Galloping Grail: Marilyn Newmark's Man O' War

All of my life, I've been a Man O' War fangirl. I grew up reading C. W. Anderson's horse stories and Walter Farley's wonderful fictionalized biography of the great horse. The awe both authors felt for the original Big Red undoubtedly influenced my interest in horse racing, the history of the sport, and the interplay of important pedigrees through the centuries. Even more than 100 years after his birth, Man O' War casts a long shadow over the Thoroughbred breed. He is still spoken of as the benchmark against which other great horses are measured. And while his sire line is sadly fading out, his blood can still be found carried forward through the generations by his outstanding daughters and their get.

Over the years, I have made pilgrimages to various places where important parts of Man O' War's story played out. I have driven past what was once Nursery Stud, his birthplace (now developed, alas) and visited the barn at Faraway Farm where his sire Fair Play and dam Mahubah lived and are buried. (Apologies for the less than great disposable camera pix.)

Faraway Farms in the early 2000s (before restoration)

I've visited Man O' War Farm next door where he stood at stud for most of his stallion career and where he was originally buried.

His stall (before restoration)

I pay my respects at his burial place every summer (going on 35 years now) at the Kentucky Horse Park. Someday, I hope to travel to Saratoga and Belmont Park to see where he ran so many of his races.

 Not surprisingly, I own a lot of Man O' War models, books, and memorabilia.

This is just the tip of the iceberg

For my 8th birthday, I was thrilled to receive a Breyer Man O' War, my most coveted model at that time. I remember cuddling him, pointy ears and all, while rereading C. W. Anderson's Another Man O' War. I don't have a photo of him handy, but he is a lovely rich red mid-1980s version. Once my family learned about the joys of model horse hunting at flea markets and antique malls, he was followed by numerous other older variations of Hess' traditional sculpture as well as by many copies of Maureen Love's smaller Classic scale model. I eventually also learned about the Hagen-Renaker origin of that piece and acquired several of those as well.

In the early 2000s, collector Liz Bouras shared some photos of models at a show she'd attended on the now defunct Breakables Yahoo Group, and one of them was a stunning bronze of Man O' War by Marilyn Newmark. I remember Liz saying she had lucked into the piece on eBay for a very good price. I saved her photos on my computer and hoped I would someday have a chance to own such a wonderful piece. (Liz had exquisite taste in models, and I was very much inspired by her artistry and collection. I promise a blog on that subject is forthcoming!)

In 2017, for the 100th anniversary of Man O' War's birth, the Kentucky Horse Park put together an interesting exhibit about the great horse's life and his importance in a post-World War I America.

The exhibit was a bit light on original artefacts, but it was full of terrific information on display boards.

One of the centerpieces of the exhibit was a copy of Marilyn Newmark's stupendous bronze of Man O' War. It was the first time I had ever seen one in person, and I remarked to my sister Sarah how much I loved the piece and hoped to someday be well-enough off that I could afford to buy a copy of my own.

The sculpture was issued in 1977 (I haven't been able to find the edition size), and while they come up for sale on occasion, they're usually well out of my price range. Not to mention I would also worry about shipping such a large, heavy item balanced on two thin fetlocks. During the pandemic, one came up for sale from an estate company in the Chicago suburbs which I could have picked up, but auction prices were sky high, and I was quickly and very decidedly outbid. C'est la vie. It wasn't meant to be.

Fast forward to a few of months ago. I was chatting with a friend online about grail models, and they asked if I collected any bronze pieces. I said that I had never really given a lot of thought to buying them, but if I ever did, my holiest of holies would be a Newmark Man O' War. But it was very much an on-the-back-burner kind of grail. Or so I thought.

My parents, sister, and I joke about being able to manifest rare models just by talking about them enough. Obviously, we can't really do that, but sometimes it does seem like certain things pop up on eBay or at estate sales when you've had them on your mind a lot. A couple of weeks ago, I got this text from my sister.

Needless to say, I about fell over. Sarah remembered how much I coveted this piece, and this particular one was practically in her backyard. And at a fraction of the price it normally sells for at auction to boot! By the time I talked to her that afternoon, Sarah had already contacted the seller to get the ball rolling because she knew the price and location were just too fortuitous to pass up. Happily, the owner was very motivated to sell it, especially with a potential buyer so nearby, and they offered it to my sister for an even lower price. I was so ecstatic I Paypaled her before she was even done telling me about it!

After a week of coordinating, Sarah made the short drive to pick it up, and she drove home with Man O' War wrapped in foam in a large box safely seat-belted in her front passenger seat. She told me the seller really wanted to be rid of the sculpture because it didn't match the rest of the things he was selling in his antique mall booth. How this piece ended up in the middle of nowhere Georgia I'll never know, but I'm grateful that the racing gods smiled and the stars finally aligned for me.

I'm not entirely sure when we'll be able to trailer him home to me in Chicago, but I'm just thrilled to finally own such a remarkable piece of sculpture after so many years of admiring it. I'm so very lucky to have the most amazing sister ever! I can't wait to see her in July and visit with my Man O' War.

