We can’t be absolutely certain that War Admiral is trainer John Shirreffs all-time favourite thoroughbred of the past. But we do know that the distinguished trainer of 2010 Horse of the Year, Zenyatta, has a vast collection of racing memorabilia that reflects his passion for the history of thoroughbred racing. In a Thoroughbred Times article about John Shirreffs and his wife, Dottie Ingordo-Shirreffs, the Mosses Racing Manager, entitled “Zenyatta’s People” (11/04/2010), it was pointed out that one of the “jewels” in John’s collection is a program from a banquet held in the 1930’s to honour War Admiral, that features a portrait of Man O’ War on the cover and is signed by Samuel Riddle.
THE VAULT ‘s mission is to celebrate the role of history in shaping the sport of racing and the thoroughbred as a breed. So what better way to celebrate the start of a new year than by dedicating our War Admiral narrative to an appreciative historian of the sport, John Shirreffs?
To our fabulous readers: without your support and encouragement, there would be no inspiration to go on spinning stories. I write for each and every one of you.
Contrary to his portrayal in the most recent movie about Seabiscuit, based on Laura Hillenbrand’s wonderful book of the same name, War Admiral was a small, brown colt who at 3 yrs. stood slightly over 15.2 hands. Clearly, the decision in the movie to depict him as a Titan was a kind of figurative gesture, calculated to add suspense, while indicating to those movie-goers unfamiliar with thoroughbred racing history that “The Admiral” was a champion of giant-esque proportions.
And that he was.
The diminutive brown yearling, who resembled his dam far more than he did his legendary sire, was so woefully unlike Man O’ War in conformation that Samuel Riddle despaired and actually tried to convince his partner, the distinguished Walter M. Jeffords Sr., to take the colt off his hands. For not only did The Admiral resemble his dam, but the exquisitely built little mare had actually only run in three races and failed to win; Samuel Riddle, who owned Brushup with the Jeffords, connected the brown colt’s looks with intimations of his dam’s mediocrity. Riddle jealously guarded the reputation of Man O’ War and one way he attempted to assure that Big Red would achieve immortality was to disperse any offspring that did not appear to meet the standard of excellence of their sire.
However — and happily for Riddle — Jeffords Sr. showed little interest in the tiny son of Brushup.
Unremarkable as her racing career was, Brushup came to Riddle with a lovely pedigree. Her sire, Sweep (1907), descended from the likes of Himyar (1875) and his great son, Domino (1891), as well as Kentucky Derby winner, Ben Brush (1893) and the founder of the Fair Play line, Australian (1858). Himyar (1875) was such an outstanding sire and made such a lasting contribution to the breed itself that he certainly deserves his own spot on THE VAULT! Briefly, he was a speedball on the turf, winning 14 of his 28 starts and was without a doubt the fastest thoroughbred of his generation. Sweep’s dam, Pink Domino (1897) was a granddaughter of Himyar and a daughter of Domino. Sweep won the Belmont Stakes and other top contests during his racing career, but is likely most famous for being the broodmare sire of two Triple Crown winners — War Admiral and Whirlaway.
The blood that raced in The Admiral’s veins was a treasure-trove of great, great thoroughbreds. But despite that, the colt would have to earn the respect of his owner and the horse racing public, most of whom would brook no equal to their hero, Man O’ War, even while they awaited a son or daughter stamped with his greatness. The one person who took the little colt as he was, allowing him to grow and develop into the individual he became, was trainer George Conway — and The Admiral blossomed under his tutelage.
Conway was in the final years of his career when War Admiral came along. He was a quiet, thoughtful and focused professional of few words, but he had an eye for good horses and it didn’t take very long before Conway knew that the tiny son of Man O’ War was destined to be one of the giants of thoroughbred racing. At the beginning, however, Conway doubted that any other thoroughbred could ever be as accomplished as another son of Man O’ War who was dear to his heart, Crusader.
