The Greatest Racehorse?: Man o' War and the Judgment of History

by Mark Shrager

Overview

Is Man o’ War, the legendary champion who revitalized American Thoroughbred racing, truly the greatest racehorse in history, or has time produced an even more extraordinary champion?

Through meticulous research and compelling analysis, award-winning writer Mark Shrager presents the first comprehensive head-to-head comparison between the legendary "Big Red" and fifteen of history's most extraordinary Thoroughbreds. Moving beyond traditional metrics of wins and speed records, The Greatest Racehorse? examines Man o' War's legacy through dual lenses: his racing excellence against immortals like Secretariat and Citation and his transcendent cultural impact that helped save the sport itself.

Set against the turbulent backdrop of World War I, Prohibition, and baseball's Black Sox scandal, this groundbreaking work reveals how Man o' War became more than just a champion—he was racing's savior when the sport faced potential collapse. Using rare historical records, statistical analysis, and insights from a forty-year career covering Thoroughbred racing, Shrager puts Man o' War's legendary status to the ultimate test.

From dominating victories and record-setting performances to his enduring influence on breeding and American sports culture, The Greatest Racehorse? finally answers whether Man o' War's supreme reign can withstand the test of time and the challenges of racing's modern titans.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493088881
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	06/03/2025
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.81(d)

About the Author

Award-winning author Mark Shrager has published some 300 articles about every aspect of horse racing in magazines such as Turf & Sport Digest, American Turf Monthly, and others. His 1974 Turf & Sport Digest article, “1,001 Surefire Ways to Lose a Horse Race,” was published in the annual Best Sports Stories anthology. He is the author of The Great Sweepstakes of 1877: A True Story of Southern Grit, Gilded Age Tycoons, and a Race That Galvanized the Nation; Diane Crump: A Horse-Racing Pioneer’s Life in the Saddle, which won the 2020 Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award for the best book on Thoroughbred racing; and The First Kentucky Derby: Thirteen Black Jockeys, One Shady Owner, and the Little Red Horse that Wasn’t Supposed to Win. He lives in Altadena, California, and is a three-time Jeopardy! champion.

What People are Saying About This

Lenny Shulman

"Whether one spends their evenings in a parlor, living room, or tavern, an evergreen favorite American puzzle is attempting to compare relative merits of athletes from different eras. Mark Shrager pursues this exercise in The Greatest Racehorse? Here, Man o’ War is set against other Thoroughbred greats from the past century. Sure to further discourse at the bar or sofa, Shrager applies thoughtful arguments, cultural touchpoints, and appropriate statistics to the discussion. Let the debate continue. . ."

Jennifer S. Kelly

"Man o' War was the twentieth century's greatest horse—or was he? Mark Shrager holds up Big Red's immortal career against those of greats like Spectacular Bid, Kelso, and the other Big Red, Secretariat, and uses his deep knowledge of the sport's history as well as his keen analytical skills to show twenty-first-century audiences how Man o' War compares to other beloved icons."

Eliza McGraw

"In The Greatest Racehorse?, veteran turf writer Mark Shrager asks a charged and compelling question: Is Man o’ War still number one? This is an insider’s take on the question, full of racing terminology, historic context, and great stories. Using categories such as winning major races and overcoming adversity, and illustrations from numerical tables to poetry, Shrager compares Man o’ War to luminaries like Dr. Fager (demonstrating versatility) and Kelso (earning awards). Suspense builds as each 'contest' ends with a verdict. This is a book for real racing fans who are ready for a deep, satisfying dive."

Editorial Reviews

"Whether one spends their evenings in a parlor, living room, or tavern, an evergreen favorite American puzzle is attempting to compare relative merits of athletes from different eras. Mark Shrager pursues this exercise in The Greatest Racehorse? Here, Man o’ War is set against other Thoroughbred greats from the past century. Sure to further discourse at the bar or sofa, Shrager applies thoughtful arguments, cultural touchpoints, and appropriate statistics to the discussion. Let the debate continue. . ."

Lenny Shulman

More than a century has passed since the mighty Man o’ War dominated Thoroughbred racing, but his legacy has endured, and many historians still regard him as the greatest American racehorse of all time. But is that really the case? In his new book The Greatest Racehorse?, acclaimed author and historian Mark Shrager takes a deep and fascinating dive into Man o’ War’s place in history. Many legendary racehorses have followed since the golden days of Man o’ War, including a dozen Triple Crown winners. Different eras and circumstances inevitably lead to discussions of how to best compare greatness from different generations that each feature unique factors. Through exhaustive research and analysis, Shrager brilliantly examines how Man o’ War’s legacy has both evolved and stood the test of time.

Brien Bouyea

"In The Greatest Racehorse?, veteran turf writer Mark Shrager asks a charged and compelling question: Is Man o’ War still number one? This is an insider’s take on the question, full of racing terminology, historic context, and great stories. Using categories such as winning major races and overcoming adversity, and illustrations from numerical tables to poetry, Shrager compares Man o’ War to luminaries like Dr. Fager (demonstrating versatility) and Kelso (earning awards). Suspense builds as each 'contest' ends with a verdict. This is a book for real racing fans who are ready for a deep, satisfying dive."

Eliza McGraw

Who is the greatest racehorse of all time? It’s a question that has been pondered for eons. Many believe Man o’ War is the GOAT. Taking that into account, in this thoroughly researched book, Mark Shrager compares mighty Man o’ War, on a horse-vs.-horse basis, to numerous other champions. In doing so, Shrager has crafted an in-depth and informative bio not just of Man o’ War, but also of the legendary Secretariat and such other extremely talented equine athletes as Exterminator, Count Fleet, Citation, Swaps, Kelso, Dr. Fager, Forego, Ruffian, Seattle Slew, Affirmed, John Henry, Spectacular Bid, Sunday Silence, Easy Goer, and Flightline. Shrager gives us a book full of facts, opinions, and history before arriving at his well-reasoned conclusion as to which racehorse really is the GOAT.

Jon White

(Praise for author's previous book)
Revisiting the inaugural Kentucky Derby and its winner, Aristides, can be—and usually is—the straightforward telling of a familiar story, but it doesn’t have to be. In The First Kentucky Derby, award-winning author Mark Shrager uses the familiar elements of the horse’s background and the race itself as bookends for a well-researched narrative that takes the reader on a series of intriguing twists and turns, including the demise of African American jockeys and the life of controversial breeder and owner Henry Price McGrath. These are essential parts of the overall story and make The First Kentucky Derby an excellent read.

Milton C. Toby

"To place Man o’ War in context against the ghosts of other great Thoroughbreds would daunt any writer, but Mark Shrager sets the colt against an even greater backdrop: history. The world during the Great War, during the Great Depression. A nation in need of a hero. That took great skill to write. The result of Shrager’s labor of love is an effortlessly enjoyable read."

Josh Pons

"Man o' War was the twentieth century's greatest horse—or was he? Mark Shrager holds up Big Red's immortal career against those of greats like Spectacular Bid, Kelso, and the other Big Red, Secretariat, and uses his deep knowledge of the sport's history as well as his keen analytical skills to show twenty-first-century audiences how Man o' War compares to other beloved icons."

Jennifer S. Kelly

A wealth of information on the roots of the Kentucky Derby.

Mark Paul