Which of these two is the greatest ever horse?

Question

Secretariat or Man Of War?

Answer 1

Depends on what you mean. Because the breed advances over the years, Secretariat was undeniably faster, but Man O' War completely obliterated every horse he faced (technically even when he lost he won - there were starting gate problems and he lost by a head). I personally think that Man O' War was better relative to his time period, but it's pretty much like comparing apples and oranges; they were different style horses living in different eras (note, though, that Man O' War has considerable amounts of folklore around him, though most it is true, like the story about the 100+ length victory, which has been verified IIRC).

Jesse M: Man O' War, topping Secretariat's achievement by 70+ lengths, which is more than original distance in the first place and equivalent to more than an eighth of a mile. Not even in a normal race these days does a horse beat a reasonable thoroughbred by 100 lengths regardless of who are in between them.

Can any of you people hear me? 100+ > 31!!!!!!! Also, Man O' War, in his equally long career, set more records than Secretariat (and rightfully should have been undefeated). I'm starting to think Man O' War is a teensy bit underrated.

Answer 2

NONE,,,,,,, RUFFIAN was da bomb

Answer 3

Man of War, he was a beautiful horse. I have pictures of both horses in my study. Comparing the horses with each other is awesome, but for the breed at the time, Man was a better specimen, truly a very regal equine.

Answer 4

any horse that runs faster as the race goes....is a super-horse

SECRETARIAT.........WOULD CRUSH ALL OF THEM!!!!!

Answer 5

Secretariat still holds the track record @ KY  

and how else has won by 30 lenths

Answer 6

SECRETARIAT.

Set time records on all three of his races (the clock malfunctioned at Baltimore)

WON the Belmont by 30 lengths.

Answer 7

SECRETARIAT.

Answer 8

Secretariat, though Man O War was pretty tasty as well

Answer 9

Secretariat is a real beauty, but I'll vote for Man O'War.  That horse just loved to run.

Answer 10

That is always a hard question because then you have to ask, what about Seabiscuit or Seattle Slew, or Citation or Ruffian?  From these two particular horses I would have to say Secretariat.  That horse was like nothing anyone had ever seen and will likely see again.  He won the Belmont by 31 lengths!!!  (yes, 31 not 30)  I wish I had been alive to see him race!

Answer 11

Secretariat was only because he sired more runners then MAN OF WAR

BOTH IN THEIR OWN CLASS WERE Champions

Man Of War was before the other but still breeding has to go goes on ,, Man or war was the best in his time ..

so was Secretaritat

Man Of Wars siring has been proven ,, most all great horses led back to him also not all but many

Answer 12

at level weights an old Aussie warrior named PHAR-LAP would have chewed them up and spat them out!!...... and i reckon he could Even give them up to 3.5kgs and still beat them!

also i think you should word your question better..... as you cannot compare sprinters to stayers...... and just remember the USA is not the only country that race horses! alot of great horses have come out of europe and Australasia!!

Answer 13

JesseM - -I know that Secretariat still hold the Kentucky Derby record and I believe Churchill Downs record, but he did not win the Derby by 30 lengths. .

Answer 14

((It's Man o' War, not Man Of War)) =)

But anyway, I still believe Man o' War was the greater then Secretariat. I mean of-course both were AMAZING athletes, but I still think Man o' War was a tad better.

But both horses were considered the greatest, of their time.

So I guess we will never really knew what horse was really the greatest unless there was a match race between the two.

Now that would be something I would like to see.