Sheer beauty. Man O War's history can only move his majesty to a level of perfection. He must still love our ongoing adoration after all these years. He will never die in our memories.
Although man o' War died several years before I was born his memory was kept Alive by my family the greatest racehorse of all time. My mother at probably 25 years old Betty Lee link actually sang My Old Kentucky Home at his funeral. Sadly I wish there was some recording somewhere of that event. The person who did this rendition of man o' War did the best memory of him I have ever heard. I did see his son wore Admiral when I was a very small child would have loved to have seen the real horse there will never be another one he was a mighty Monarch of the racetrack
It’s an absolute shame that they did not deserve any of these properties it’s history. That’s how we all know what has happened in the past, I too have always been crazy about Manowar. I don’t know why, but I’ve dug up and listen to everything that I possibly could so this was a great thing for me to see and read and watch. Thank you so much.
in 15 years of listening to TH-cam I have never left a comment till now... Wow I had no idea what horse he was ,you did an amazing job with this legend im sure he is smiling on you now
What I wouldn't give to see this magical legendary horse in person! We can only watch his descendants... This brought tears to my eyes. He died 30 days after his constant companion and handler passed; they say Man O War died of a broken heart.
I was 13 when Secretariat won the Triple Crown in 1973. Nobody loved watching Secretariat race anymore than I did. That being said, Man O'War in some of his races carried as much as 30 to 40lbs. more than the oposition he was facing and still ran rough shod over them. In 1920, Man O'War completely outclassed America's first ever triple crown winner from 1919, Sir Barton, in a match race at Kenilworth Park. The 3YO Man O'War outclassed his rival, the 4YO Sir Barton from the start. Taking the lead right out of the gate and keeping it from go to woe, defeating the triple crown winner by 7 easy lengths. And lest we forget, Man O'War once also won a stakes race defeating his closest rival in the race by 100 lengths. He handled all surfaces, was blessed with incredible speed and stamina, and his stride was once measured at an incredible 28 feet. As much as I loved Secretariat, I just simply don't think he could've overcome the kind of weight that Man O'War was forced to give away in his races and still won in the manner that Man O'War did. I'm not sure why Riddle didn't run him in the Kentucky Derby, but he impressively won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes both later that same year, leading most racing enthusiast to proclaim not going to Churchill Downs was the only thing that prevented him from also being a triple crown champion.
Sam Riddle reportedly said racing the The Kentucky Derby was too early in the year. He raced Man O War in The Preakness two weeks later though. So I don't know if he changed his mind or if he felt Man O War wasn't ready. It is disappointing though.
Thank you for the great tribute to the Greatest horse. The photos of the old farms, the ones still there and the ones lost will allow everyone to see how it was. Just recently we lost another Great Racetrack, Arlington Park near Chicago was bought by a stupid football team and everything will be destroyed. That's a great loss. And a great shame.
It's so great to find another who is so devoted to the GREATEST Thoroughbred that ever lived. Thank you for sharing all you have done and aquired about the King of all racehorses. You have helped answer questions about his former places he lived and what became of them and although many never cared its nice to know some who could keep his past alive did so. Your tribute film is truly a beautiful work of pure devotion to a horse the likes of which the world will never see again. Close copies maybe but never an equal or better.
@Deby Zimmerman, no argument here mam. As far as being tough enough to overcome having to give away large amounts of weight in races, I would argue that Citation perhaps might've been the better choice over Secretariat in that regard, but I would've given Secretariat a slight edge over Big Ci in pure God-given speed. That said, both would've played second fiddle to Man O'War in my humble opinion.
@@GBeret83 I will stick with Secretariat as the greatest horse ever. I think M.O.W. and Citation are definitely the next two of the list of Greats but nothing will convince me that Secretariat wasn't a gift from the Gods to horse lovers everywhere. By the way, my dad got to see Citation race and he said he will never forget his mind-blowing speed.
@@sarrahremy8512 Secretariat was on steroids. His enlarged heart was a clear indicator. Sham had an enlarged heart also. Secretariat also had infertility issues when he first went to stud and Sports Illustrated wrote that his steroid use was most likely the cause. Hall of Fame trainer Birch clearly stated that steroids were a part of Thoroughbred racing in the 60's, and was rampant by the 70's. Steroids had not been synthesized yet during Man O War's era.
@jibv4867 I have. Would you like the LONG list of Man O War's Champion offspring? War Admiral was his son and Seabiscuit was his grandson. Man O War Sired 62 Stakes Winners! Just about every American Thoroughbred comes from Man O War. You really don't want to compare their Stud records. There's no comparison. Secretariat and Man O War are distant cousins.
@jibv4867 Man O War broke the Belmont record also, a long with seven other records as a three year old. Man O War retired with more Event, Track, Distance, and World records than Secretariat. Secretariat only has one distance record on the books, and it's a dirt record. He ran the Belmont on the rail the entire race, the shortest way around the track. The 1.5 record goes to multiple other horses on slower surfaces. It's not a secret that Secretariat was on steroids. It was even mentioned in Sports Illustrated. The AP, Blood Horse, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and many others named Man O War as the greatest. I agree with the vast majority of experts.
Thank you, Barbra, for this wonderful tribute of my absolute favorite horse. Whenever I am in Kentucky, we visit him at the Horse Park. In 2017, my daughter and I traveled to Lexington for his 100th birthday anniversary. We were able to visit Mt. Brilliant Farm also. Although we have visited Kentucky many times, I can't wait to go back.
I'm reading this two years later, but wanted to comment. My wife, daughter, and I traveled to Lexington in 2017 with the main objective to be there during the celebration of Man O' War's 100th birthday. We thoroughly enjoyed the horse park, but the highlights were seeing the statue of Man O' War and where he is buried and the 100th anniversary display of his racing career. The best experience of all was talking to a 91 year old man, Eugene Carter, who worked at the Horse Park. Turns out he was a former (and highly respected) exercise rider who also happened to be Man O' War's groom Will Harbut's son-in-law. He was the last living man who had actually ridden Man O' War. Nobody had a clue who he was, so my family and I got to sit an talk to him for a good half-hour, listening to him talk about Man O' War. A very kind, classy man- it was a thrill and pleasure to meet him.
