War Admiral

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War Admiral
Sire Man o' War
Grandsire Fair Play
Dam Brushup
Damsire Sweep
Sex Stallion
Foaled 1934
Country United States
Colour Brown
Breeder Samuel D. Riddle
Owner Glen Riddle Farm
Silks: Black, Yellow Sash, Yellow Bars on Sleeves, Black Cap
Trainer George Conway
Record 26: 21-3-1
Earnings $273,240
Major wins

Great American Stakes (1936)
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)


American Classic wins:
Kentucky Derby (1937)
Preakness Stakes (1937)
Belmont Stakes (1937)
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
Horse (Equus ferus caballus)
Last updated on February 4, 2007

War Admiral (1934–1959) was an American thoroughbred racehorse, the offspring of Man o' War and Brushup. He inherited his father's fiery temperament and talent, but did not resemble him physically. He was smaller than Man o' War at 15.3 hands, compared to the 16.2-hand (167.6-cm) height of his sire (16 hands for an average racehorse), with a dark brown coat inherited from his dam. The movie Seabiscuit inaccurately portrayed him at 18 hands. Seabiscuit was actually not that small a horse at 15.2 hands, almost equal to War Admiral's height.

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 U.S. Triple Crown in 1937, earning him recognition as Horse of the Year.

Contents

[edit] Racing career

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 preeminent horse based in the western U.S. In 1938, War Admiral competed against Seabiscuit in the Pimlico Special match race, which he lost by four lengths.

[edit] Stud career

War Admiral retired with earnings totaling $273,240. He was the leading American sire in 1945 and the leading juvenile sire in 1948. Before his death in 1959, War Admiral 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).

[edit] Honors and awards

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, with Seabiscuit as #25.

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

[edit] Pedigree

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

[edit] See also

[edit] References

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