Biography of Famous Horses and Jockeys: Man o' War and Clarence Kummer

Abou the famous award winning horse Man o' War and his jockey Clarence Kummer, history and biography.

Horse--Man o' War

Jockey--Clarence Kummer

Man o' War is the acknowledged standard of thoroughbred excellence. He was the odds-on favorite in every race he ran, from his 3-5 maiden effort to as high as 1-200. Thousands filled the tracks just to watch him run.

Averaging a 9 1/2-length margin of victory, he dominated racing through 1919 and 1920. Rival owners had to be cajoled into racing against him, and he often faced only one or 2 other horses. In the Lawrence Realization, though Clarence Kummer made every effort to hold him back, Man o' War won by 150 lengths! His sole loss, the 1919 Sanford Memorial, has the ring of fiction to it. Running in mud, he was upset by a horse named Upset.

Man o' War closed his racing career with a match race victory over Sir Barton, 1919 Triple Crown winner, and retired to stud. Among his sons, Clyde Dusen won the 1929 Derby, and War Admiral the Triple Crown in 1937. Man o' War was a popular tourist attraction. Over half a million people visited him before his death in 1947.

Clarence Kummer was 1st Man o' War's exercise boy, and later his regular jockey. He had already won the 1919 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Purchase, a feat Man o' War duplicated. In 1925 he took his 2nd Preakness aboard Coventry, and in 1928 his 2nd Belmont Stakes on Vito.

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