I checked Riddle's estate catalog and didn't find any artwork mentioning the Stuyvesant Handicap specifically.  If it was something owned by Riddle, he probably didn't have it at the time of his death.

Another possible resource would be the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga, New York.  They not only have considerable information on Man o' War and Riddle, they also have a sizable art collection.  Perhaps the description of your painting would ring a bell with them.

Good luck!

You have a letter from Red Pollard?  How absolutely fabulous!  He was a man of great courage.  I wish something could have been done to help him physically.  He lived with a lot of pain and it cost him dearly.  Bless your uncle for trying! 

This uncle wasn't the child your grandmother was expecting when she missed seeing Man o' War, was it?    After her sacrifice, I hope her baby was healthy and happy.

Some of his appeal was the fact that Man o' War had no political or social agenda.  He was simply a horse that loved to run.  People shared his joy when they watched him.

The other was that his apparent ease in winning caught people's imagination, as did the way he carried himself.  His superiority made them feel awe.  In those tough days when endless trench warfare, the great influenza pandemic, and social upheaval shook their lives to the core, that reverence was sorely needed as a reminder of the good in their lives.

One of the most revealing things you can do is read the newspapers of the time.  Check for  microfiche of the New York Times in your library. The tales of scandal, the collapse of monarchies in Europe, and  fear of revolution in this country show you how tumultuous his era was.  It also helps put Man o' War's career in perspective. 

Take a look! 

With all the recent attention on Seabiscuit, were you aware that his jockey George Woolf was using Phar Lap's kangaroo leather saddle while riding Seabiscuit?  The tack was sold at auction around the time the movie came out.  I was hoping an Aussie would get it, but alas, no.

You are right.  War Admiral and Seabiscuit were close relatives.  War Admiral's sire and Seabiscuit's grandsire was the same horse -- Man o' War. 

In actual fact, however, neither War Admiral or Seabiscuit resembled Man o' War much, except in their ability to run.  Both were smallish horses, resembling their dams.

Like all issues involving racehorses, the horse that is Man o' War's best descendent is open to debate.  To some, War Admiral's win of the Triple Crown and his stud record (he fathered many champions and was the broodmare sire of many more  whereas Seabiscuit was well below average as a sire) puts him above Seabiscuit, regardless of the famous match race. 

Other top ranked Man o' War descendents are  Kelso, Dr Fager, Forego, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, Buckpasser, Damascus, Swaps, John Henry and Alydar.

In Europe, many regard War Relic as Man o' War's best son, largely because of his European stud record.  Man o' War's descendent Nijinsky II was the last winner of the British Triple Crown.

There are a lot of good descendents, aren't there?

I have a tremendous amount of respect for both horses (Giving Secretariat a gentle scratch was one of the biggest thrills of my life), but as this is a Man o' War site, you can probably guess which side of the fence I fall. 

I find it is intriguing that www.Secretariat.com has sold Man o' War photographs and my most prized Man o' War collectable came from a member of Secretariat's entourage.  Apparently there is a lot of respect for Man o' War in the Secretariat camp. Admiring the accomplishments of one of the champions doesn't exclude admiring the other.

Personally, I can't imagine the sport without either of them.

I would guess, since Man o' War raced more than 85 years ago, the people who saw him race are rare.  Even if they were only 5 years old at the time, they'd be in their 90s now.  It's the passing of an era, really. 

The statue of Man o' War by Heseltine exaggerated the horse's brawny confirmation.  Although a muscular horse, Big Red wasn't quite that bulky in life.  He was 16 hands two inches tall, had a 28 foot stride, weighed 1200 pounds and a girth size of 72 inches.  He was a very impressive Thoroughbred.

Man o' War was originally buried at Faraway Farm in 1947.  In the late 1970s, Man o' War's body and memorial was moved to the Kentucky Horse Park.  Although handler Will Harbut and Man o' War died in the same month (November 1947), they were NOT buried near one another.  However, at the Kentucky Horse Park, Man o' War's memorial is in close proximity to the grave of one of the most successful jockeys to ever live, Isaac Murphy (1861-1896).

Hope you and your granddaughter get a chance to visit the Kentucky Horse Park together some day, if you haven't gone already.

Best wishes.

Comment by Celeste

Hi Fan!  Thanks for dropping by.  I've certainly read the book by Walter Farley.  It is what made me a fan of horseracing in general and Man o' War in particular.  Bear in mind, though, that it is a fictionalized account in that Danny Ryan, Man o' War's groom in the book, did not exist.  Otherwise, it is fairly accurate as to what happened and why.