George Conway had learned his trade from a number of trainers before arriving at Glen Riddle, working his way up from the very bottom of the pecking order. Man O’ War’s trainer, Louis Feustel, saw Conway’s potential and made him stable foreman. During those magical years, it was often George Conway who led the always-restive Man O’ War to the start of one of his races. In fact, Conway spent so much time with Big Red that it was he, rather than Feustel, who really accounted for Big Red’s conditioning and overall mental outlook. Following Feustel, Gwyn Tompkins became the head trainer at Glen Riddle and started Man O’ War’s son, Crusader, as a 2 year-old. When Tompkins retired, it was Conway who was asked by Samuel Riddle to take the reins. So it was that George Conway raced Crusader until the champion’s retirement and, in so doing, established himself in the eyes of the sporting public.
Conway treated all his horses as individuals, working to build a program that would suit their abilities and their needs. He was a patient man and he lavished this patience on his charges. As a rule, Conway only raced his 2 year-olds lightly, understanding that, at two, thoroughbreds are still growing into themselves physically, while caught somewhere between babyhood and maturity mentally. However, “lightly” in 1936 meant something quite different than it does today — The Admiral started 6 times as a 2 year-old, winning one stakes race as well as two others in the process. That year, the small bay was among a triad of promising Man O’ War progeny to hit the track running; the other two were Matey and Wand. A fourth youngster, Over The Top, had also been seen as a good prospect for Glen Riddle. But it was the appearance of Wand, Matey and War Admiral that most impressed, hinting that perhaps the ageing Man O’ War still had a champion or two left in him, after years of mediocre crops.
War Admiral’s “fiery” temperament, contrary to the myth, was not a signature trait. His worst temper tantrums appear to have been provoked by the imposition of a starting gate, although he was also unnerved by noise and camera flashes. In the quiet of his barn with its familiar smells, routines and humans, the little bay was no different than most 2 year-old colts. He even tended to be more relaxed than most, indulging in long naps at least twice a day. His groom called him “sweet” and noted his intelligence. His trainer found him more like his dam in overall personality than his sire. In fact, if photographs can be considered a kind of visual history, it must be said that photos of a quiet, well-behaved War Admiral vastly outnumber the few that depict him misbehaving.It seems likely that the exaggerated myth about his explosive personality might well have been the stuff of folkways, motivated by the desire to connect a noble son to a beloved, fiery American legend.
In his juvenile season, it became clear that The Admiral had an indomitable determination to win. He was always “on his toes” on race day and although the colt acted very badly at the starting gate, when the race was on he switched to a completely focused running machine. His regular jockey, Charley Kurtsinger, was impressed with how War Admiral handled himself on the track that year: he was responsive, eager to learn and always tried his best. As it would turn out, what Man O’ War had bequeathed to the little guy was stamina, heart and courage. Nowhere was this more apparent than in War Admiral’s victory in the Eastern Shore Handicap, where the colt strutted his stuff, running a quarter-mile in :22 3/5 and the half in : 45 4/5. In the end, the 2 year-old won by 5 lengths and in so doing, garnered a modest though enthusiastic following. Despite that victory, it was Pompoon (1934) who took the honours for 2 year-old champion that year.
It was during his 3 year-old campaign that the diminutive colt raced into the pantheon of thoroughbred champions, earning the respect and admiration of his owner and trainer and winning the hearts of the thousands who saw him run. It is impossible to think that George Conway, who had struggled to reach what would be the apex of his career in 1937, was not naturally drawn to this son of Man O’ War who would be called upon to show something greater than ability to earn his own rightful place in the history of American thoroughbred racing. Conway watched as The Admiral won his first two starts of the season at Havre de Grace with relative ease. In his second victory, the Chesapeake Stakes, the Daily Racing Form carried the annotation of “Easily best.” But beating the likes of Court Scandal, or his stablemate, Over The Top, certainly didn’t mean that The Admiral was something special.
But the nimble bay’s march through Kentucky, Maryland and New York on the Triple Crown Trail was still to come.