Photographic References: Hagen-Renaker Thoroughbreds

Most hobbyists know that Maureen Love sculpted a number of the horses she created for Hagen-Renaker from life. Her sketchbooks were full of drawings of horses she visited at local farms and, for the purpose of this post, at racetracks in southern California.

Maureen's Thoroughbreds were a mix of horses known nationally as well as horses popular on the California circuit. She was a regular at Santa Anita, and she undoubtedly saw horses like Swaps, Terrang, and Silky Sullivan while there. Swaps of course is famous for winning the 1955 Kentucky Derby as well as being a top handicap horse and record setter. Silky Sullivan became known across the country for his unbelievable ability to close from far, far back and still win. There have been other deep closers, but no one holds a candle to Silky, as this neat old footage will attest:

Terrang is rather more obscure. Like Swaps, he was sired by Khaled and owned by Rex Ellsworth, and while he had great success in California, he was never a player on the national stage like his older "brother" was. Terrang contested the Kentucky Derby in 1956 after wins in the San Vicente and Santa Anita Derby, but he could only manage to finish 12th. He returned to California where he raced through his 6 year-old season, winning the Santa Anita Handicap and a number of other major CA stakes races. Here is one of the few photos I've found of him:

Seabiscuit is also well-known for his California ties, most notably his attempts to win the "Hundred Grander," the Santa Anita Handicap. However, his career was over more than 10 years before Maureen began working for Hagen-Renaker in 1951, and the horse himself died in 1947 when Maureen was only 24 years old. While she may have had the chance to see him run at Santa Anita, her sculpture of him was almost certainly based on the following photograph:

Here's a photo of the HR Mini Seabiscuit model for comparison from Ed Alcorn's Hagen-Renaker Online Museum:

As discussed in my last blog post about Man O' War, Maureen's MOW model was very likely based on this photo:

Man O' War raced only in New York and Maryland, and he also died in 1947, so while Maureen may have had the opportunity to visit him while he was at stud in Kentucky before his death, it seems much more likely that she worked from photos.
Triple Crown winner Citation made a handful of starts in California from 1948-1951, and while it's possible Maureen saw him run, her sculpture of the great horse is undoubtedly based on this photo:

Here is Ed Alcorn's HR Mini Citation for comparison:

Native Dancer, winner of 21 of his 22 starts, never raced further west than Arlington Park outside of Chicago, IL, and while he became a popular TV star because his grey coat stood out so well compared to his bay and chestnut brethren, Maureen's sculpture was probably based on the following photo:

And the HR Mini Native Dancer, again courtesy of Ed Alcorn:

Five-time Horse of the Year Kelso raced primarily on the east coast as well. Notorious for his bad behavior, he was gelded as a youngster in hope of improving his attitude. It has been said that it didn't work. I'd like to think that Kelso's fighting spirit drew Maureen to this photo and inspired her sculpture:

Ed's DW Kelso for comparison:

While the HR TBs may not be the strongest collectibility contenders, including these photos in one's documentation may provide an edge in the show ring. Enjoy!

"De Mostest Hoss That Ever Was"

"The days are long at Belmont.
Speed they never learn.
And it's many a day since Man O' War
Has looped the upper turn."

Man O' War winning the 1920 Belmont Stakes
Thus begins Blood-Horse editor Joseph Estes' poem "Big Red" published in the October 23, 1937, issue of that magazine, an homage to the greatest racehorse of all time. The legend of Man O' War has inspired many such tributes in a variety of forms---literature, art, advertising, brand names, and of particular interest to model horse collectors, sculpture.

Man O' War was born on August Belmont's Nursery Stud farm near Lexington, KY, on March 29, 1917. By top runner and sire Fair Play out of the regally bred mare Mahubah, a daughter of the English Triple Crown winner Rock Sand, Man O' War was recognized early on as a quality horse by his breeder. Belmont reluctantly sold the colt, however, after enlisting in the army at the age of 65 to serve in World War I.

Samuel Riddle famously purchased Man O' War for $5,000 at the 1918 Saratoga yearling sale and raced him in his black and gold Glen Riddle Farm colors. As a 2 year-old, Man O' War captured 9 of his 10 starts with his one loss, a fast-closing second, coming though no fault of his own. (He was turned sideways at the start and was intentionally boxed in at the rail by the other jockeys for most of the race.) He carried 130 pounds, an impost usually reserved for older horses (and rarely even then), 6 times while giving away substantial weight to his rivals and beating them easily by open lengths.

At three, he was sublime and utterly untouchable, winning all 11 of his starts, including the Preakness, Belmont, Withers, Dwyer, Travers, Lawrence Realization, Jockey Club Gold Cup, and a match race against the 1919 Triple Crown winner Sir Barton.

