Man o' War
Complete Racing Record

Man o' War

Man o' War.jpg (18157 bytes)

The 1st Big Red

Click photo to enlarge

My thanks to the Maryland Jockey Club for permission to use their photo and to The History of Thoroughbred Racing for their statistics that those new to racing may also share the moment.

Known as Big Red, MAN O' WAR was beaten just once in 21 starts; the lone defeat, a second-place finish to Upset, came in the 1919 Sanford Memorial Stakes at Saratoga. Bred by August Belmont, Man o' War raced just two years. The strapping colt skipped the Kentucky Derby, then went on to capture the Preakness and Belmont in 1920.

As a two-year-old in 1919
6-6 Belmont Purse Race 115

5f

 Fast .59 Won  by 6  $00.500
6-9 Belmont Keene S. 115 5 1/2 Slow 1:05.3 3 $04,200
6-21 Jamaica Youthful S. 120 5 1/2 Good 1:06.3 2 1/2 $03,850
6-23 Aqueduct Hudson S. 130 5 Fast 1:01.3 1 1/2 $02,825
7-5 Aqueduct Tremont S. 130 6 Fast 1:13 1 $04,800
8-2 Saratoga US Hotel S. 130 6 Fast 1:12.2 2 $07,600
8-13 Saratoga Sanford S. 130 6 Fast 1:11.1 2nd 
 x 1/2		 $00.700
8-23 Saratoga Grand Hotel 130 6 Fast 1:12 1 $07,600
8-30 Saratoga Hopeful S. 130 6 Slow 1:13 4 $24,600
9-13 Belmont Futurity S. 127 6 Fast 1:11.3 2 1/2 $26,650
$83,325

As a three-year-old in 1920
5-18 Pimlico Preakness 126 1 1/8 Fast 1:51.3 1 1/2 $23,000      
5-29 Belmont Withers S. 118 1 m Fast 1:35.4 # 2 $04,825
6-12 Belmont Belmont S. 126  1 3/8 Fast 2:14.1 # 20 $07,950
6-22 Jamaica Stuyvesant 135 1 m Good 1:41.3 8 $03,850
7-10 Aqueduct Dwyer S. 126 1 1/8 Fast 1:49.1 # 1 1/2 $04,850
8-7 Saratoga Miller S. 131 1 3/16 Fast 1:56.3 6 $04,700
8-21 Saratoga Travers 129 1 1/4 Fast 2:01.4 # 2 1/2 $09,275
9-4 Belmont Lawrence 126 1 5/8 Fast 2:40.4 # 100 $15,040
9-11 Belmont Jockey Club 118 1 1/2 Fast 2.28.4 # 15 $05,850
9-18 Havre G. Potomac H. 138 1 1/16 Fast 1:44.4 # 1 1/2 $06,800
10-12 Kenilworth K. Gold Cup 120 1 1/4 Fast 2:03   # 7 $80,000
  ($  166,140)

$ 249,465
# Time records as follows:
Equaled track record, Travers Stakes
New track record, Potomac Handicap
New track record, Kenilworth Cup
New (competitive) American record, Withers Stakes
New (competitive) American record, Jockey Club S.
New World Record, Dwyer Stakes
New World Record Belmont Stakes
New World Record, Lawrence Realization

In all his starts as a two-year-old, 
Man o' War was ridden by John Loftus, 
Clarence Kummer was his jockey in all his start as three, except the Miller Stakes (Earle Sande) and Travers Stakes  (Andy Schuttinger).

March 29, 1917: 
Man o' War, who would go on to win 20 of his 21
career starts, was foaled at Nursery Stud, Lexington, Ky.

March 29, 1938:
 In observance of Man o' War's 21st birthday, the
celebration was broadcast nationally via radio from Faraway Farm, where he
stood at stud.

March 24, 1941: 
Upset, the only horse ever to defeat Man o' War,
died at age 24.

March 11, 1943:
After siring 350 foals that won over $3 million,
26-year-old Man o' War was retired from stud duty.