On May 8, 1937, one of the largest crowds ever assembled saw the favourite, War Admiral, make all the running to win the Kentucky Derby in the second fastest recorded time ever, on what was only his second experience racing at over a mile. It was also Samuel Riddle’s first Kentucky Derby win; the sportsman generally frowned on running his horses outside of Maryland and New York states and felt that running a 3 year-old in May over the Derby distance was asking too much of most young thoroughbreds. But the little Admiral would prove him wrong, soundly defeating the 2 year-old champion of 1937, Pompoon, along the way.
The 1937 Preakness was run just a week after the Kentucky Derby that year. Again, the race was essentially War Admiral vs. Pompoon in what turned out to be quite a stretch dual, much to the excitement of the fans. War Admiral won by a short head against his stalwart rival, but George Conway must have seen the heart of a champion in his tiny colt’s refusal to give up, no matter how determined the competition.
But the real drama of War Admiral’s Triple Crown occurred in the Belmont, where the colt stumbled leaving the starting gate and then went on to win in a time that surpassed the record set by his sire in 1920. The win was breathtaking and other than his jockey, no-one knew that the 3 year-old was running wounded. War Admiral had been his usual self at the starting gate, charging through it prematurely and helping to hold up the race for a full 8 minutes. But when he finally stood still long enough for there to be a proper start, The Admiral darted out so quickly that, as John Hervey (Salvator) described it, “…he struck the quarter of his right front fore-foot and sheared off it, as with a knife, a portion of the wall of the hoof an inch or more square, leaving a gaping wound from which blood was flowing…” In actual fact, The Admiral had spurted blood from the damaged hoof throughout the race, leaving his underside a bright red, something Kurtsinger and Conway noted just before the colt entered the winner’s circle.
Here is War Admiral, in all his glory, winning the Belmont and securing the Triple Crown.
After the Belmont, it was clear that Brushup’s courageous son was a legend in his own right, with a devoted following for whom he would always reign supreme. His every move was now the subject of a dizzying array of photographs, camera footage and sports commentary. And the little fellow? Well, he was given a well-deserved time out to heal and replenish, before returning in October 1937 to win an allowance race, the Washington Handicap and the Pimlico Special. Then he was shipped to Florida with the rest of Conway’s stable, where the warmer temperatures and the blessing of the sun ushered in his 4 year-old campaign.
The Admiral enjoyed Hialeah where he began working in preparation for the first of two wins of the Widener Cup. He would annex his second Widener victory in 1939. As well, in 1938 the champion finally made it to Saratoga, the favourite horse racing venue of Mr. Riddle and company, having been derailed from racing there after his Belmont injury. At the Spa, The Admiral continued to chalk up victory after victory, winning all four of his starts, including the Whitney, the Saratoga Cup and the Saratoga Handicap. An utterly spellbound Hervey wrote of the 4 year-old’s triumphal return passed the grandstand after his stunning Saratoga Cup victory, “…when he came prancing back to the stand…it rose to him and he was applauded to the echo.” From here it was on to Belmont, where War Admiral won the prestigious Jockey Club Gold Cup, his eighth win in 9 starts as a 4 year-old.
As most know, this was also the year of the famous Seabiscuit-War Admiral Match Race, won handily by the West’s hero. It took two tries before the contest finally went off, at Pimlico, on November 1, 1938. In publicity shots for the May 30th race between the two (which was canceled) War Admiral showed his feisty self off to a barrage of noisy and jostling reporters. He did, however, cool off enough for the press to get a few portraits as well, of which one is below.
Lovely piece, Abigail, and as usual, flawlessly written in your wonderful, fluid prose. I know John will get a huge kick out of your dedicating it to him. I know he’s a busy man, but I know he has a lot of stored-up knowledge and a huge collection of photos himself. Would love to see him write a book (and who better than Dottie to shepherd such an effort), or at the very least a “coffee-table” style book with a few of his photos. Would be a runaway best seller, I’m sure. Speaking of books, you have to be working on one or two! Hope someday soon to see one of yours on my coffee table!
