Man o' War

Man o' War, 1917–47, American racehorse, by Fair Play out of Mahubah, bred by August Belmont near Lexington, Ky., and owned by Samuel D. Riddle after 1918. A large reddish-colored colt capable of tremendously long strides, he raced only as a two-year-old and three-year-old, but in this short time (1919–20) won 20 out of 21 races and set five world records. His one loss was to a horse named Upset at Saratoga in 1919; he ran second. One of the most renowned stallions in the history of American thoroughbred racing, "Big Red," as Man o' War was often called, went on to become a leading sire.

Bibliography

See D. Ours, Man O' War: A Legend like Lightning (2006).

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Man o' War

(foaled 1917) U.S. Thoroughbred racehorse. In two seasons (1919–20), he won 20 of 21 races, including the Preakness and Belmont stakes. (He did not run in the Kentucky Derby.) He sired 64 stakes horses, including War Admiral, a Triple Crown winner (1937). In a 1950 Associated Press poll, Man o' War was voted the greatest horse of the first half of the 20th century.