Tribute to Man O' War Race Horse by Team Velvet, Inc. 

God knows. Ain't it great. And guess what,? Look at the time line between Man o war ,and Secretariot .Two great, big reds. God loves his big reds ,and their will be another .do the math of the two? IT is time for big red to return for our viewing pleasure from God.

@@single55 I absolutely agree! Hope God loves a triple horse play. I respectfully disagree with Ms. Turner. We need another hero in Thunderdome.

Count Fleet was also a good horse

And American Pharoah is a descendant of Secretariat, so can we add him to the list too? Incredible horses all.

2026!!!

Jersey Girl Army Power was a 1941 foal (6years prior) IDed as a steeplechaser. Not shocking for MOW...most HOF chasers of the era had MOW directly as sire or grand sire. She must’ve gotten him post-career.

I owned an appaloosa stallion who was a great grandson of man o' war. He passed at 32 years old. I had 1 foal from him, he was a beast. An acquaintance owns him now and would never give him up.

@@utoobgavemecancer8635 Well, that great bloodline can't be beat!

That’s a great story. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

Absolutely wonderful! Why’d they geld him, too hard to handle?

@Dona The loving & dedicated care received probably gave him his desire to live. Even for a nonhuman, very difficult to live or perform well when resentment is the only driving emotion.

Secretariat lost 4 races, never carried weight and was raced on anabolic steroids, as was the norm from the sixties until 2008. MOW was chosen the Horse of the Century for good reason.

@@krism2649 Let's not downplay either one's achievements. They are both legends in their own right. They are both similar types of horses and their own individual icons. Man O' War is like that elder you respect who paved the way for the youngins to excel. And Secretariat was as the commenter said a 'Tremendous Machine'. Pretty much the pinnacle of horse performance. MoW had a nice sleek profile while Secretariat has a smooth and pleasing running form. Both fantastic horse types.

Man O'War ran on sand tracks and behind a starting tape (starting gates didn't happen until much later). As Will Harbut, his longtime groom and beloved friend, said, "He's the mostest hoss!"

Finally, someone that acknowledges how severely he was handicapped.

Actually it was one of the reasons he was retired: Riddle (owner) was worried about how high the weight imposts would be in his fourth year. Riddle had made a few major mistakes at his training. Including racing him twice on surfaces that were brutal on him (including the match race, which the track was horrendous and actually caused him to limp).

Never carried 140 pounds. Further, there is something to be learned about handicapping. Fast forward to Bold Ruler and you will see him at top weight with the other horses capable of winning. In MOW's day and relative to the 1917 crop, there was zero competition i.e. the other horse, usually a match race, was burdened with far less weight than in decades to come yet still had no chance of winning. For instance, John Grier was considered the 2nd best horse of the 1917 class. In the 1920 Dwyer, he carried 108 pounds to MOW's 126. John Grier could not run 1:50 over 9 furlongs carrying that weight. In measuring horses by poundage, it places MOW at over 18 pounds better than his nearest rival. That indicates the aforementioned lack of competition. The next thing to examine in handicapping is performance. MOW carried 135 pounds in a one mile race against, from memory, a horse named Yellow Hand. MOW ran a final time of around 1:41. That is a time of just under 25.5 seconds per quarter mile. Thus, that is not racing, it is galloping, it is running. The sole competitor could not keep pace under 103 pounds. MOW ran 11 times at 3YO. He was over 126 pounds 4 times...129, 131, 135 and 138. In summation, one has to look at multiple issues in horse racing. To focus solely on imposts means that distance run, final time, size of field and level of competition are overlooked or ignored. The only serious level imposts to MOW were 135 and 138 pounds. The distances were short...one mile and one and one sixteenth miles, the fileds were small, in one case a sole competitor, the weight carried by the competition was allowance level, the competition was allowance level and the final times were not impressive. Bold Ruler, as an example, raced 16 times at 3YO against top notch competition and carried over 126 pounds 5 times. At 4YO, he never carried less than 133 pounds again versus a much higher level of competition. Remember, the devil is always in the detail. Unfortunately, it is easy to be fooled by narrative and tunnel vision.

@@buckeyechuck8280 He actually wasn't.

@@bbmtge All of your evidence only supports the argument that he carried more weight than pretty much all of the horses that are being compared to him for greatest horse of all time. just because the competition was sub-par, in your opinion, it doesn't change the fact that he carried far more weight than the others and he was setting records while doing it. Competition didn't affect his times.

You could not have put it ever , Secretariat was just a beast

AGREED! but the WAR is still the Greatest of all time

@@mslascorpiaKelso

Of course it's great entertainment to many to argue the superiority of either, both superb in their regal sport of conquest over time & distance. Yet, to even begin to compare them competitively, they would of had to be raced at the exact same age & all prior & existing conditions exactly the same. So, an impossibility arises & both tremendous Legends are left with mostly our preferences concerning each, combined some racing facts in accordance with our own personal opinions. I myself believe justly they are both Legacy Leaders in their own individual right(s) of lineage, both exemplary & glorious racing performers & loved by the generations of racing-fans in their own era & beyond. We forever give tribute to the far & beyond exceptional feats of performance we, as ardent admirers, both then & now were extraordinarily blessed to witness & share in their Glory overall.