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Love it! I love reading about the horses of days gone by and esp how tough they were I also love the old pics of them and how dif their confirmation seems compared to modern day TBs Always look forward to your stories
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Darlene: I just loved your comment. I’m like you — I would just LOVE to go back to those days. Not that I’m particularly nostalgic. It’s more the period appeals so much to me — from the photos to the fashions & everything in-between!!!!! I appreciate your taking the time to write. It means a great deal to me. Love to a fellow Z-dumpling! Abigail
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Ann Maree: I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Interesting to hear about the Shirreffs photo collection from you as well. i bet he & I would have lots to “shop talk” about on that score! And the coffee-table book idea: GREAT! My problem is going to be clearing the copyright on all of the photos, because without them the articles are so much less entertaining. But I’m exploring that, although it would be easier if a publisher took on the task. But probably less profitable!!!! Hugs & all the best to you in 2012. I really appreciate the encourage, support & new-found friendship, Abigail
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Ah Ann Maree is stealing my thunder. LOL I brought this up a while ago in one of Z’s posts, and have been printing these off the computer, but again I would love to have a book, magazine, flier, etc of all the Vault’s series. You are so talented. Hugs. Think about it!
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Sue: I definitely will! GREAT to hear from you. HUGS! Abigail
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Thank you for sharing such a wonderful story about War Admiral and giving us an opportunity to see the other side of the Seabiscuit drama. I’ve been in love with Man O War since I was ten years old (a long time ago) and have a very soft spot for War Admiral as well. Your blog is such a joy to read and an excellent way to learn more also. I thank you!
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Celeste: Thank you! You are my most devoted reader and I just love hearing back from you. I did think it important to see “the other side of the Seabiscuit drama” as you put it because The Admiral didn’t deserve the kind of fickle response he got after it was all over. He was a great, great thoroughbred — one for the ages. I wish you the best of everything in 2012, Celeste. Thank you so much for your support. It means a great deal to me, Abigail
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Well written. Thank you so much for giving us a look at this guy.
I really enjoyed reading it.
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Sharon: I’m glad you enjoyed the article. It was hard to see how to put a slightly different spin on this lovely little horse who had the heart of his sire. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment! Abigail
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The photos of George Conway with War Admiral superbly underline that a) War Admiral was not a “tall” horse and b) Conway was! I briefly googled Conway to find out HIS height but was disappointed and not able to find his statistics…. Great article Abigail, as ever.
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OOps, I did not mean to imply Conway was also a horse!
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NEVER FEAR! I got your intent!!!!
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LIZ: Thanks so very much. Yes, Conway must have been tall. When you see him standing next to Man O’ War you also get the sense of his height. Next to The Admiral, lanky Conway makes his champion look like a pony! Love & hugs, Abigail
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Well written. Informative and interesting. Your fluid narrative and the videos and all those wonderful photos convey details of War Admiral’s story with clarity and appreciation of his accomplishments. Thank you.
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Marian: Thank you so much for the encouraging feedback. It is deeply appreciated and just so fantastic to have readers like yourself. I’m glad you find the videos & photos add another dimension to these stories, since I believe that words and images have different “gifts” to share myself. Abigail
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THANK YOU! To me, the greatest racehorse ever will always be Man O’War and I always felt bad about the portrayl of War Admiral. I’m a fan of War Admiral for his own right, but also, as he’s in my Blue Blue Sea’s pedigree 5 times. 🙂
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Blueblueseathoroughbred: Thank you for taking the time to write. It’s most appreciated! I’m a HUGE Man O’ War fan myself, but, like you, I always felt bad about the way The Admiral was viewed in popular (non-racing) culture. He was a noble and special thoroughbred and where would breeding be without his influence? Let alone, Man O’ War’s purchase on immortality? I envy you your War Admiral thoroughbred. Is this the Blue Blue Sea on Facebook? PLEASE LET ME KNOW! Abigail
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Yep, the Blue Blue Sea on Facebook. 🙂
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I just punched LIKE this morning on his page. Please feel free to download one of the War Admiral photos from THE VAULT to add to his “ancestors” page. he’s got a GREAT pedigree!
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thank you Abigail for such a wonderful article about War Admiral. You are an amazing woman with so much to tell those of us who love horses and are anxious to learn more and more. I’m so glad I found you on Zenyatta’s website.