I was able, finally, to stand in front of the spot, looking into his face. And cried like a baby and talked to a horse who died 8 years before I was born. One of the greatest moments of my life! Little did my mom know what would become a life long obsession to the little girl who she talked to about Man O' War, Seabiscuit, Citation, Native Dancer and many others. I saw Northern Dancer, watched Secretariat make history, saw Ruffian go down, cheered as Affirmed kept beating off Alydar, cried with joy when Genuine Risk won the Derby, laughed like a maniac when Rags to Riches won the Belmont. I was relieved when American Pharoah gave us a Triple Crown after such a draught and declared Justify to be "justified" when he gave us another one. But, no matter how many wonderful moments there have been and will be, there is one, and only one, "Big Red". And that is and was the son of Fair Play and Mahubah, Man O' War!
Although I disagree with your last sentence (Secretariat is MY Big Red) I sure do wish I knew you. Anyone who cries like a baby over a horse long gone is my kind of person. I can't tell you how many tears I have cried over Secretariat, over Ruffian, over Barbaro...
@@sarrahremy8512 I had to take a hiatus after Ruffian went down. I still cry, hard, when something is said about that afternoon. I can still see the overcast sky and, for some reason, the feeling of something ominous as I looked toward the starting gate, just before the doors sprang open. My introduction, besides my mom's stories, was standing next to a Busch Clydesdale when I was really little. Mom says I wasn't tall enough to reach it's knee. Have loved equines, in general, all my life. Studied to be a DVM, with an specialty in horses. I had hoped to find the cure for laminitis. I'm retired and it is still plaguing our wonderful friends. C'est la vie.
That was excellent and had me in tears at the end. I am with you..he was the greatest racehorse ever. I have stood at his grave also and felt a presence.
War Tryst grandson of Man O War was my families horse. I always thought of his Grandfather when I rode Him. Cleaned his stall and fed him. Man O War the greatest. But War Tryst was a great horse in my life.
I too am 67 and remember reading the book Man O War twice as a young girl. I have always loved horses, but life's path did not present me with opportunity to ride very much. Thank you so much for this video. I will never forget him.
Barbara knows her horses so very well. Her photographs are legendary and this video brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart. No one captures horses better than Barbara Livingston
I used to gallop around the house on my feet and hands pretending I was Man O'War. Oddly, though, it was a kid's book I read that had nothing at all to do with horses at all that got me into Man O'War. It was "Roosevelt Grady" which our teacher read to us in 3rd grade. This cool kid was named "Man O'War" in the book, and this class of white kids had no idea the book was about a bunch of black kids in a migrant workers' camp. I remember our shock when we found that out. Naturally we all thought that the book was about kids like us. Anyway, my best friend loved horses and I guess I got into the horses thing through her as well. But "Manny Wah" as Will Harbutt called him, got to be a fascination for me. I made my mom drive us to a particular shopping mall and a store which had the Breyer Man O'War plastic horse was available. I used to write the Breyer Plastic Manufacturing Inc firm all the time with suggestions which they nearly all used later on....
This was beautiful and a loving tribute to the great Man O' War. I don't know why some horses just get inside of us - I have to admit I am more of a Secretariat person - but when they do, they stay in our hearts forever, even if we weren't alive to see them run. I too see my favorite horses in my dreams. Thank you Barbara.
I love Man O'War the way you do. Walter Farley's book made me a huge fan! It's amazing you were able to visit all those spots where Big Red lived and enjoyed his retirement, and I'm grateful you shared it with us.
50 years ago I started my collection of breyer horses with „Man o War“. I felt there is something special about this horse, but as an 8 year old girl living in Germany it was just impossible to get some information about US race horses. It is just great to know, that there are so many people, who are fascinated of this horse, still in these days. Thank you for this video.
Oh, thank you. I am in tears watching. I STILL think that if Red had been in that "match race" between War Admiral & Seabiscuit, he'd have left 'em both behind.
Thank you so much for posting your accounts. I too grew up in admiration of Man O' War. All of my High School essays and term papers were about Man O' War and other fine horses. I grew up in Springfield, PA right next to Media PA where Sam Riddle's old farm was where Man O' War was born. I am 60 years old now, but spent many years on the backstretches of race tracks, caring for and galloping these fine horses. Man O' War always was and always will be my favorite horse of all time! Great story that you shared with us! I LOVED seeing your childhood written stories of him as I did exactly the same! Made me tear up! Thank you!
MAN O' WAR has been my tresure among every horse on earth since I was around 8 years old, loving horses, and learned about this most magnificent horse. I think Secretariat is the second most outstanding horse in horse racing history and have watch the movie of his life many times. Often wondered why Hollywood never made a movie of the Great MAN O' War! People need to take into account the differences in these two magnificent horses. One main point beside MOW's unbeatable, except once, racing records, and the fact he worse steel or iron shoes back then over the aluminum shoes race horses and Secretariat wear today. The most awesome race would have truly been the Match of the century had these two most indescribable horses had competent. Much as I honor Secretariat, I truly believer Man O' War would have been the winner. He will be my equine treasure for all my days.
Thanks for this video. You were so fortunate to be able to live out such a dream. It has been a lifelong wish to visit Man O' War's grave - as yet unfulfilled. I share your sentiments about the one and only Big Red.
