At Faraway
Man o’ War was moved from Hinata Farm to Faraway Farm in 1922, and he spent the remainder of his life there. For much of the year, Faraway received visitors eager to see Man o’ War every day. Many of these visitors signed the stud barn guest book, and estimates suggest Man o’ War received more than 1.5 million visitors over the course of his 25 years at Faraway.
In the commentary below, Elizabeth Daingerfield, Faraway manager until the fall of 1930, speaks to the public’s ongoing connection with Man o’ War, and guidebook writer Robert J. Breckenridge alludes to the difficulty of finding the aptly named “Faraway Farm.”
The excerpts below from the New York Times article covering Man o’ War’s Belmont Stakes win on June 12, 1920, reiterate the esteem in which Man o’ War was regarded by both the industry and general public.
“His name is on all the road directions in this part of the country and on all the ‘Seeing Kentucky’ programs. Tourists ask first where they can find him and then where they can find the Mammoth Cave. It is remarkable how the interest in him continues.”
- Elizabeth Daingerfield, 19231
“More folks have been lost looking for Man o’ War than went down with the Titanic.”
- Robert J. Breckenridge2
"Samuel D. Riddle’s marvelous race horse, Man o’ War, gave at Belmont Park yesterday what was beyond a doubt the greatest exhibition of speed ever witnessed on any race track when he shattered the world’s record for a mile and three furlongs in winning the $10,000 Belmont Stakes, while a crowd of 25,000 sat stunned by the almost unbelievably brilliant performance. The champion did not just clip the mark, but literally shattered it…
"The race left no doubt in the mind of all turfmen present that they had seen the greatest horse of this or any other age. Up to this time they had been content to say that he was America’s finest product, but after he crossed the line in the Belmont and his time was flashed there were none among the veterans of the turf who could think of a horse that compared with him. It is safe to say that Man o’ War is the superhorse of the ages as far as records go back; a horse the like of which will probably never be seen by the present generation of horsemen.
"Man o’ War finds himself in the position of Alexander of yore, seeking new worlds to conquer, and as there are no horses of his age to race with him he has only the reduction of records for various distances as a stimulus.
"Instead of taking a pull on his mount, as he (jockey Clarence Kummer) had done in his previous race, he let Man o’ War step along all through the stretch, although at no time urging him. He simply let the colt run freely, and then it became evident how much he outclasses the others of his age.”
- New York Times, 19203
1. Elizabeth Bent (December 30, 1923). “She Breeds Great Horses,” New York Times
2. Dorothy Ours (2006). Man o’ War: A Legend Like Lightning. New York: St. Martin’s Press, p. 268
3. New York Times (June 13, 1920). “World Record is Set by Man o’ War: Wins Belmont by a Block”