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Delrene: I love hearing back from you! Thank you so much for the encouraging feedback. It’s a pleasure to write for readers like you. Hugs from a fellow dumpling, Abigail
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I love The Vault! You are so special Abigail! Thank you for all your stories through history of horse racing!
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Karen: Thanks, dumpling, for taking the time to comment. I really love hearing from you! Abigail
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Thank you, Abbigail, in giving us, “the rest of the story”………. 😉
I so enjoyed it! What a great little horse. Who would know his real size, and that he really was a very nicely put together boy, with a pretty head! Loved his type. Wow, a trainer way back then, that knew not to run the heck out of a 2 or 3 year old? You would have thought, that would have evolved someway, ya think?
Winning the Triple Crown, with such a foot injury, shows you just what a tough athlete he was…….and they said he was spoiled???? Not in my book!
As always, I am mesmerized by the photos, wishing I had a time machine to go back to those days and see them all with my own eyes.
Keep the articles flowing………you are like the “calgon, take me away” in my life!
Many Blessings,
Carol
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Carol: Your comments are wonderful and moving. Thank you! Yes, War Admiral really got the “short end of the stick” in popular myth and he deserves so much better! He was a pretty, sweet and courageous little guy and is so important to the breed. Your comment about him being “spoiled” made me laugh because in his book on War Admiral in the Thoroughbred Legend series, racing historian Edward Bowen loses patience (in print) over these fabrications too….you can almost hear him whisper “Yeah, right!” as he describes all the nasty things that were written about The Admiral & his connections after he was beaten by Seabiscuit. I intend to keep the articles coming: our racing history is a treasure-trove of great stories! Abigail
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Wonderful, as always, Abigail! I did not know The Admiral’s actual height. He WAS a little shrimpy for a champion racer! I especially enjoyed the photos. So fun to see the different aspects of their lives.
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RiderWriter: Many people don’t realize that The Admiral was a pony in size, like his rival, Seabiscuit, who was about the same height. I’m glad that you find the video & photos enrich the stories & I agree that they add an important dimension that words don’t always provide. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I really appreciate it! Abigail
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Such a great piece, I loved it!!
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Thank you so very much, Brian. War Admiral was one of the greatest thoroughbreds ever and it seemed time to set the record straight on this courageous & talented fellow. I really appreciate that you took the time to comment. Thank you! Abigail
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What a wonderful article! I love all of your blogs but most especially the historical articles. I appreciate the time and effort you spend in getting all the facts about some of racing’s champions from the past. Keep up the great work!
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Kim: Thank you so much for taking the time to send along great feedback & encouragement. I mean it when I say that all the research time & writing is worth it for readers like you! Abigail
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Kim: Thank you so much! Your comment was so gratifying. I do spend lots of time researching and thinking about these horses’ stories. In the case of The Admiral, I wanted to put a bit of a new spin on his narrative, since he is pretty well known to most. So that took some time to think through. I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! Abigail
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What a thrilling article. I actually own the shoe War Admiral wore on the injured foot in the 1937 Belmont Stakes – my prize possession!
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Linda: GET OUT! I don’t doubt that this is your most prized possession!!!! However did you get it? And many thanks for taking the time to leave such an encouraging comment. It means so much from me to hear from VAULT readers. Abigail
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To make a complicated story simple: a relative of mine (no longer living) worked as a private nurse to the Riddle family, who owned War Admiral. Apparently, they treated her almost like a daughter and she became very interested and involved in their racing enterprise.
She was particularly fond of War Admiral and had a great deal of memorabilia attached to him. When I became interested in Thoroughbred racing as a young girl, she gave me the shoe – along with a fabulous eye-witness description of that amazing race.
The shoe, by the way, still has bits of dirt from the track embedded in it.
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Wow! This is a GREAT story, Linda. How proud you must be, owning this part of racing history! Thank you so much for writing back to me & sharing a part of the story. Abigail
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Linda, I may have a shoe worn by War Admiral also. Long, complicated story, but wondering if there is some way I could see a picture of your shoe? I would love to try to authenticate time period and history of my shoe! Thanks! (Maybe Abigail could get us in touch with your permission.)
