I’m a racing fan. This is a hobby of mine, going over ancient horse racing published material. I read early 1900s DRFs. I’ve studied Man O’War and Secretariat. I have publications from the 1830s and the 1870s, etc.
Secretariat spat out the bit 3x as a 3yo. He didn’t carry as much weight as Man O’War.
Secretariat set (6...since Pimlico reset it) records that year. Out of 12 starts. That’s 50% record rate.
MOW set 8 records out of 11 starts and never lost. That is almost 3x out of every 4 starts he stet a record. Unmatched in history. 3 were track (1 equal), 2 American, and 3 world records.
BTW MOW possibly should be credited with matching another American record (if set by Sir Barton) instead of just Saratoga track...the Whisk Broom II nonsense record screwed a lot of horses out of records they deserve.
Well I grew up with a copy of Amicks Man o War over the mantle...it had been at my paternal grandpas pre WBTS farm between Jackson and Vicksburg Mississippi
He raised for show and stud ...Walkers and Saddlebreds and tried appaloosas (difficult but beautiful horse.....wish he’d been raising them when Bev Doolittle paintings took off and prices on them went nuts)
One can argue every variable known to man ....by that measure we should include Kincsem and Citation
Man o War was undeniably a more productive sire
Man o Wars owner deserves GOAT owner
Entered WWI at age 65
Stud
Get it..lol...I kill my self