Man o' War, a chestnut thoroughbred foaled in 1917 east of this site on the farm then known as August Belmont's Nursery Stud, was by Fair Play-Mahubah, by Rock Sand, stood 16.2 hands tall, and became the standard by which thoroughbreds are judged. Purchased as a yearling at Saratoga by S. D. Riddle and trained by Louis Feustel, he was a 2-year-old champion who won 9 of 10 races, finishing second once to Upset, a horse he defeated soundly in their 6 other meetings. As a 3-year-old in 1920, he was unbeatable in 11 races; although he did not run in the Kentucky Derby, he won the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. He set or equaled 8 track records, established American records for 1, 1⅛, 1⅜, 1½ and 1⅝ miles, won the latter by 100 lengths, defeated older champion Sir Barton in his last race by 7 lengths, and retired at age 3 with then-record earnings of $249,465 from 20 victories in 21 races. Standing at S. D. Riddle's Faraway Farm about 10 miles east of this site, he became one of America's greatest sires, topped the sire list in 1926 when his offspring earned a then-record $408,137 in purses, and in 22 years at stud sired 379 foals, including 220 winners and 64 stakes winners such as War Admiral, Battleship, American Flag, Crusader, Bateau, Scapa Flow, Edith Cavell, Maid at Arms, Florence Nightingale, Blockade, and Holystone.