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Very neat! Linda, if you send me an approval in the Comments section, I will send Chip your email. Abigail
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Hi Chip,
Would you consider selling your War Admiral shoe? Please email me at brad@elitegolfmanagement.com if you’re interested. thanks!
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Would you consider selling your War Admiral shoe? I would be pleased to make offers. Please email me at brad@elitegolfmanagement.com
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Dear Abigail, Another wonderful masterpiece about a wonderful little horse. It’s quite fascinating to review the impact some of those little guys have had, both on the track and in the breeding shed. Good things do come in small packages.
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Brenda: SO NICE to read your comment. Thank you! I loved your take on “small packages” — all I could think as I was writing this piece is that The Admiral was the same size as our Northern Dancer!!!!! Love & hugs, Abigail
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Thank You, Abigail 🙂 I love reading your answers to the comments, just as much as your lovely articles, as the info just keeps on coming and you are a true delight!
I will “right” all the Seabiscuit Hollywood movie “wrongs” about just how great an athlete he was to just about anyone who will listen. I will certainly look at that part of the movie in a much different light and knowing.
And to Linda….you lucky, lucky, lucky girl !! I about fell off my chair reading that you have his shoe!! That is so amazing! To have a relative that cherished his shoe so, give it to you and tell you all the wonderful details, How special is that?…….please share them with us!
Blessings, Carol
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What an amazing story and you’ve made it so much more interesting. Reading your narrative is like being there. Like you and most of your readers I would love to go back to those days. Horse racing today seems to have lost it’s soul. Not from the public who follow them but from the people who run it. It’s all about casinos and the money they can make from them these days, not enough about the horses.
War Admiral and Sea Biscuit were rivals and that’s all they were. They were not enemies. That word not being in their vocabularies. Sham and Secretariat were the same weren’t they? Sham was a brilliant athlete who just happened to come up against an even better athlete in Secretariat. Who came second to Usain Bolt? Do we know? Maybe we don’t remember that athlete but we certainly don’t vilify him as both Sham and War Admiral were vilified.
We should watch these movies with tongue in cheek, knowing full well that they’re made by people who probably know very little of racing but a lot about making movies that sell.
It’s always wonderful to see a great rivalry in horse racing, Blind Luck and Havre de Grace is a recent example. Both these horses are the best athletes that they can be but when Blind Luck was retired her connections were subjected to so much undeserved abuse from all quarters. Maybe they were just trying to do the right thing by a wonderful horse who had given them and us so much of herself.
I really did not mean for this to be such an extensive diatribe but blame your article for getting me riled up. Thank you again and you have now acquired yourself an avid follower.
Lorrie
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Lorrie: I enjoyed the diatribe and am inclined to agree with you. These rivalries that gave all of us so much excitement, or else whetted our appetite for the sport, are the kind of “dramas” that people adore. The problem is when the “other” horse is vilified — or just plain forgotten. The other aspect that you raise about the sport “losing its soul” I also think is true, in the sense that so few sports writers, owners & trainers work at telling and sharing the stories that makes horse racing great. Penny Tweedy was great like that, as were Team Zenyatta. But their kind is so rare these days that there’s nothing to get fans involved or excited out there. Like you, I’m not a person who is keen on the betting end of things and I think there are many, many racing enthusiasts like me that have kind of been forgotten by the industry leaders. But I’m so pleased that the narrative was authentic enough to give you a sense of War Admiral’s time and a few of the people in it. It’s these stories that will help to keep this struggling sport alive I believe. Thanks so much for taking the time to write! Abigail
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Abigail, I’ve left you an award over on my blog! 🙂 Thanks for all you do, I LOVE reading everything you publish!
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Great to see another photo of Over the Top. Did you receive my email answers to some of your questions regarding the Top?
