32 Facts About War Admiral

War Admiral was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse and the fourth winner of the American Triple Crown.

War Admiral was the 1937 Horse of the Year and well known as the rival of Seabiscuit in the "Match Race of the Century" in 1938.

War Admiral won 21 of his 26 starts with earnings of $273,240 and was the leading sire in North America for 1945.

War Admiral was an outstanding broodmare sire whose influence is still felt today in descendants such as Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify.

War Admiral raced as a homebred for Samuel D Riddle, who owned Man o' War.

War Admiral was foaled at Faraway Farm in Lexington, the offspring of Man o' War and Brushup.

Man o' War was widely regarded as the greatest American racehorse of his time, but Brushup never won a race.

War Admiral inherited his father's talent, but did not resemble him physically.

War Admiral's groom called him sweet, and his trainer, George Conway, found him more like his dam in terms of personality.

War Admiral was rated at 121 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap, seven pounds below two-year-old champion Pompoon and seventh overall.

In 1937, War Admiral started his three-year-old campaign by winning two races at Havre de Grace, including the Chesapeake Stakes.

In 1920, Man o' War Admiral was not entered in the Kentucky Derby as Riddle did not like racing outside of New York and Maryland, and felt the distance of the Derby was too great for three-year-olds so early in the season.

For War Admiral, Riddle made an exception and made the trip west to Churchill Downs in Louisville.

War Admiral went off as the favorite, and, despite delaying the start for several minutes, won in wire-to-wire fashion with Pompoon.

War Admiral was particularly fractious at the start, repeatedly breaking through the barrier.

War Admiral quickly recovered his stride and won the race by three lengths with "speed to spare".

War Admiral thus became the fourth winner of the American Triple Crown.

All told, in 1937 War Admiral won eight of eight races including the Triple Crown.

War Admiral was the unanimous selection as Champion 3-Year-Old, and earned the title of Horse of the Year in a close battle with Seabiscuit, the Champion older horse.

In 1938, War Admiral won eight major races, including the Whitney Handicap and Jockey Club Gold Cup.

War Admiral is linked forever with the year-older Seabiscuit, who was a grandson of Man o' War and the preeminent horse based in the western US Seabiscuit's owner, Charles Howard, brought his horse across country to give Seabiscuit the chance to prove himself to the eastern racing establishment.

Seabiscuit and War Admiral almost faced each other several times that summer but for one reason or another, they never met.

War Admiral raced twice more, winning the Rhode Island Handicap in 1938 and a race at Hialeah in February 1939 before an injury prompted his retirement.

War Admiral stood at Faraway Farm until 1958, when the executors of Riddle's estate sold the remaining portion of the farm.

War Admiral was then moved to Hamburg Place, where he died in 1959.

War Admiral was the leading American sire in 1945 and the leading juvenile sire in 1948.

Major winners sired by War Admiral include champion Blue Peter, Bee Mac, Navy Page, Cold Command, and Admiral Vee.

War Admiral was the Leading broodmare sire of 1962 and 1964.

War Admiral's name appears eight times in the pedigree of the 2015 Triple Crown winner, American Pharoah.

An asterisk before the odds means War Admiral was the post time favorite.

War Admiral was elected to the Hall of Fame in the same year as arch-rival Seabiscuit.

War Admiral is buried alongside his sire at the foot of the Man o' War statue in the Kentucky Horse Park.