If you read the race charts for Man O' War they all conclude with some variation of "eased final furlong" or "in a canter." Despite never being fully extended, he set three world records, two American records, two track records, and equaled another track record. And he didn't just break records by hundredths of seconds; he shattered them. In the Lawrence Realization, he shaved more than 4 seconds off the world record for 1 5/8th miles, winning by an estimated 100 lengths, both unheard of feats. His record for a 1 1/4 miles in the Travers stood for an unprecedented 42 years. No other horse in history can boast such a resume, especially when you take into account the staggering imposts Man O' War carried. In one race, he carried an astonishing 32 pounds more than his rivals. It's no surprise then that his groom Will Harbut called him "de mostest hoss that ever was."

At stud, Man O' War's brilliance continued. He sired numerous champions including Triple Crown winner War Admiral, as well as American Flag (Belmont, Withers, Dwyer), Crusader (Belmont, JCGC, Suburban), Clyde Van Dusen (Kentucky Derby), Scapa Flow (2 year-old champion), Florence Nightingale (Coaching Club American Oaks), Maid At Arms (Alabama), Edith Cavell (CCAO, Pimlico Cup over males twice), and the champion steeplechasers Battleship and Blockade. Man O' Wars daughters, in addition to being top flight runners, proved to be exceptional brood mares as well. He died at the age of 30 on November 1, 1947, and his funeral was broadcast publicly on the radio. He and several of his best offspring were originally interred at Faraway Farm under a larger than life statue by Herbert Haseltine, but in the early 1970s, the graves and statue were moved to their present location at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Man O' War was first immortalized as a collectible work of sculpture by the Grand Wood Carving company of Chicago sometime in the 1940s, probably after the great horse's death. This model is carved from mahogany, and it should look familiar to Breyer collectors.

Photo courtesy of Ed Alcorn / The Hagen-Renaker On-Line Museum Collection
There is some evidence that Breyer sculptor Chris Hess may have worked for the Grand Wood Carving company before being hired by Breyer, but that is the subject for another post. Suffice it say, Breyer had copied the work of GWC before, and their 1967 traditional scale model of Big Red was most definitely influenced by the GWC piece, right down to the halter. This is one of the earliest variations of the #47 Man O' War with eye-whites and distinctive battleship grey hooves.

Photo courtesy of Kristen Arendt
GWC produced a number of famous racehorses, many of which came on wood bases with name plaques. The idea for the Breyer Presentation Collection may have come from that practice. The Presentation Man O' War is the rarest of the traditional MOWs, made from 1971-1973 only.

The trad MOW was produced from 1967-1995, and not surprisingly, his color varied a bit over the years. The models from the late 1980s into the 1990s have, in my opinion, always best exemplified the "look" of Big Red. They tend to be a vibrant rich red chestnut with little shading.

Photo courtesy of Kristen Arendt
In 1990, Sears offered a very popular set of three glossy racehorses including Man O'War. Only 2000 pieces were made.

Photo courtesy of Penny Lehew, co-author of the Breyer Animal Quick Reference
In spring of 1961, Hagen-Renaker released their Designers Workshop Man O' War sculpted by Maureen Love. Of all of the MOW portraits, hers was the truest to the physique and majesty of the real horse as the photo below will attest. The HR MOW was in production from Spring 1961-Spring 1971 and from Fall 1974-Fall 1975, so he's not an especially rare piece. He is particularly lovely, however, and a must have for all MOW fans.

Monrovia and San Dimas versions, photo courtesy of Ed Alcorn / The Hagen-Renaker On-Line Museum Collection
A photo of Man O' War as a young stallion. I believe this may have been the photo that inspired Maureen Love's sculpture.

Photo courtesy of Thoroughbred Heritage
In 1975, Breyer arranged a lease for plastic production rights of Hagen-Renaker's DW Thoroughbred models, including Man O' War. The #602 Classic Man O' War model ran until 1990. Like his traditional counterpart, he ranged in color from more golden chestnut to deep red chestnut. His face marking also varied. The earliest models have a broken stripe like the model on the left, and the later ones had a star like the model on the right. The star-faced model first appears in the 1988 catalog.

In the late 1980s, American Artists released a series of resin racehorses. Fred Stone sculpted Man O' War for them, and the pose of this model bears a striking resemblance to Fred's famous painting of the horse. I believe 2500 pieces were made.

Photo courtesy of Karen Grimm / The Black Horse Ranch Collection
In 2004, the most recent Man O' War model was produced by Starlite Originals, sculpted by Kitty Cantrell. It was limited to 2500 pieces.

Photo courtesy of Karen Grimm / The Black Horse Ranch Collection
As you may have guessed, I have been a lifelong, die-hard fan of Man O' War. One of my earliest memories is of my dad reading C.W. Anderson horse books to me, and MOW was, rightfully so, the benchmark by which Anderson measured all other horses. So it's only fitting that I painted by my own Man O' War on Carol Williams' incredible Valor resin. While Valor is a mega-popular model, I don't think my guy is exactly collectible other than to me, but how could I not include him?

"We watch the heroes parading,
We wait, and our eyes are dim,
But we never discover another
Like him."

(Estes' entire poem can be found here.)