The genuine courage of Man o' War, tribulations of his archrival, Sir Barton (America's first Triple Crown winner), and temptations of their Hall of Fame jockeys and trainers reveal a long-hidden tale of grace, disgrace, and elusive redemption.
Tackling old beliefs with newly uncovered evidence, Man o' War: A Legend Like Lightning shows how human pressures collided with a natural phenomenon and brings new life to an American icon. His lone defeat, suffered a few weeks before gamblers fixed the 1919 World Series, spawned lasting rumors that he, too, had been the victim of a fix. Even as Man o' War-known as "Big Red"-came to power, attracting record crowds and rave publicity, the colorful sport of Thoroughbred racing struggled for integrity. Over the years, this and other mysteries would envelop the great Man o' War. He set such astonishing speed records that The New York Times called him a "Speed Miracle." Often he won with so much energy in reserve that experts wondered how much faster he could have gone. All of them became caught in a battle for honesty.īorn in 1917, Man o' War grew from a rebellious youngster into perhaps the greatest racehorse of all time.
His owner compared him to "chain lightning." His jockeys found their lives transformed by him, in triumphant and distressing ways. His trainer said that managing him was like holding a tiger by the tail.
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