Thank you, thank you for this! I am 63 yrs old and grew up cherishing my mother's books about "Big Red" that her mother had given her. I've always felt resentful that modern race horses receive so much acclaim when there was only one original, the Great One. There's never been another contender that was punished to carry extra weight as he was just because the industry thought if they could slow him down it would give the rest of the field a chance to compete with him. Why they couldn't admit what everyone else already knew: The clock was his only competition. This was beautifully done. I am missing my mother right now. And yes, I do have a small framed print of Man O'War's noble head over my piano. I'm positive none of my five children will have any clue how meaningful that horse picture was to me when they come to clean out my house after I'm gone. Perhaps they'll wonder why in the world crazy mom hung a little picture of a horse next to her Great Grandmother's 1896 charcoal portrait as if it deserved a place of honor over the piano! And I will look down on them when they shake their heads and toss my Man O'War picture into a Goodwill box...but I won't care. I am sure I will finally get to meet that horse and feed him a carrot or two. Does that sound weird? I feel sorry for everyone who never grew up with such a champion to dream about and wish you had been born in an earlier era to see him in person.
A fine & arresting tribute to honor one of the noblest of steeds The Mighty Man O'War who's majesty has overpowered the imagination of millions & stood the test of devotion throughout time. A tribute so arresting in feature it seizes upon our attention & stirs in ourselves nostalgic moments in time thankfully not lost, transcending the normal experience in all of us. We rest our gaze on the indomitable Spirit of the Thoroughbred exemplary in Man-O' war simply enlightened how he shone. It walks us down memory lane thru time & feeds our insatiable hunger for photographs to feast upon of his prominent majesty. I too, can seemingly never get enough of the visual aspects of such a tremendous powerhouse in equine form. My earliest memory of him was in grade school whereby loving all things horse(s) I fortuitously chanced upon his story & have been memorized ever since. I am a fan of all the greats, love them each in particular some grace they have bestowed upon us all, but here is where it began with Man O'War in my heart. There in his shadow cast overall forever loving the grandeur of the Thoroughbred.
This video and the commentary on it sums up my love for this horse too. I am a lifelong fan of Man O' War. I am a fountain of trivia about him. My grandma got to see him in person on a vacation that she took with a female friend. And she told me that he was the most beautiful horse she had ever seen. When I was in high school she told me the story of War Admiral and Seabiscut's match race. She told me that she had listened to the race call on the radio with the rest of the family in the living room. She told me that her parents were very kind people and they must have been, because they allowed a member of the family into the house on numerous occasions for weeks at a time. She said that he was an uncle who was a very kind, trusting person but a horrible handicapper. He would stay with her family doing odd jobs in town for a few weeks and then he would suddenly disappear and would be at the racetrack following the horses betting again. And then he would be back again, broke and sheepish... I asked her once when was the last time she saw him and for about an hour she tried to remember. We had been making sugar cookies at Christmas (so we were pretty distracted). But she said she thought it was her sophomore year of high school. She said that he was talking a lot about a colt named Count Fleet. And that colt won the Triple crown in 1943.
Barbra,,I had no idea what a big fan you were of the Great Man O War! This video gave me goosebumps!!! I wish all his fans could get together and fund a True Life MOVIE!! I have been wishing for a movie about him my whole life.
Beautifully and powerful video well done Man of War !! thanks for bringing the beauty of an old Legend back !!! You know well and passionately his story of these Champions sadly gone , but never forgotten !! Your video is a display at poetry and honor all together.. I’m deeply touch. thank you for sharing your graceful work !!! Have you done any other similar ?? Perfect music as well along the narration !! It honesty touched me . 🐴🐴❤️❤️
Just to stand in that stallion barn would give me goosebumps and to see Golden Broom’s grave would be amazing. It was an amazing time in horse racing history, the best decades of racing; the 1920s up until the 1980s. A lot of the old graves of champions are gone, paved over. I imagine that Riddle’s family was not so interested in horse racing as he was himself. I believe War Admiral and War Relic lived out their lives at Riddle Farm.
It bring tears to your eyes when greatness passes. To deny us seeing these magnificent horses forever. 😂 As they said " he had the look of eagles,". And to this day expert horse people look for this look in the eyes of horse.
The greatest. My favorite and I get so emotional. And some of these comments are so touching, I'd love to tell them but they are years old. Wonderful video and it was really enjoyable watching and reading comments about the mostest hoss, the original one and only Big Red.
This is such a wonderful tribute.I too have loved Man o' War since I was a little girl,making my first acquaintance with him via Walter Farley's somewhat fictionalized account of Big Red's life.I still treasure the Breyer model I got for Christmas when I was 9 or 10,and though there are so many fascinating places,events,people,I would love to observe if it were possible to go back in time,if I could do so only once,the hardest choice would be:Do I watch Man o' War race? Or do I visit him later at Faraway Farm,listen to Will Harbut speak,and be close enough to feel his presence,the strength of his personality,take in the exact color of his chestnut coat and listen to the sound of his breathing? Watch his great nostrils flare,drawing in the scents in the air?(For some reason those nostrils fascinate me.So huge!)What would anyone else choose? I hope,some day,to visit the Kentucky Horse Park and see for myself the statue marking his grave,and pay tribute to the measuring stick of greatness that was-is!- Man o' War. Gods! Even his name reaches out and grabs you.Man o' War.MAN O' WAR!
Awesome documentary! It’s wonderful to remember Greatness! And he carried more weight than now, heavy steel shoes, and less grade surfaces, and No drugs that today is common. He was truly Awesome! How big was his Heart?
My parents own a descendent of man o' war's. Got the breeding papers to show it. We bought him when he was 8. The smartest, high strung house I've every seen. 15 years later he is still high strung and leader of the pact.
So beautifully done. Thank you. And from here I visited your website and its photo gallery and saw the inspiring photos you've taken of so many champions. I especially liked your images of Silver Charm at Old Friends. Wonderful. It's so clear from your video that from a very young age you knew what you wanted to do and what you were meant to do - and you did it supremely well. Thank you for this beautiful video.
