One Of The Best Known Race Horses

The Most Famous Race Horse

One of the most famous race horses in history was born on March 29, 1917 in Lexington, Kentucky.  The owner was August Belmont, son of the famous influential banker for whom the Belmont Stakes, and Belmont Park in New York was named.  Belmont had carefully prepared for the colt by breeding from pedigreed Arabian stock on the sire’s side to the most respected English stock on the dam’s. But his plans were put on hold because America had entered World War I which engrossed the world and Belmont, at age 65, volunteered to serve.  He was sent to France by the U.S. Army, his duties included preparing mules for the service.  Belmont’s wife named the new foal “My Man O’ War” in honor of her husband.  As the war dragged on, Belmont wired home for his wife to sell the 1917 string of yearlings including Man O’ War, (“My” had been dropped.)

Samuel Riddle of Glenn Riddle, Pa. purchased several yearlings from Mrs Belmont including Man O’ War.  Riddle was a textile tycoon and relatively new to big time racing but he was immediately impressed by the attitude and look of the big chestnut colt.  His intuition would not go unnoticed.  He had the colt shipped by train to the Riddle farm in Worcester County, Maryland.  By the spring of 1919 the blinding speed that Big Red, (as he had been nicknamed), was setting in his training times suggested to Riddle that he had acquired a remarkable horse.

In his first official race of 1919, Man O’ War won so easily in a field of outstanding young racehorses that his jockey was standing up in the irons looking back at the field as he crossed the finish line.  Where ever the big colt raced that year he won, and it is reported that he crushed existing North American records.  In one race at Belmont Park in 1920 he won by 100 lengths! His presence guaranteed unprecedented attendance for he seemed to electrify racing fans. Security had to constantly protect the horse against fans trying to pull keepsake hairs from his body, while constant threats on his life made it necessary to hire detectives to guard him at all times.  At one time, Riddle was offered a signed blank check by a Texas millionaire to be made out in any amount for the big horse.  Riddle refused to sell. He didn’t run him in the Kentucky Derby for training reasons but later that year, he easily beat the winner of the Derby as well as winning the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.

Man O’ War went on to win every race he was ever entered in except one, establishing records that stood until the invention of the aluminum horse shoe and the changing of the race track surface.  The only race that he ever lost was ironically to a horse named Upset, though he went on to convincingly beat this horse several times thereafter.  This is where the term “it’s an upset” came from. That one loss is surrounded by mystery and subtle hints of possible wrong doing on the part of the track officials.  His last official race was run in October of 1920 after Riddle had decided it would hurt the horse to have to carry the increasing handicap weight that was assigned to him.  In this last race, he easily ran away from the winner of the 1919 Triple Crown in a match race.

In retirement, Man O’ War continued to set records by siring champions.  Of the almost 400 foals that he sired, more than 200 of them became champions in their own right.  Two of the more famous were Battleship, who won the English Grand National Steeplechase, and War Admiral, who was the 1938 Triple Crown winner.  He died of a heart attack in 1947 at Riddle’s Faraway Farm in Kentucky, at thirty years old. 

Across from the farm is a narrow dirt road called Holly Grove.  About a half mile down this country lane one will find what is left of a former railroad.  The tracks are gone now.  Holly Grove is shaded by forests of gum, oak and holly trees.  If one stops their car and gets out they will immediately be struck by the stillness.  In the quiet one can imagine a train of long ago arriving and large numbers of local people gathering to watch the arrival of the champions and the new foals.  High spirited thoroughbred horses, each carefully handled by its own groom were led down the ramps while trainers nervously looked on.  The whole procession would start the short walk towards the farm along the sandy road with the grooms quietly talking to the horses to put them at ease.  Each year the number of people who witnessed this annual event grows smaller.  Soon only the trees will remain.  The Riddle heirs reportedly have recently sold the 1500 acre training farm with its one mile racing oval to Arizona investors.  Permits are presently being processed for a planned community complete with golf course and marina on the adjacent creek.  Man O’ War and the Glen Riddle Farm will be remembered however as true gems of the rich heritage of Worcester County, Maryland.

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