Big Red, who earned his nickname thanks to his polished-copper chestnut colour and good size (16.2 hands in height, where one hand equals four inches), has been listed at or near the top of pretty much every list of the best racehorses in America.

The offspring of Fair Play and Mahubah was sold at a yearling auction for the price of $5,000 to Samuel D. Riddle. His race record is 20 wins and one second out of 21 races. Ironically his only defeat was to a horse named Upset who beat him by a neck in the Sanford Memorial, likely due to a poor start. ¡°Some reports stated Man o¡¯ War was turned sideways or completely backwards when the race started and was left well behind the field.¡± It is said Man O¡¯War had nightmares after his loss.

As a two-year-old, Man O¡¯War raced seven times carrying a punishing 130 pounds, giving a significant weight advantage to his rivals. As a three-year-old, he once carried 138 pounds. (Today, three-year-old Kentucky Derby contenders carry 126 pounds if they¡¯re colts or geldings. Upset ran the Sanford carrying 115 pounds.)

Unlike a lot of the other great all-time racehorses, Man O¡¯War isn¡¯t a Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes) winner. He didn¡¯t run in the Derby, as his owner thought that making a three-year-old run on the first Saturday in May was too much to ask too early in the racing season. It wasn¡¯t until Riddle had War Admiral (perhaps Man O¡¯War¡¯s best son) that he entered any of his horses in the Derby. Man O¡¯War entered and won both the Preakness (defeating Derby winner Upset by a length-and-a-half, under a strong pull) and the Belmont (by 20 lengths). (One length equals eight feet.) His greatest margin of victory was estimated to be 100 lengths in race known as the Lawrence Realization.

Man O¡¯War¡¯s final race was held at Kenilworth Park in Windsor, Ontario. It was a match race with Sir Barton
(who was owned by Canadian J.K.L. Ross). It is said that the 1920 Kenilworth Park Gold Cup Handicap is the first race to be filmed in its entirety.

Man O¡¯War held American records for the fastest mile, 1 1/8 miles, 1 3/8 miles, 1½ miles and 1 5/8 miles. He was named Champion 2-Year-Old Male in 1919, Champion 3-Year-Old Male in 1920 and Horse of the Year in 1920. His total earnings were $249,465.00.

Big Red is supposed to have had the longest stride ever measured (28 feet). The most recent Triple Crown winner American Pharoah is estimated to have a stride of 25.23 feet.

The horse rivaled humans like Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey for the title of most popular athlete of the time. ¡°Man o¡¯ War became such a sensation that police officers and Pinkerton guards had to protect him at the tracks from souvenir hunters who routinely attempted to snatch the hairs from his mane and tail. His notoriety also attracted more significant danger, as Riddle became aware of multiple assassination plots against his great runner. Riddle went to great lengths to protect Man o¡¯ War. Armed guards were always around his stall and even Feustel had personal security.¡±

Nearly as famous as the horse, was his groom Will Harbut (who often told visitors who stopped by Faraway Farms to see Big Red, ¡°This is the mostest horse that ever was.¡± The pair was even depicted on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post.

Bloodstock agent Greg Harbut describes his great-grandfather like this: ¡°It¡¯s no secret the era he came up in was the Jim Crow era¡­He accomplished a lot during that era. You have to wonder what might have been if he¡¯d come along in this current era. A hundred years later we¡¯re still talking about him. I feel honored to be able to follow in the footsteps of my forefathers.¡± (In the link, Greg Harbut is posing with Lighthouse Bay (http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/lighthouse+bay) who is descended from Man O¡¯War through the American Flag/Raise a Native bloodline. Tiznow, who was named Horse of the Year in 2000, is widely thought to be the best bet to pass along Man O¡¯War¡¯s genes to a new crop of champions.

Not only did Big Red excel as a racehorse, he became known as a strong sire. War Admiral (mentioned above) won the Triple Crown. Some of his other notable offspring included Hard Tack (who sired Seabiscuit), War Relic, Battleship (winner of the British Grand National Steeplechase), Blockade, War Hero, Crusader, and others.

As a stud, Man O¡¯War resided at Faraway Farm, which has undergone restoration by its current owner who considers the horse¡¯s stall door a special piece of history.

Visitors to Kentucky have the opportunity to see two exhibits dedicated to the champion: one at the Kentucky Derby Museum and one at the Keenleand Library.

Noted equine photographer Barbara Livingston has produced a series of photos commemorating the remnants of Man O¡¯War that remain today.

For those who can¡¯t make the trip, but want to see more of the great horse, there is footage of him at liberty (and under the guidance of Harbut) and a short documentary that covers his life.