This video was so beautiful- but it was like watching myself as a child. I was never lucky enough to go to all these places where the Greatest Horse that Ever Lived was, slept, bred or died at, let alone raced at. My obsession with him was so strong that my Mom used to call me when she went to the races at Santa Anita park and have me pick her horses for her- and all my picks were based on whether or not they had even a tinge of Big Red’s blood in them. 9/10 times they won and my mom came home happy. I was probably 10 at the time. I’ve read every book written about Big Red, sketched and drew countless pictures of his flawless body. He was my biggest teacher in my art growing up. I can still draw a horses leg from memory, at 68 years of age. I just listened to his memorial radio broadcast with tears on my face. Even after having my own horses years ago, nothing would ever compare to the one and only “mostest horse alive.”
One last thing Champions are jugded not only on there performance but their offspring what they do at stud with a Legend like Man O War the greatest of all time breeders today 2023 try to have a racehorse pedigree with Man O War ancestry as many times as possible in it. One more thing He held 9 time records, 2 WORLD Records, 3 American records, & 4 stakes + track records no horse in history has done that. He was PERFECTION from his nose to his tail When my time is over i hope to see & pet him in Heaven.
Wonderful tribute and excellent video. Visited Man O' War's original site when we first moved to Kentucky in the 70s. Then was able to spend some time at the Kentucky Horse Park on several visits. It is a remarkable place.
Remember how we corresponded about the Glen Riddle Farm being destroyed for golf and gated housing? You showed me photos you took of old starting gate in vegetation growth, entrance gate, etc.
I can't watch this without tearing up now but it wasn't always that way i like so many others disregarded Man O War for Secretariat Seattle Slew Kelso Dr Fager etc Especially since i hot walked for Rokeby Stables in the late 60's & early 70's I WAS SO WRONG about 3 decades ago i picked up a book titled Man O War at the museum i live in Saratoga NY so i go there often from that moment on i changed my mind no my embarrassed mind Nothing can compare to him nothing its like GOD created a living flame & made Man O War he was you know he was like holding onto a bolt of lightening humanly impossible but there HE was. He had the largest nostrils for a horse ive ever seen & i've been around many great ones they were like air scoops his stride of 28 ft made him have SPEED never before seen on this earth let alone the track HIS musculature was that of a champion weight lifter HIS legs were massive compared to others & if you look close you see a pronouned Vascularity over his leg muscles not seen in race horses. His record speaks for itself but there is one thing that put him in the Angelic Legend catagory his build up to his final race with Sir Barton he had a bliw out before the race a quarter/2 foulongs he was given his head for the first time he ran that in 20 1/5 confirmed by NY Times The Sun & The Daily Racing Form. Why you as is this important because horses don'tt run that fast. He carried 130 lbs to victory multiple times as a 2 yr old & won them all as a 3 yr old he carried 130 - 138lbs to victory, WHY is that anything ask any trainer if theyd run their 2 yr old with 130 lbs or their 3 yr old with 138 lbs they'd never let them out of the barn -- He sired 62 champions & 220 winners. In closing all i can say is Great horses are talked about - Champions are Remembered - But a Legend is Never Forgotten.
Match Race @ Kenilworth Race Track, 100 years ago Oct. 12, 1920, Man O'War vs. Sir Barton, the first Triple Crown Winner. Purse $75,000. General Admission $5. The vacant land was developed residential in the City of Windsor about 20 years ago. No history marker. Main drag Kenilworth Rd. winds through the middle of the Subdivision. Enjoyed the clip.
Sheer beauty. Man O War's history can only move his majesty to a level of perfection. He must still love our ongoing adoration after all these years. He will never die in our memories.
Man o' War is buried with his most famous sons, War Relic and War Admiral, at the magnificent Kentucky Horse Park MOW statue.
My goodness I will be 61 this month. I did the very same thing from 12 years old on until I was 20 I love this it was so well done thank you.
Although man o' War died several years before I was born his memory was kept Alive by my family the greatest racehorse of all time. My mother at probably 25 years old Betty Lee link actually sang My Old Kentucky Home at his funeral. Sadly I wish there was some recording somewhere of that event. The person who did this rendition of man o' War did the best memory of him I have ever heard. I did see his son wore Admiral when I was a very small child would have loved to have seen the real horse there will never be another one he was a mighty Monarch of the racetrack
It’s an absolute shame that they did not deserve any of these properties it’s history. That’s how we all know what has happened in the past, I too have always been crazy about Manowar. I don’t know why, but I’ve dug up and listen to everything that I possibly could so this was a great thing for me to see and read and watch. Thank you so much.
A wonderful tribute, thank you!!!
in 15 years of listening to TH-cam I have never left a comment till now... Wow I had no idea what horse he was ,you did an amazing job with this legend im sure he is smiling on you now
I hope before I die they will make quality movie about MOW like those of Seabiscuit and Secretariat. Great video, thank you
This describes the exact love I have for this magnificent horse
What I wouldn't give to see this magical legendary horse in person! We can only watch his descendants... This brought tears to my eyes. He died 30 days after his constant companion and handler passed; they say Man O War died of a broken heart.
I’ve read that too. One has to wonder.
I thought Will Harbut (who is NOT the handler here) died in Sept or Aug, and MOW died November I know.
I was 13 when Secretariat won the Triple Crown in 1973. Nobody loved watching Secretariat race anymore than I did. That being said, Man O'War in some of his races carried as much as 30 to 40lbs. more than the oposition he was facing and still ran rough shod over them. In 1920, Man O'War completely outclassed America's first ever triple crown winner from 1919, Sir Barton, in a match race at Kenilworth Park. The 3YO Man O'War outclassed his rival, the 4YO Sir Barton from the start. Taking the lead right out of the gate and keeping it from go to woe, defeating the triple crown winner by 7 easy lengths. And lest we forget, Man O'War once also won a stakes race defeating his closest rival in the race by 100 lengths. He handled all surfaces, was blessed with incredible speed and stamina, and his stride was once measured at an incredible 28 feet. As much as I loved Secretariat, I just simply don't think he could've overcome the kind of weight that Man O'War was forced to give away in his races and still won in the manner that Man O'War did. I'm not sure why Riddle didn't run him in the Kentucky Derby, but he impressively won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes both later that same year, leading most racing enthusiast to proclaim not going to Churchill Downs was the only thing that prevented him from also being a triple crown champion.
