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War Admiral

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War Admiral
SireMan o' War
GrandsireFair Play
DamBrushup
DamsireSweep
SexStallion
Foaled1934
CountryUnited States
Colourbrown
BreederSamuel D. Riddle
OwnerGlen Riddle Farm
Silks: Black, Yellow Sash, Yellow Bars on Sleeves, Black Cap
TrainerGeorge Conway
Record26: 21-3-1
Earnings$273,240
Major wins
Great American Stakes (1936)
Kentucky Derby (1937)
Preakness Stakes (1937)
Belmont Stakes (1937)
Washington Handicap (1937)
Pimlico Special (1937)
Saratoga Cup (1938)
Whitney Handicap (1938)
Wilson Stakes (1938)
Stars and Stripes Handicap (1938)
Jockey Club Gold Cup (1938)
Queens County Handicap (1938)
Awards
4th U.S. Triple Crown Champion (1937)
U.S. Champion 3-Yr-Old Colt (1937)
United States Horse of the Year (1937)
Leading sire in North America (1945)
Leading broodmare sire in North America (1962, 1964)
Honours
United States Racing Hall of Fame (1958)
#13 - Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century
Last updated on February 4, 2007

War Admiral (1934-1959) was an American thoroughbred racehorse legend, the offspring of the great thoroughbred Man o' War and the mare Brushup. He inherited his father's fiery temperament and talent, but did not resemble him physically. He was smaller than Man o' War at 15 hands, two inches tall (compared to 16 hands for an average racehorse), with a dark brown coat inherited from his dam. The movie Seabiscuit inaccurately portrays him at 18 hands.

War Admiral was born at Faraway Farm in Lexington, Kentucky and was owned by Samuel D. Riddle. After 1936, his regular jockey until retirement was Charles Kurtsinger. War Admiral won 21 of his 26 starts, including the Pimlico Special and the coveted U.S. Triple Crown in 1937, earning him recognition as Horse of the Year.

War Admiral raced in the eastern United States, and in 1938 won eight major races, including the Whitney Handicap and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He is linked forever to the year-older Seabiscuit, who was a son of the Man o' War stallion Hard Tack and was the pre-eminent horse based in the western U.S. Their famous match race in the 1938 Pimlico Special, which War Admiral lost to Seabiscuit by four lengths, is considered by some to be the best thoroughbred horse race in U.S. history.

War Admiral retired with a career earnings total of $273,240. He was the leading American sire in 1945 and the leading juvenile sire in 1948. Before his death in 1959, War Admiral had sired 40 stakes winners.[1] Major winners sired by War Admiral include Blue Peter, Searching, Busanda, Mr. Busher, Navy Page, Cold Command, and Admiral Vee.[2] War Admiral also sired the champion filly and Horse of the Year Busher (ranked #40 in Blood-Horse magazine List of the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century).

War Admiral was elected to the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame. In the Blood-Horse magazine ranking of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, War Admiral was ranked #13.

Owner Sam Riddle commissioned equine artist Martin Stainforth to paint War Admiral's portrait.

Pedigree of War Admiral
Sire
Man o' War 		Fair Play
ch. 1905 		Hastings
br. 1893 		Spendthrift
Cinderella
Fairy Gold
ch. 1896 		Bend Or
Dame Masham
Mahubah
b. 1910 		Rock Sand
br. 1900 		Sainfoin
Roquebrune
Merry Token
b. 1891 		Merry Hampton
Mizpah
Dam
Brushup
1929 		Sweep
1907 		Ben Brush Bramble
Roseville
Pink Domino Domino
Belle Rose
Annette
1921 		Harry of Hereford John O'Gaunt
Canterbury Pilgrim
Bathing Girl Spearmint
Summer Girl

See also

References

  1. ^ Ron Hale. "Seabiscuit vs. War Admiral / the Greatest Match Race of the Century".
  2. ^ Anne Peters. "Man o'War".
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