Man o’ War or Secretariat? When it came to picking the greatest racehorse of all time, we just couldn’t choose a favorite.
The Early Years: In 1917, Eleanor Belmont (wife of August Belmont Jr. of the Belmont Stakes) named her stable’s new foal Man o’ War to honor her husband’s service in World War I. (Actually, she tried to name the horse “My Man o’ War,” but when she sent in his registration to the Jockey Club, they dropped “My” from the name.)
Soon after, the Belmonts had to sell their yearlings—the war years were tough financially—and horseman Sam Ridder bought the colt for $5,000. (Later, Ridder turned down $1 million for Man o’ War.) The fiery, chestnut colt was difficult to break, and when a jockey mounted Man o’ War for the first time, the horse threw him 40 feet.
Life at the Track: In 1919, in his first race at Belmont Park, “Big Red” (so nicknamed because of his color) won by six lengths. Three days later, he won the Keene Memorial Stakes. Then, despite carrying 130 pounds of extra weight as a handicap, the two-year old easily took his next four races. Soon, racing pundits claimed that Big Red was unbeatable.
In the two seasons he competed, Man o’ War ran in 21 races—and won 20 times. The one time he missed out on the winner’s circle, he came in second. An error on the part of the starter caused him to enter the race late, and his flustered jockey let them get boxed in so that Man o’ War couldn’t race to the lead. Stable employees claimed that Big Red had nightmares after the defeat. In fact, what made the big horse so endearing to many fans was the contrast between his bold winning ways and his anxious demeanor between races. In the barn while waiting to race, Man o’ War nervously chewed on his hooves like a person chewing on fingernails—especially if he couldn’t spend time with his beloved stable companion, a horse named Major Treat.
Big Wins: During his career, Man o’ War set three world records, two American records, and three track records. He was such a star that the Jockey Club handicapper wanted to put more weight on him than any horse had ever carried. But rather than risk injury, Ridder retired Man o’ War to a stud farm where he lived until his death in 1947. Many racing buffs consider Man o’ War the greatest of all racehorses, and on Blood-Horse magazine’s list of the 100 best racehorses of the 20th century, Man o’ War is first.
The Early Years: But what about Secretariat? Sure, he ranks #2 on Blood-Horse’s list, but he also has quite a record. In 1969, breeder Penny Cherney lost a coin toss. The winner, Ogden Phipps, got to choose the foal he wanted from the mating of his stallion Bold Ruler and Cherney’s mare, Somethingroyal. Phipps chose the first foal the pair produced, leaving Cherney with the second—a chestnut colt named Secretariat, who was born on March 29, 1970.
Life at the Track: Like Man o’ War, Secretariat was big and red. But unlike Man o’ War, young Secretariat didn’t win his first race. That contest began with a traffic jam at the starting gate—the colt nearly fell, but managed to finish fourth. Secretariat won his next races easily, though, and by the time his first season was over, the new “Big Red” had won the Hopeful Stakes, the Belmont Futurity, the Laurel Futurity, and the Garden State Stakes, among others. He was so impressive on the track that polls named him Horse of the Year—a rare honor for a two-year-old.
Big Wins: In 1973, just his second racing season, three-year-old Secretariat won the Kentucky Derby in 1:59.4 seconds, a record that still stands today. He then won the Preakness. It had been 25 years since Citation had won the Triple Crown, but after the Derby and the Preakness, the media, public, and racing aficionados believed that Secretariat would be the next one to do it.
Finally, on June 9, 1973, before an audience of more than 60,000 in the stands, Secretariat ran what many people say was the greatest race of all time. He won the Belmont Stakes by 31 lengths (about 240 feet), and his time of 2:24 for 1½ miles set a world record that has yet to be broken. The week after the race, Secretariat was on the cover of Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated. Today, he’s still ranked among the top 100 athletes (human or otherwise) of the 20th century.
To read about more famous racehorses, turn to page 58 and 145.
Incitatus may have been the most pampered horse in history—if only by a madman. The ancient Roman emperor Caligula loved horse racing, and the white stallion Incitatus was his favorite steed. Caligula appointed 18 servants to tend to the horse’s needs, and Incitatus lived in a marble and ivory stable. Oats with gold flakes were his regular fare, and he often wore clothes and jewels to official banquets held in his honor.