Sam Riddle reportedly said racing the The Kentucky Derby was too early in the year. He raced Man O War in The Preakness two weeks later though. So I don't know if he changed his mind or if he felt Man O War wasn't ready. It is disappointing though.
The criteria was different. Secretariat won the required three races to win the triple Crown title in record time
Thank you for the great tribute to the Greatest horse.
The photos of the old farms, the ones still there and the ones lost will allow everyone to see how it was.
Just recently we lost another Great Racetrack, Arlington Park near Chicago was bought by a stupid football team and everything will be destroyed. That's a great loss. And a great shame.
Don’t know why I’m crying so much watching this. Thank you for this.
Me too
It's so great to find another who is so devoted to the GREATEST Thoroughbred that ever lived. Thank you for sharing all you have done and aquired about the King of all racehorses. You have helped answer questions about his former places he lived and what became of them and although many never cared its nice to know some who could keep his past alive did so. Your tribute film is truly a beautiful work of pure devotion to a horse the likes of which the world will never see again. Close copies maybe but never an equal or better.
@Deby Zimmerman, no argument here mam. As far as being tough enough to overcome having to give away large amounts of weight in races, I would argue that Citation perhaps might've been the better choice over Secretariat in that regard, but I would've given Secretariat a slight edge over Big Ci in pure God-given speed. That said, both would've played second fiddle to Man O'War in my humble opinion.
@@GBeret83 I will stick with Secretariat as the greatest horse ever. I think M.O.W. and Citation are definitely the next two of the list of Greats but nothing will convince me that Secretariat wasn't a gift from the Gods to horse lovers everywhere. By the way, my dad got to see Citation race and he said he will never forget his mind-blowing speed.
@@sarrahremy8512 Secretariat was on steroids. His enlarged heart was a clear indicator. Sham had an enlarged heart also. Secretariat also had infertility issues when he first went to stud and Sports Illustrated wrote that his steroid use was most likely the cause. Hall of Fame trainer Birch clearly stated that steroids were a part of Thoroughbred racing in the 60's, and was rampant by the 70's. Steroids had not been synthesized yet during Man O War's era.
@jibv4867 I have. Would you like the LONG list of Man O War's Champion offspring? War Admiral was his son and Seabiscuit was his grandson. Man O War Sired 62 Stakes Winners! Just about every American Thoroughbred comes from Man O War. You really don't want to compare their Stud records. There's no comparison. Secretariat and Man O War are distant cousins.
@jibv4867 Man O War broke the Belmont record also, a long with seven other records as a three year old. Man O War retired with more Event, Track, Distance, and World records than Secretariat. Secretariat only has one distance record on the books, and it's a dirt record. He ran the Belmont on the rail the entire race, the shortest way around the track. The 1.5 record goes to multiple other horses on slower surfaces. It's not a secret that Secretariat was on steroids. It was even mentioned in Sports Illustrated. The AP, Blood Horse, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and many others named Man O War as the greatest. I agree with the vast majority of experts.
Such a shame that Glen Riddle Farm wasn't preserved. Yet another piece of history lost to yet another luxury development. *Sigh*
Absolutely!! Only thing still existing, that I am aware of, is the stallion barn. Man O War's stall still shows his name on the stall door.
@@sheilatruax6172 yes. Faraway Farm was renamed Man O War farm in Kentucky.
Yes Americans destroy history.
I agree
Thank you, Barbra, for this wonderful tribute of my absolute favorite horse. Whenever I am in Kentucky, we visit him at the Horse Park. In 2017, my daughter and I traveled to Lexington for his 100th birthday anniversary. We were able to visit Mt. Brilliant Farm also. Although we have visited Kentucky many times, I can't wait to go back.
I'm reading this two years later, but wanted to comment. My wife, daughter, and I traveled to Lexington in 2017 with the main objective to be there during the celebration of Man O' War's 100th birthday. We thoroughly enjoyed the horse park, but the highlights were seeing the statue of Man O' War and where he is buried and the 100th anniversary display of his racing career. The best experience of all was talking to a 91 year old man, Eugene Carter, who worked at the Horse Park. Turns out he was a former (and highly respected) exercise rider who also happened to be Man O' War's groom Will Harbut's son-in-law. He was the last living man who had actually ridden Man O' War. Nobody had a clue who he was, so my family and I got to sit an talk to him for a good half-hour, listening to him talk about Man O' War. A very kind, classy man- it was a thrill and pleasure to meet him.
I was able, finally, to stand in front of the spot, looking into his face. And cried like a baby and talked to a horse who died 8 years before I was born. One of the greatest moments of my life! Little did my mom know what would become a life long obsession to the little girl who she talked to about Man O' War, Seabiscuit, Citation, Native Dancer and many others. I saw Northern Dancer, watched Secretariat make history, saw Ruffian go down, cheered as Affirmed kept beating off Alydar, cried with joy when Genuine Risk won the Derby, laughed like a maniac when Rags to Riches won the Belmont. I was relieved when American Pharoah gave us a Triple Crown after such a draught and declared Justify to be "justified" when he gave us another one. But, no matter how many wonderful moments there have been and will be, there is one, and only one, "Big Red". And that is and was the son of Fair Play and Mahubah, Man O' War!
Although I disagree with your last sentence (Secretariat is MY Big Red) I sure do wish I knew you. Anyone who cries like a baby over a horse long gone is my kind of person. I can't tell you how many tears I have cried over Secretariat, over Ruffian, over Barbaro...
