02/27/2026
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MAN O’ WAR Made Final Public Appearance in Lexington. Man o' War received a send off to stud on Jan. 27, 1921. By Tom Hall, January 2021, BloodHorse.
WHEN ALEXANDER THE GREAT observed he had no more worlds to conquer, it is said he sat and cried. When Sam Riddle thought Man o' War had reached that point, he sent the big red son of Fair Play off to stud in Kentucky. Thus it was that in late October 1920, Riddle declined the many invitations—one from a promoter that included a $100,000 sweetening-of-the-pot offer—to send America's best to race in England and retired Man o' War.
TO GIVE MAN O’ WAR some time to unwind from the rigors of racing, Riddle sent him to his farm in Berlin, Md. Offers to exhibit Man o' War poured in—one an invitation to attend a dinner in his honor at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, Riddle shunned with a succinct dismissal: "There has been some talk of having Man o' War at such an affair, but I would not hear of it. We are sportsmen, not sports. There is a big difference, so the dinner is off."
ANOTHER MORE intriguing—and more appropriate—invite came from the Horse Show Association to exhibit Man o' War at its National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden on the night of its Thoroughbred classic in order to draw attention to the breed's importance in other equine venues of the sporting scene. Again, Riddle gave the thumbs down.
IN THE MEANTIME, Man o' War idled his time at the Riddle farm, waiting for the time and the train to take him to his new life at Elizabeth Daingerfield's Hinata Farm in Kentucky. Kentucky was also making its plans and what better way to welcome the state's favorite son home than a grand parade thorough the streets of Lexington so that the public could turn out en masse.
THIS KIND OF AFFAIR must have given Riddle nightmares, especially with the events of Man o' War's sole public appearance, a meet and greet that included fellow champions, boxer Jack Dempsey, and Olympic gold medalist Jack Kelly, at the Rose Tree Hunt Club where Riddle served as president, fresh in his mind. At that festive occasion before an overflow multitude of well wishers, Man o' War with his constant equine companion Major Treat, were being unloaded when the high-spirited Man o' War chose to leap from the ramp rather than walk down it, grazing his leg in the process. With perhaps a mental image of brass bands playing and pennants waving in the air as his valuable c**t walked through streets crowded with cheering fans, Riddle nixed all but an appearance at the Lexington Association track.
ONE HUNDRED YEARS ago on Jan. 27, 1921, Man o' War arrived by train at the Kentucky Jockey Club track in Lexington, accompanied by his trainer Louis Feustel; his constant groom Frank Loftus; regular exercise rider Clyde Gordon; and his faithful companion Major Treat and racing stablemate Golden Broom. Man o' War was taken to Stall No. 4 of Col. E. R. Bradley's barn at the track to await his track appearance the following day. Looking every inch a king, Man o' War was led prancing from the paddock with Gordon, outfitted in the black and gold Riddle colors, in the saddle to the track where Gordon rode him up and down several times as policemen kept the adoring crowd from thronging to the track.
AWAITING MAN O’ WAR at Hinata were a spacious stall, a private pasture where he could run unrestrained, and even special feed tubs crafted by Lexington's finest tinsmith so that they could inflict no injury. Oh, and 15 handpicked mares for his first harem.
