In spring 1918, Belmont, now in his sixties, departed his Nursery Stud to answer the call of his country and served as a major in Spain in the U. Fair Play’s sire, Hastings, was a hellion as well. The chestnut colt inherited a fiery disposition from Fair Play, the archrival of the fabulous Colin. He was a son of Fair Play out of Mahubah, both of whom Belmont bred and raced.
Man o’ War was bred by one of the premier sportsmen of the American turf, August Belmont III. “It was that way even when he was standing motionless in his stall, with his ears pricked forward, and his eyes focused on something above the horizon which mere people never see, energy still poured from him.”
"He was as near to a living flame as horses ever get, and horses get closer to this than anything else," wrote legendary racing writer Joe Palmer. Though he competed for just two years, Man o’ War was a national hero, joining Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey and Red Grange as the first shining stars of the "Roaring Twenties". He is the measuring stick for greatness in horse racing. In all the history of American horse racing no Thoroughbred has ever quite matched either the brilliance or popularity of Man o’ War. Owner: Sam Riddle, Glen Riddle Farm, Berlin, Md. With his long, effortless stride Man o’ War ran other horses off their feet from the beginning.īirthplace: August Belmont III’s Nursery Stud, Lexington, Ky. Grooms, exercise boys, and trainers hugged the rail when he stepped onto the loamy track. His coat was rubbed and brushed, and gleamed like polished copper. Ruggedly handsome, he struck his regal, high-headed stance.
“Big Red” had the whole backstretch buzzing. In the spring of 1919 a feisty Man o’ War turned up in preparation for his 2-year-old campaign. Racing history was minted here.ĭuring early morning works the mist rose like steam from the water, the sun pale and golden. Perched high on the bluffs above the Susquehanna River and at the headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay sat one of America’s most revered racetracks, Havre de Grace.
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