@@sarrahremy8512 I had to take a hiatus after Ruffian went down. I still cry, hard, when something is said about that afternoon. I can still see the overcast sky and, for some reason, the feeling of something ominous as I looked toward the starting gate, just before the doors sprang open. My introduction, besides my mom's stories, was standing next to a Busch Clydesdale when I was really little. Mom says I wasn't tall enough to reach it's knee. Have loved equines, in general, all my life. Studied to be a DVM, with an specialty in horses. I had hoped to find the cure for laminitis. I'm retired and it is still plaguing our wonderful friends. C'est la vie.
That was excellent and had me in tears at the end. I am with you..he was the greatest racehorse ever. I have stood at his grave also and felt a presence.
War Tryst grandson of Man O War was my families horse. I always thought of his Grandfather when I rode Him. Cleaned his stall and fed him. Man O War the greatest. But War Tryst was a great horse in my life.
Such a shame this place hasn't been preserved.
Absolutely beautiful. Thank you for this treasure. ❤
I too am 67 and remember reading the book Man O War twice as a young girl. I have always loved horses, but life's path did not present me with opportunity to ride very much. Thank you so much for this video. I will never forget him.
Thank you for this wonderful tribute to an amazing athlete! Man O'War. A hero among all horses!
Barbara knows her horses so very well. Her photographs are legendary and this video brought tears to my eyes and joy to my heart.
No one captures horses better than Barbara Livingston
Mines too😢 there's something about horses that make me cry.
I thoroughly enjoyed this moving and lovingly crafted tribute to Man O War. (I feel the same way about Gallant Fox). Thank you for this.
Have you been to Belair, which had the stable including GF’s box? It was 30 years ago but they may still have it preserved.
I sure have - last year! 😊
I used to gallop around the house on my feet and hands pretending I was Man O'War. Oddly, though, it was a kid's book I read that had nothing at all to do with horses at all that got me into Man O'War. It was "Roosevelt Grady" which our teacher read to us in 3rd grade. This cool kid was named "Man O'War" in the book, and this class of white kids had no idea the book was about a bunch of black kids in a migrant workers' camp. I remember our shock when we found that out. Naturally we all thought that the book was about kids like us. Anyway, my best friend loved horses and I guess I got into the horses thing through her as well. But "Manny Wah" as Will Harbutt called him, got to be a fascination for me. I made my mom drive us to a particular shopping mall and a store which had the Breyer Man O'War plastic horse was available. I used to write the Breyer Plastic Manufacturing Inc firm all the time with suggestions which they nearly all used later on....
This was beautiful and a loving tribute to the great Man O' War. I don't know why some horses just get inside of us - I have to admit I am more of a Secretariat person - but when they do, they stay in our hearts forever, even if we weren't alive to see them run. I too see my favorite horses in my dreams. Thank you Barbara.
I love Man O'War the way you do. Walter Farley's book made me a huge fan! It's amazing you were able to visit all those spots where Big Red lived and enjoyed his retirement, and I'm grateful you shared it with us.
0723niki Yes! I read the same book twice.
''The Mostest Hoss There Ever Was''
What a beautiful, beautiful tribute to the greatest horse in racing history.
50 years ago I started my collection of breyer horses with „Man o War“. I felt there is something special about this horse, but as an 8 year old girl living in Germany it was just impossible to get some information about US race horses.
It is just great to know, that there are so many people, who are fascinated of this horse, still in these days.
Thank you for this video.
My old Apha Eternal Nite was a great grandson of this great horse. My boy was amazing too. He had a lot of his traits.Sure miss him😥🐎😍
What a wonderful tribute to an amazing horse.
Oh, thank you. I am in tears watching. I STILL think that if Red had been in that "match race" between War Admiral & Seabiscuit, he'd have left 'em both behind.
Beautiful little documentary on this amazing horse. Love the accompanying music as well.
Thank you so much for posting your accounts. I too grew up in admiration of Man O' War. All of my High School essays and term papers were about Man O' War and other fine horses. I grew up in Springfield, PA right next to Media PA where Sam Riddle's old farm was where Man O' War was born. I am 60 years old now, but spent many years on the backstretches of race tracks, caring for and galloping these fine horses. Man O' War always was and always will be my favorite horse of all time! Great story that you shared with us! I LOVED seeing your childhood written stories of him as I did exactly the same! Made me tear up! Thank you!
MAN O' WAR has been my tresure among every horse on earth since I was around 8 years old, loving horses, and learned about this most magnificent horse. I think Secretariat is the second most outstanding horse in horse racing history and have watch the movie of his life many times. Often wondered why Hollywood never made a movie of the Great MAN O' War!
People need to take into account the differences in these two magnificent horses. One main point beside MOW's unbeatable, except once, racing records, and the fact he worse steel or iron shoes back then over the aluminum shoes race horses and Secretariat wear today. The most awesome race would have truly been the Match of the century had these two most indescribable horses had competent. Much as I honor Secretariat, I truly believer Man O' War would have been the winner. He will be my equine treasure for all my days.
Such a great video. I'm crying. Thank you.
Thanks for this video. You were so fortunate to be able to live out such a dream. It has been a lifelong wish to visit Man O' War's grave - as yet unfulfilled. I share your sentiments about the one and only Big Red.
🥰 this is great thank you
His groom, Will, died October 4, 1947 and Man O' War followed him in death on November 1, 1947. They couldn't be apart.
I visited his original grave. The statue was there then. Trees around it. Just an old country lane.
Moved me to tears. I knew he was a great Horse but now he is up there with More Than Ready and In Reality, My other favorite horses
Thank you, thank you for this! I am 63 yrs old and grew up cherishing my mother's books about "Big Red" that her mother had given her. I've always felt resentful that modern race horses receive so much acclaim when there was only one original, the Great One. There's never been another contender that was punished to carry extra weight as he was just because the industry thought if they could slow him down it would give the rest of the field a chance to compete with him. Why they couldn't admit what everyone else already knew: The clock was his only competition.