Absolutely.

Sea Biscuit his grandson was pretty cool ,too, winning his last race at 7 years old. But Man O' War remains my favorite.

​@@Ivory3100They are all glorious.

I could of done without seeing him in his casket. That was cruel and unnecessary it made me 😭

Truly, as if sketched from the gods themselves ( in a very good mood). The Bedouins, founders of the Arabian horse from which the Thoroughbred breed are descendants of three stallions Darley, Byerley Turk & Godolphin Arabian named after their owners. Excellent reading in & of themselves own unique stories. These age-old, fervent admirers of all things equine exclaiming how noble & majestic the horse, wrote poems of the horse, highly esteeming the animals, as glorious embodiments of the wind itself let among mortals.

Great Comment! Likewise, every time I cut and peel an Onion, I wonder if it's the onion that's making me cry, or my memory of Secretariat!

You just couldn't help yourself, could you!!! Oh that's right,a Secretariat fan.

Man'O War the original "Big red." The greatest foundation Sire of All Time!!!!!!!!

“Upset” was already a term in use in sports when Upset upset Man o’ War. 😊

There is some Technicolor footage of him from 1938 that was in a newsreel on Kentucky.

@@michaelclark1727 Isn't that fabulous footage? MOW looked amazing for 21 years old. Flaming red coat. Magnificent.

your comment was respectful and nice. Once you have a favorite, it stays your favorite. It isn’t just about statistics .

Wish we could see Man O' War and Secretariat race on a modern turf. That would be an interesting race .

Joseph Simkus -- FYI: Man O' War came to be known as "Big Red" before Secretariat. He was the first Big Red. That was his barn name. I love Secretariat, too. He was a very good boy. But Man O'War was magnificent.

He only sired 1 TC winner.

Hey buddy the real big red was man o war secretariat was named after him as big red man o war was the greatest of all

Secretariat wouldn't beat Man O War. He just liked to run and was inconsistant about gaining the lead. On the other hand, Man O War had the determination by which he refused to be outrun.

@@susansteelmon5675 Both wonderful horses! But I believe Secretariat was discovered to have an extra-large heart size, so who knows how that particular race would've turned out!

@@aileen694 I think it would depend on Secretariat, if he wants to run, he would probably win. But if Sec decided he didn't really care, MOW would definitely win easily.

Secretariat would've beaten Man o' War for fun. That doesn't take away from MOW's greatness; he was certainly the best of his time, and was probably the most important sire of the 20th century. Without him, there's no Secretariat.

Racing clean, MOW would have won, as well if they were both on steroids. If just Secretariat was on steroids, he might have beat MoW. Secretariat lost 4 races, and he was not carrying weight.

Simply a gorgeous racehorse! Won eight races by 20+ lengths!!

Yes, & recognizably had Man O'War been facing, instead of turned around & consequently lost four lengths at the get, that race would of ended quite differently.

And YOU are correct! The man who usually started those races was sick that day and his replacement was a guy who had never set off a race back then!

@ cathy bauer!! I also had the GREAT BLESSING to have ‘owned’ a Racing Quarter horse mare line bred MAN O WAR!!:)) SHE WAS THE MOST WONDERFUL HORSE that I ever had the pleasure of riding!! If she ‘trusted you’, she would DO ANYTHING for you♥️ She joined the ancestors @ 34yrs old. PLEASE ENJOY your Chance⭐️⭐️✌️

He ran Belmont in 2:28.

@@mikewarren1401 on the footing of 100 years ago.

@@stephanienewhouse2056 Also, the shoes.

@@virginialawler7725 Indeed. Aluminum and titanium are much lighter than the steel shoes used on racehorses then.

Mike Warren No, his was actually slower and it was the Jockey Club Stk, not The Belmont (Stk).

Eh, that would be Secretariat.

Eh, it IS Man O'War

Secretariat or Man O War, they stand not as competitors, but pillars of a great sport.

@@HTHAMMACK1 Secretariat: 16/3/1/1 Man O War 20/1/0/0 case closed.

He had Man'O War's blood running through his veins, and heart!

Sea biscuit beat war admiral. Sea biscuit was a decedent of man o war. Man o war ,won a race by 100 lengths, War Admiral won the triple crown, Secretariot ,won the triple crown. There is no greatest The show is awesome, dont you think?

@@single55 Man O war was the best. The record speaks for itself. 20/21.

I’m still raw to this sport.. maybe if the television was out then(maybe it was) maybe man o war would have lifted the nation like secretariat did.. I’m sure if we get all three in their primes and they raced it’ll be one hell of a race it’ll be the race of a life time.. but as we kno it ea horse was in separate Eras so we will never kno who was the true king of race horsing!

Man O War and War Admiral would have been eating Big Reds dust and joined Sham an even faster Horse as an after thought when Big Red kicked in them after burners.

@@thrill_lords8409 The record time showed Big Red is the king followed by Sham the after thought. With Big Red on the track the rest would be racing for second place.

