War Admiral is an American Thoroughbred racehorse, best known for winning the American Triple Crown in 1937 and his Match Race with arch-rival SeaBiscuit.
Sired by one of the greatest racehorses of all time, Man o’War, War Admiral won 21 out of 26 starts during his career and was named 1937 Horse of the Year. Memorable victories include the Washington Handicap, Pimlico Special, the Whitney Handicap, the Jockey Club Gold Cup and the Wilson Stakes.
War Admiral’s surprise victory in the Kentucky Derby helped propel him to become one of the biggest stars of the era. He followed that achievement up by winning the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, becoming only the fourth horse to win the prestigious Triple Crown.
His place in racing history was cemented with the Pimlico Special match race against arch rival Seabiscuit. The November 1938 head-to-head contest was billed as ‘the Match Race of the Century’ and was headline news in the U.S. It was the first time the two fierce competitors would meet, Seabiscuit ended up winning by four lengths, setting a new track record.
After leaving the track, War Admiral had a hugely successful career as a stud and was named the Leading sire in North America for 1945.
He sired 40 stakes winners including Blue Peter, Busher, Busanda and Bee Mac. Descendants of note include Zentatta, Swaps, Buckpasser and Cigar. He features eight times in the pedigree American Pharoah, the 2015 Triple Crown winner.
War Admiral was owned by prolific breeder Samuel D. Riddle, who also owned his father, Man o’War.
