Man o’ War ranks among the greatest thoroughbreds in American horse-racing history. Thoroughbreds are horses whose ancestry can be traced to three Arabian stallions that were brought to England, probably from the Middle East, in the late 1600’s and early 1700’s. Stallions are male horses that can be used for breeding. Man o’ War raced for only two years, winning 20 of 21 races. He was considered large for a race horse. His size and reddish color earned him the nickname “Big Red.” He was the most popular race horse of his time.
Man o’ War was born on March 29, 1917, at Nursery Stud Farm (now Faraway Farm), near Lexington, Kentucky. His sire (father) was Fair Play, and his dam (mother) was Mahubah. Man o’ War made his racing debut on June 6, 1919. Later that year, he lost the only race of his career to a horse named Upset. In 1920, Man o’ War set several world records in distances ranging from 1 mile to 1 5/8 mile. He was retired after the 1920 racing season with career winnings of $249,465, which was a record at that time.
In retirement, Man o’ War sired several champion race horses, notably War Admiral. War Admiral won the Triple Crown of American horse racing in 1937. The Triple Crown consists of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes. Man o’ War died on Nov. 1, 1947.
See also Horse racing ; Seabiscuit .