By the way, Red's groom during his racing years was a young man by the name of Frank Loftus, who was not related to his rider, Johnny Loftus.  Frank remained a racehorse groom for various stables until the 1960s, but held a soft spot in his heart for Man o' War all his life.

Comment by Celeste

I'm so glad that this site helped you realize what a special man your grandmother helped. 

Louis Feustel's patience and careful handling is a major part of what made Man o'War the successful horse he was.  With his breeding, Man o' War could have easily become too temperamental to race.  He was highly excited when saddled and under starter's orders because Big Red loved to race.  He retained that eagerness through-out his career.  It is a credit to his trainer that the horse always found his job fun.  Feustel's conditioning was such that the heavy weights Man o' War carried didn't seem to bother him much. 

The Man o' War shoe creates a certain amount of awe from even casual horse lovers.  Everyone wants to touch it.  If you look very carefully, you can still see the light dirt of the Kenilworth Park track deep in the grooves.  That and the scuffs along the surface reduces the "legendary" aspect of Man o' War and brings him into the real world for me.  It's like a magic doorway to the past.

One suggestion for eBay memorabilia: start looking for old newspapers and magazines.  The newspapers are very fragile, but they make you feel like you are there and give you a great feel for the era. 

I don't have 'Win, Place, Show' yet.  Sounds like I'd enjoy it.  Thanks for the recommendation.

Two other coincidences: I have a copy of the  George "Brownie" Leach Diamond Jubilee Kentucky Derby book you mentioned... and I'm owned by a Maine Coon cat!

Take care.

I love your website, by the way.  You have a skill that is rarely seen today.  Your brooms are works of art.  Thank you for sharing the URL.

Yes, I'd love to see/post some of your photographs.  Thank you for offering to share.

Talking to Mr. Phillips sounds like a treat.  I don't envy him his former job!  I would imagine he was marginally relieved that War Relic was inbred to the gentle Rock Sand rather than vicious Hastings.  Give him my regards.  His care of the horse was impressive.

Thanks so much for your message.  It was a treat.  Stay in touch.

Glad you found me.

One of the things that surprised me when I started looking at bloodlines was how many of the "color breeds" have connections to Man o' War.

Other than the Thoroughbred breed, many of his descendents are found amongst Quarter Horses. The breed registry for the Quarter Horse still accepts Thoroughbred outcrosses. Lines with Man o' War include Easy Jet and Top Deck. Since Quarter Horses are amongst the foundation stock for paints and appaloosas, it shouldn't be a surprise to find Man o' War blood in their registries.

There are other registries that accept Thoroughbred outcrosses. The Dutch Warmblood, the Sport Horse, the Anglo-Arab are all registries which come to mind.

In that respect, the blood of Big Red is a lot more widespread than most of the general public realizes.

Best wishes to you and your Man o' War "grandbabies"!

These days, memorabilia is sold with a 'certificate of authenticity' (or COA).  Essentially, it is a signed affidavit from the party donating/selling the memorabilia which describes the item and states its relationship to the celebrity.  In this case, I would expect a letter from Man o' War's trainer, owner or groom would accompany your horseshoe explaining exactly what you described to me.

If you don't have that, your search for authenticity will take research. 

What you need are bills of sale, letters, wills, newspaper articles, (any document that might mention this item) from previous owners which describe the item.  Finding documentation which ties the original owner with someone from the Man o' War entourage could lend credence to the claim.  I have to warn you now that could be very difficult so many years after the fact! 

Also look at physical evidence which may lend support to the assertion. Racing plates of Man o' War's era are different from modern plates. For one thing, they're made of iron, not aluminum. 

There are two additional sources that could probably help you better than I: National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame www.racingmuseum.org and the International Museum of the Horse www.imh.org

You might have to face the possibility that the link can't be proven.  That doesn't necessarily mean it is or isn't Man o' War's shoe.  It just means there isn't enough evidence to prove it conclusively.

Good luck!

It's hard to comprehend that the Derby was just one more spring race in 1920.  It was a relatively important one, but it didn't have the prestige it does now.  The three Triple Crown races weren't linked in those days.  Sir Barton won the Triple Crown in 1919 -- the first -- but the term 'Triple Crown' wasn't in existence then.

Later, in the late '30s, Riddle decided to let Man o' War's son War Admiral try his luck in the Derby and wound up winning the entire Triple Crown.   It is a pity Man o' War didn't have a chance to win the Kentucky Derby.  I'm sure he would have succeeded. He made winning the Preakness and Belmont look effortless. The Triple Crown looks like it was Big Red's for the taking.