Description
American Thoroughbred Man o' War with jockey Earle Sande up at Saratoga’s Miller Stakes on August 7, 1920.
The Miller Stakes was the only race in which Earl Sande rode Man o’ War. Sande was recruited by Man o' War's owner, Samuel D. Riddle, after Clarence Kummer sustained a shoulder injury on July 12, 1920.
At the odds of 1-30, yielding 12 and 17 pounds respectively to his two rivals, Donnacona and King Albert, Man o’ War was never extended, winning by six lengths over Donnacona.
Newspaper headlines from around the world heralded Man o’ War (1917-1947) as “matchless,” the “wonder horse,” a “speed miracle,” and “peerless.”
After winning 20 of his 21 races, Man o’ War, owned by Samuel D. Riddle and trained by Louis Feustel, retired to stud duty in Kentucky. He was the leading North American sire in 1926. He remained a prominent Kentucky tourist attraction during his retirement years, and his funeral was broadcast live across the country.
Man o' War's statue and remains at the Kentucky Horse Park continue to draw thousands of visitors to the Bluegrass every year. A century after his birth, he is still ranked by many as the greatest American racehorse.
Earl Sande, inducted in the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame in 1955, was one of the country’s most popular jockeys in the 1920s and 1930s. He had a career 26.4% winning percentage, and his many stakes wins included three Kentucky Derby (1923, 1925, 1930), five Belmont Stakes (1921, 1923, 1924, 1927, 1930), and four Jockey Club Gold Cup (1921, 1922, 1927, 1930) victories. He won the Triple Crown in 1930 atop Gallant Fox. Sande was the country’s top rider in 1921, 1923, and 1927.