This was beautifully done. I am missing my mother right now. And yes, I do have a small framed print of Man O'War's noble head over my piano. I'm positive none of my five children will have any clue how meaningful that horse picture was to me when they come to clean out my house after I'm gone. Perhaps they'll wonder why in the world crazy mom hung a little picture of a horse next to her Great Grandmother's 1896 charcoal portrait as if it deserved a place of honor over the piano! And I will look down on them when they shake their heads and toss my Man O'War picture into a Goodwill box...but I won't care. I am sure I will finally get to meet that horse and feed him a carrot or two. Does that sound weird? I feel sorry for everyone who never grew up with such a champion to dream about and wish you had been born in an earlier era to see him in person.
I visit his statue and resting place every year in April, when I am their for the 3 Day
Event
A fine & arresting tribute to honor one of the noblest of steeds The Mighty Man O'War who's majesty has overpowered the imagination of millions & stood the test of devotion throughout time.
A tribute so arresting in feature it seizes upon our attention & stirs in ourselves nostalgic moments in time thankfully not lost, transcending the normal experience in all of us. We rest our gaze on the indomitable Spirit of the Thoroughbred exemplary in Man-O' war simply enlightened how he shone. It walks us down memory lane thru time & feeds our insatiable hunger for photographs to feast upon of his prominent majesty. I too, can seemingly never get enough of the visual aspects of such a tremendous powerhouse in equine form.
My earliest memory of him was in grade school whereby loving all things horse(s) I fortuitously chanced upon his story & have been memorized ever since. I am a fan of all the greats, love them each in particular some grace they have bestowed upon us all, but here is where it began with Man O'War in my heart. There in his shadow cast overall forever loving the grandeur of the Thoroughbred.
Man O War was my favourite racehorse.
This brought tears to my eyes.
I had two heroes when I was a kid.Well,besides my Dad.
My two Equine heroes were Dan Patch and Man o' War.
I need a movie about Man O’ War
Yes that would be awsome. The best horse of all time.
@@bellenacassidy914 I know,he won a race by 100 links.what? He must have been feeling good that day.
This video and the commentary on it sums up my love for this horse too.
I am a lifelong fan of Man O' War. I am a fountain of trivia about him. My grandma got to see him in person on a vacation that she took with a female friend.
And she told me that he was the most beautiful horse she had ever seen. When I was in high school she told me the story of War Admiral and Seabiscut's match race.
She told me that she had listened to the race call on the radio with the rest of the family in the living room.
She told me that her parents were very kind people and they must have been, because they allowed a member of the family into the house on numerous occasions for weeks at a time. She said that he was an uncle who was a very kind, trusting person but a horrible handicapper.
He would stay with her family doing odd jobs in town for a few weeks and then he would suddenly disappear and would be at the racetrack following the horses betting again.
And then he would be back again, broke and sheepish... I asked her once when was the last time she saw him and for about an hour she tried to remember. We had been making sugar cookies at Christmas (so we were pretty distracted). But she said she thought it was her sophomore year of high school.
She said that he was talking a lot about a colt named Count Fleet. And that colt won the Triple crown in 1943.
THANK YOU BARBARA
Barbra,,I had no idea what a big fan you were of the Great Man O War! This video gave me goosebumps!!! I wish all his fans could get together and fund a True Life MOVIE!! I have been wishing for a movie about him my whole life.
Very powerfully video well done. Thanks 😊🐴
Beautifully and powerful video well done
Man of War !! thanks for bringing the beauty of an old Legend back !!!
You know well and passionately his story of these Champions sadly gone , but never forgotten !! Your video is a display at poetry and honor all together.. I’m deeply touch. thank you for sharing your graceful work !!! Have you done any other similar ?? Perfect music as well along the narration !! It honesty touched me . 🐴🐴❤️❤️
That short documentary was amazing. Thank you
Just to stand in that stallion barn would give me goosebumps and to see Golden Broom’s grave would be amazing. It was an amazing time in horse racing history, the best decades of racing; the 1920s up until the 1980s. A lot of the old graves of champions are gone, paved over. I imagine that Riddle’s family was not so interested in horse racing as he was himself. I believe War Admiral and War Relic lived out their lives at Riddle Farm.
Wonderful photos and commentary. So glad you preserved the long lost history via your photographs. Many, many thanks.
I am so glad to had dropped in, and watch your video about the Great Man o' War.... Thank you....
Girl; you really loved this horse. Great article.
It bring tears to your eyes when greatness passes. To deny us seeing these magnificent horses forever.
😂
As they said " he had the look of eagles,". And to this day expert horse people look for this look in the eyes of horse.
The greatest. My favorite and I get so emotional. And some of these comments are so touching, I'd love to tell them but they are years old. Wonderful video and it was really enjoyable watching and reading comments about the mostest hoss, the original one and only Big Red.
Thank you Barbara...I still have my MOW color print 777....❤️
Thank you for a great memorial.
Nice tribute thank you so much 😊
This was great! Without a doubt the best of all time.
This is such a wonderful tribute.I too have loved Man o' War since I was a little girl,making my first acquaintance with him via Walter Farley's somewhat fictionalized account of Big Red's life.I still treasure the Breyer model I got for Christmas when I was 9 or 10,and though there are so many fascinating places,events,people,I would love to observe if it were possible to go back in time,if I could do so only once,the hardest choice would be:Do I watch Man o' War race? Or do I visit him later at Faraway Farm,listen to Will Harbut speak,and be close enough to feel his presence,the strength of his personality,take in the exact color of his chestnut coat and listen to the sound of his breathing? Watch his great nostrils flare,drawing in the scents in the air?(For some reason those nostrils fascinate me.So huge!)What would anyone else choose?