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Hello Cliff. Do pardon the delay in responding but I have been under the weather with a nasty sinus infection and am only now getting back in the swing of things. Yes, I did receive the information and was very glad to know about the Top. I fell in love with him in that photo (which I bought) of him waiting for his turn on the track. He had to be the closest look-alike to Man O’ War I have ever seen. Great to hear from you and many thanks for your kindness in looking into Over The Top’s story for me. Fond regards, Abigail
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i,m a big fan of the buiscut but watching few of the admirals vids he was a magnificent horse as well.
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Steven: He really was a wonderful little horse. Thank you for taking the time to write. I really appreciate it. Abigail
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Hello Abigail. Great piece and apologies for not writing sooner. In the interim, you may have received a reply with regard to your searching for the name of the famous horse’s groom. I would be very interested to know since in my collection are over sixty original press photographs of the horse specifically with the groom in question. No references have been made to the white handler in any of those photos; however, an old-time syndicated column entitled ” Sports Roundup” by Hugh Fullerton appeared in early April 1951 referencing Bud Graves as “War Admiral’s negro groom.” In all of the War Admiral photos owned there may be one of an African American, but he is not in the forefront. Based on the pictures, it doesn’t make sense the “groom” served only as a hotwalker, or in some other capacity (not as an exercise rider). Owner Sam Riddle did employ an African American, Will Harbut, as Man O’ War’s groom.
It was also noticed John Shirreffs considers a jewel in his collection a 1930s banquet program honoring War Admiral and signed by Sam Riddle. Do you know if it is the 1937 Preakness Ball program honoring the winner? The program I have has been signed by jockey Charlie Kurtsinger and others to include Alfred Vanderbilt, but no Riddle.
Craig
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Hi Craig: Pardon me for taking so long to respond! I was busy researching the article on Royal Ascot that’s now up. The man pictured — consistently — with War Admiral remains a mystery to me as well. So frustrating, as he was clearly a big part of War Admiral’s life. He’s even pictured holding War Admiral following his races and was there for his photo shoot with the Biscuit. Glad to hear from you! Regarding the John Shirreffs banquet program, I really don’t know. If I think of a way to find out, I’ll get back to you! Abigail
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What a fantastic article about The Admiral. The horses from earlier racing periods certainly raced a lot more and were built much more solidly than the racers of today. My dad, who showed saddlebreds, bred horses with Spindletop, and raced standardbreds in the 30s and 40s, always spoke highly of The Admiral. Now I understand why he thought of The Admiral as a true champion. Thank you so much for your superb presentation of a racing great.
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HELENE: Thank you SO MUCH for this GREAT comment. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. He really was a great little horse and, later, stallion. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
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I have herd from other websits or from some that War Admiral was thought of as a villain.why is that?
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Lauren: Just bad press I think. He had his father’s fiery temperament but was otherwise a great little horse. Abigail
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I’m writing my mother’s book now that she has passed away in 2014. Because of her identity need for secrecy I won’t mention names she used when she was living on the farm with Man o’ War and War admiral. She told me about War Admiral when Samuel wanted to sell him after he thought the horse was not any good. My grandfather went to look at the horse and he told Sam that he thought the horse had potential and he would be best to keep the horse and he would work with him for a little while. My mom would go to his stables everyday and she would sit and talk to War Admiral when he was just over 1 year old.. She’d tell him that he was worth something to her and she wasn’t going to let anyone get rid of him no matter what they were saying about him. He was a gentle well mannered colt but hated to be penned in corrals or tight places. Mom was at all his races during 1937-1939 and enjoyed the celebrations the family held after their wins. My grandfather also had shares in both Man o’ War and War Admiral and mom said she’d never forget watching War Admiral take the Triple Crown at the Kentucky Derby it was one of the most exciting days of her life and I am so glad I came across your article to fill in a few of her missing parts to her own story. But mom was also one of the horse groomers at their family farm where she was raised with these horses as her friends.
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Aug. 31. Kathi: Please excuse the time it has taken to get back to you. Thank you for sharing these remembrances of War Admiral with me! I’m always so thrilled to learn from people who knew these great horses well. PLEASE let me know when your mother’s book is completed. I will definitely buy a copy & give it publicity. Lovely to hear from you, Abigail
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