| Sometimes the sons of the fathers surpass the | | | | race just 4 days before the Kentucky Derby. |
| accomplishments of the father. Such was the | | | | This was an allowance race at Churchill Downs, |
| case with one of the greatest races horses of all | | | | which he easily won. This set the stage for his |
| time, the son of Man O' War, War Admiral, who | | | | incredible showing at the Kentucky Derby. The |
| went on to become racing's 4th triple crown | | | | field of horses at the Derby was 20. War Admiral |
| winner.War Admiral almost wasn't the 4th triple | | | | went off as an 8 to 5 favorite. Many who |
| crown winner. He was almost the 5th. Owner | | | | watched the race say he toyed with the other |
| Samuel Riddle, of Glen Riddle Farms, had many | | | | horses. He never really had to put in any effort |
| prejudices about horse racing beyond the East | | | | and won by a modest 1 3/4 lengths.But his race |
| coast in 1920. Riddle owned War Admiral's father, | | | | at the Preakness a week later was a much |
| Man O' War. However, he chose to skip the | | | | tougher test. He was given a real run for his |
| Kentucky Derby with Man O' War in 1920 | | | | money by the second place finisher in the Derby, |
| because Churchill Downs was too far west for his | | | | Pompoon, but the result was still the same. War |
| tastes. Had he run he most likely would have won | | | | Admiral beat out Pompoon by a head and was |
| and been racing's second triple crown winner. Fate | | | | only a fifth of a second away from the |
| is sometimes a funny thing.War Admiral didn't get | | | | Preakness record.Finally, on June 5, War Admiral |
| off to a blazing start in his career but he did win 3 | | | | went for the last leg of the triple crown at the |
| of his first 6 races. He also had 2 second place | | | | Belmont Stakes. The race did not start well for |
| finishes and 2 third place finishes. He wasn't even | | | | War Admiral as he stumbled at the start of it and |
| the leading 2 year old that year. But after he won | | | | injured his right foreleg. It was almost certain he |
| his first start at age 3, people began to take | | | | would lose his bid. But somehow this incredible |
| notice of this horse. That first win as a 3 year old | | | | horse managed to storm past the other horses |
| was at the Chesapeake Stakes at Maryland's | | | | and easily won by 4 lengths. The second place |
| Havre de Grace race track. It was after this | | | | finisher in the Derby and Preakness, Pompoon, |
| victory that Riddle decided to give War Admiral a | | | | was nowhere to be seen all the way back in 7th |
| shot at the Kentucky Derby. He finally got over | | | | place.War Admiral finished his career with an |
| his prejudices about racing that far west when he | | | | amazing record of 21 wins in 26 races and |
| realized that War Admiral could very well be a | | | | earnings of over a quarter of a million dollars, |
| contender for the triple crown.War Admiral ran a | | | | which was a lot of money in those days. |