Believe it or not, he even received death threats. There was always a guard that stayed in Man O’War’s stall at night to guard him from intruders. Even after his retirement in 1920, a man tried to extort $10,000 from Riddle. He also threatened to kill Samuel Riddle’s wife and also tried to steal Man O’War.
His appearance was that of a big and bold majestic animal with an attitude. If you were lucky to be one of the people at the racetrack, your perception would be different. You would not see a horse with an attitude…instead you would see a horse with grace, strength, power, and the willingness to win.
He is known to be the best horse of his time beating such horses as John P. Grier and also Triple Crown winner Sir Barton. His time records were phenomenal. For seventeen years, his 1½ mile American record stood. To Man O’War, the feel of the track did not matter. He could win on good or sloppy tracks. The layout of the course did not make a difference…whether it was straight or curved. He could adapt to anything. There would never be another racehorse like Man O’War. His earnings totaled $249,465, which was at that time a record.
He was so anxious to run that numerous times he would break through the barriers. He was a true racehorse that loved his work, so to speak. A glimpse of this legend could be seen at Riddle’s Hinata Farm or later at Faraway Farms in Lexington, Kentucky. He was kept there from 1921 until three months before his death on November 1, 1947, where he died at the age of 30.
From that day forward, there has never been a horse like him. In Lexington, Kentucky, a street has been named on his honor, Man O’War Boulevard. There are also nine businesses named after him in Lexington. He was buried in an oak casket in Faraway Farm after being embalmed. There were about 1,000 people present for the ceremony and close to 2,500 people visited the gravesite before the funeral. A life-size bronze statue guarded his grave and was sculpted by Herbert Haseltine.
The funeral was heard throughout the world. Nine speakers gave eulogies. Those in mourning for this horse of greatness bent down for one last touch to pat Man O’War. A loving touch that put tears in many eyes. The bronze life-like statue was moved to the Kentucky Horse Park in 1977. Visitors of the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, continue to pass by his grave and statue each year reaching a total of 700,000 onlookers. Ira Dryman explained Man O’War best by saying, “Man O’War touched the imagination of men and they saw different things in him. But the one thing they will all remember is that he brought an exaltation into their hearts.”
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