I hope,some day,to visit the Kentucky Horse Park and see for myself the statue marking his grave,and pay tribute to the measuring stick of greatness that was-is!- Man o' War.
Gods! Even his name reaches out and grabs you.Man o' War.MAN O' WAR!
Thank you for the video and storytelling of Man O War ....very interesting 🐎🤗❤
Awesome documentary! It’s wonderful to remember Greatness!
And he carried more weight than now, heavy steel shoes, and less grade surfaces,
and No drugs that today is common. He was truly Awesome! How big was his Heart?
Yes he competed on less desirable conditions the modern thoroughbreds have had.
His get carried on winning races. He bred champions.
Wonderful tribute !!!
Man o war was amazing
Absolutely stunning looking
Oh, I hear ya, sisterwoman! Agree 100%
My parents own a descendent of man o' war's. Got the breeding papers to show it. We bought him when he was 8. The smartest, high strung house I've every seen. 15 years later he is still high strung and leader of the pact.
So beautifully done. Thank you. And from here I visited your website and its photo gallery and saw the inspiring photos you've taken of so many champions. I especially liked your images of Silver Charm at Old Friends. Wonderful. It's so clear from your video that from a very young age you knew what you wanted to do and what you were meant to do - and you did it supremely well. Thank you for this beautiful video.
Thank you ❤
Love this tribute!
I'm very happy that my OTTB carries Man O'War's blood, thorough Smarty Jones and Sky Mesa!
What love and admiration.
Thank you! Fantastic video. Blessings 🙏
He was the MJ of horses the greatest race horse ever
I have a colt Born last year that is a Man O war descendant
This video was so beautiful- but it was like watching myself as a child. I was never lucky enough to go to all these places where the Greatest Horse that Ever Lived was, slept, bred or died at, let alone raced at. My obsession with him was so strong that my Mom used to call me when she went to the races at Santa Anita park and have me pick her horses for her- and all my picks were based on whether or not they had even a tinge of Big Red’s blood in them. 9/10 times they won and my mom came home happy. I was probably 10 at the time.
I’ve read every book written about Big Red, sketched and drew countless pictures of his flawless body. He was my biggest teacher in my art growing up. I can still draw a horses leg from memory, at 68 years of age.
I just listened to his memorial radio broadcast with tears on my face. Even after having my own horses years ago, nothing would ever compare to the one and only “mostest horse alive.”
Beautifully done.
Thank you for this gift.
Omg what a great piece this is fantastic
One last thing Champions are jugded not only on there performance but their offspring what they do at stud with a Legend like Man O War the greatest of all time breeders today 2023 try to have a racehorse pedigree with Man O War ancestry as many times as possible in it.
One more thing He held 9 time records, 2 WORLD Records, 3 American records, & 4 stakes + track records no horse in history has done that. He was PERFECTION from his nose to his tail
When my time is over i hope to see & pet him in Heaven.
MAN O WAR "THE GREATEST "
Great video. Thank you. So sad to see the decrepit decaying barns. Glad his barn was restored.
Wonderful tribute and excellent video. Visited Man O' War's original site when we first moved to Kentucky in the 70s. Then was able to spend some time at the Kentucky Horse Park on several visits. It is a remarkable place.
Remember how we corresponded about the Glen Riddle Farm being destroyed for golf and gated housing? You showed me photos you took of old starting gate in vegetation growth, entrance gate, etc.
I can't watch this without tearing up now but it wasn't always that way i like so many others disregarded Man O War for Secretariat Seattle Slew Kelso Dr Fager etc Especially since i hot walked for Rokeby Stables in the late 60's & early 70's I WAS SO WRONG about 3 decades ago i picked up a book titled Man O War at the museum i live in Saratoga NY so i go there often from that moment on i changed my mind no my embarrassed mind Nothing can compare to him nothing its like GOD created a living flame & made Man O War he was you know he was like holding onto a bolt of lightening humanly impossible but there HE was.
He had the largest nostrils for a horse ive ever seen & i've been around many great ones they were like air scoops his stride of 28 ft made him have SPEED never before seen on this earth let alone the track HIS musculature was that of a champion weight lifter HIS legs were massive compared to others & if you look close you see a pronouned Vascularity over his leg muscles not seen in race horses. His record speaks for itself but there is one thing that put him in the Angelic Legend catagory his build up to his final race with Sir Barton he had a bliw out before the race a quarter/2 foulongs he was given his head for the first time he ran that in 20 1/5 confirmed by NY Times The Sun & The Daily Racing Form. Why you as is this important because horses don'tt run that fast. He carried 130 lbs to victory multiple times as a 2 yr old & won them all as a 3 yr old he carried 130 - 138lbs to victory, WHY is that anything ask any trainer if theyd run their 2 yr old with 130 lbs or their 3 yr old with 138 lbs they'd never let them out of the barn -- He sired 62 champions & 220 winners.
In closing all i can say is
Great horses are talked about - Champions are Remembered - But a Legend is Never Forgotten.
Match Race @ Kenilworth Race Track, 100 years ago Oct. 12, 1920, Man O'War vs. Sir Barton, the first Triple Crown Winner. Purse $75,000. General Admission $5. The vacant land was developed residential in the City of Windsor about 20 years ago. No history marker. Main drag Kenilworth Rd. winds through the middle of the Subdivision. Enjoyed the clip.
ugh heartbreaking his old home gone
Wow so interesting thanks for sharing
What a beautiful video
Chasing Man-o-War? I don't blame you a bit. He was the Best of All.
Love the opening jab at Secretariat. You could get yourself into a long and winless argument on that one tho lol!
Just like Secretariat, Man o War knew he was a badass .He won a race by 100 links. Some damn good oats that morning.
❤
The Greatest!!
They should save all these places as historical sites.