LOOK OF ‘EAGLES’♥️♥️♥️

Your comment about MOW being "heavily handicapped" is false. MOW carried over 126 pounds at 3YO on but 4 occasions. The imposts were 129, 131, 135 and 138. The only serious level imposts were 135 and 138 pounds. In each of those races, the final time was not fast. Further, those imposts. and higher, were common among champion horses in that era and later due to a much lower level of competition. For example, MOW carried 135 pounds against a single competitor in the Stuyvesant. Yellow Hand carried a paltry 103 pounds. The final time was 1:41 and 3/5ths. That is not racing, it is running. The other horse had no chance of winning so victory required no more than galloping. Facts beat narratives every time. Secretariat was much faster than MOW and ran against a much higher level of competition. Often, the runner-up to Secretariat also beat the existing record. Secretariat trained fast; he once broke 3 records on as training run over 9 furlongs in the mud while carrying 135 pounds. The notion that Riddle retired MOW based on imposts is absurd. Here is an example of true weight carrying...Roseben. Roseben carried up to 130 pounds in 59 of his races, up to 140 pounds in 29 races. He won under 144, 146 and 147 pounds. He once placed second while carrying 150 pounds. THAT is a demonstration of weight carrying unlike the 2 races of MOW as mentioned. The real problem with the MOW fan is that they lack analysis and simply repeat things that they read. A little study of the history of raciung and a little less emotion adds clarity.

@@bbmtge fact: Man of War was named Horse of the Century, not Secretariat, whether you like it or not.....

The history of horse races and great horses is fascinating.

If a race could have been done between Big Red and Man O War both in their prime I would put my money on Big Red and take the experts money. The funny thing is those same experts when talking of the greatest Racehorse ever will bring up Big Reds name first and last. Sham would have beat Man O War if they was both in their prime but Big Red made Sham an after thought.

@@vickijohnson3664 Secretariat holds the record and was named greatest Racehorse that ever lived whether you like it or not. If Man O War raced in the same time as Secretariat he would have been remembered as that other Horse like Sham is.

Hu?? Umm this wasn’t a story about YOU and your pony, this is a story about Man O’ War. Seriously

They used top notch training that they had at the time. You have to realize that Man O’War’s family came from a long line of aggressive stallion’s. His full sister (a year older than him and racing when he was sold), had developed enough of a reputation at that point of being badly tempered that people were turned off. Even Riddle was but his wife and trainer convinced him that he was worth it at $5k. His father Fair Play was moody and ram when he felt like it. He was retired when he entered a race and slammed on the brakes at the start and refused to run. Great horse and had a lot of wins himself, but he didn’t run if he didn’t want to. And Hastings, his grand sire was ugly and mean. People called him a gargoyle with a personality of a scorpion. He left a mark literally and figuratively on everyone he met. And grooms carried sticks around him when he went to stud for defense. And yeah, the genes were passed on. One of Man O’ War’s sons as a foal stomped a groom to death.

@@SaraNightfire1 I read that Hastings would actually bite other horses during races ... and then there was Kelso. :-)

Totally agree. The greatest race horse of all time. His record speaks for itself.

Wow! What a great idea!

@@yuma9663 If you liked that story: Dorothy Ours “A Legend Like Lighting” is a great read about Man O’War.

Douglas Griffiths Why?

@@virginialawler7725 Horses can hit the gate, misstep, and have a bad accident. Look what happened to Ruffian in the match race against Foolish Pleasure in 1975. The gate caused her breakdown.

@@douglasgriffiths3534 I much appreciate your reply. I'd never heard of the gate issue before re the great Ruffian. I was 37 then, mourned her deeply--for her beauty, speed and her great competitive spirt that perhaps caused her not to be saved. Still do. My Dad was a minor, but 100% committed, breeders /racer (only of our homebreds) for several decades way back, at Cahokia, Fairmount, the Chicago tracks and FL in the winter. Am 83 now, never had a gate mishap ourselves and can no longer remember them for others. Somehow to me, the gate just seemed like an all-round fairer start. It will be hard to relive still, but I know I want to read more about Ruffian now.

@@virginialawler7725 Get the book, "Ruffian-Burning form the Start" by Jane Schwartz. I have it, and it's an excellent account of the great filly's life. (Jan Griffiths).

@@virginialawler7725 Oops--I meant from, not form. Long day @ work. (Jan Griffiths).

He was a mar lions brood mare sire

Lengths not links.

Man O War is related to Secretariat. If I'm not wrong Man O'War Sire is Secretariat's great(3 or 4) grandfather ..

The clock doesn't lie, but it also doesn't tell the whole story. MOW was never fully extended because he didn't need to be and his stride was 28 feet compared to Secretariat's 25. Secretariat never carried the weights MOW carried and may well have been racing on faster tracks. We're never going to know. The fact that MOW at least showed up to all his races, had a longer stride, held several track records at length and outlived Secretariat by 11 years, and was an impressive breeding stallion all suggest he was a better, stronger, fitter horse. ... but we'll never know.

Yup road apples LOL 🤣

It would be fun to compare MofW's great something Daughter with my MofW's great great grand son.