Secretariat or man o war which was greater?

Question

Secretariat or man o war which was greater?

Answer 1

man o war won all his starts except one and the one he lost he was turn around backwards by the old starting gates belmont the owner of belmont park rigged the race man o war is the best

Answer 2

They were both great.  Sentiment playing a role, I'd have to give the edge to Secretariat.  Loved that horse.  Got to see him in retirement at Claiborne, and Mr Robinson was even kind enough to let us get some great pics petting the champ.  And, I still get goosebumps watching the replays of the 1973 Belmont.  I just don't know if ManOWar could've run with him that day.....

Answer 3

man o war skipped the derby because his owners felt he wasn't ready and needed a little more time.  his first race of his 3 year old season was the preakness.

and he most certainly DID race sir barton, in a match race and defeated the triple crown champ by 7 lengths.   it was the last race of man o' war's career.

man o'war also raced carrying upto 138 pounds and actually still has a track record standing,  88 years later.

he was retired after his three year old season when his owner was informed that the handicapper was planning on making him carry even more weight.

also, i know the belmont is a clincher for a lot of secretariat votes,  but most people forget man o' war once won a race by an estimated ONE HUNDRED lengths.

Answer 4

never saw man o war, but secretariat was a monster.

secretariat was beautiful......as well.

Answer 5

It is really hard to compare horses from different eras. Hard to say. Still, Secretariat broke track records nearly every time he ran and that 31 length Belmont win is an all time stunner. So, I would give the nod to Secretariat.

Answer 6

That's a really tough question.  Man O' War lost only one of 21 races to Secretariat's 16 for 21, but Man O' War faced a lot fewer opponents in most of his races.  While it's generally easier to beat one or two other horses, there's something to be said for scaring most of the opposition away.

  

Sooner or later in this forum, someone will compare the length of Man O' War's stride(30 feet) to Secretariat's (25 feet).  We'll also read about the curious details surrounding Man O' War's only defeat.  

Then there's the matter of race times.  Secretariat ran the fastest Kentucky Derby ever (a record that still stands), was denied the stakes record for the Preakness due to faulty time-keeping (many fans at Pimlico clocked him with the fastest time) and a world record in the Belmont (that record also still stands).  If you watch the archival footage of the '73 Belmont you won't see Ron Turcotte using the whip, either.  

Before he retired, Secretariat took on all comers (Riva Ridge, Key to the Mint, Cougar II).  While you can't accuse a 20 race winner of backing away from a challenge, I'd like to know why Man O' War skipped the Derby and never raced  

Sir Barton.  

After retirement, Man O'War's offspring were more successful.  While Secretariat foals were often impressive, none won the Triple Crown, or even the Derby.

Who's the best?  I can't say, but I would rather have Man O' War at the stud farm, and Secretariat on the racetrack.

  

   Thanks, Allo!  I stand corrected.  I don't know where I got it in my head that Man O' War and Sir Barton never raced.

Answer 7

No question Secretariat waas the greatest. one other thing Look at Bold Ruler. the sire of Secretariat. He was a pretty fancy dude himself. look at all the champions he bred