{{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Ace Admiral , image = , caption = , sire = Heliopolis , grandsire = Hyperion , dam = War Flower , damsire =

Man o' War Man o' War (March 29, 1917 – November 1, 1947) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who is widely regarded as the greatest racehorse of all time. Several sports publications, including ''The Blood-Horse'', ''Sports Illustrated'', ESPN, and t ...

, sex = Stallion , foaled = 1945 , country = United States , colour = Chestnut , breeder = Mildred W. Woolwine , owner =

Maine Chance Farm Maine Chance Farm was an American Thoroughbred horse racing stable in Lexington, Kentucky owned by cosmetics tycoon Elizabeth Arden. Elizabeth Arden raced under the '' nom de course'' "Mr. Nightingale" until 1943 when she adopted the name Main ...

, trainer = James W. Smith ( East Coast)
William Molter ( West Coast) , record = 39: 13-6-5 , earnings = $270, 815 , race =

Lawrence Realization Stakes The Lawrence Realization Stakes was an American horse race first run on the turf in 1889. The race, for three-year-old Thoroughbred colts, geldings and fillies, was last run in 2005. History Inaugurated at the Sheepshead Bay Race Track at Gravese ...

(1948)

Travers Stakes The Travers Stakes is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I Thoroughbred horse race held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. It is nicknamed the "Mid-Summer Derby" and is the third-ranked race for American three-year-olds acco ...

(1948)
Santa Anita Maturity (1949)
Sunset Handicap (1949)

Argonaut Handicap The Argonaut Handicap was an American Thoroughbred horse race first run in 1940 at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. A one-mile race on dirt, it was open to horses age three and older. In 1956, Swaps won this race while setting a ...

(1949)

Inglewood Handicap The Last Tycoon Stakes (formerly known as the Inglewood Handicap) is an American Thoroughbred horse race run annually in late April at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, California. First run in 1938, the race is open to horses three years ol ...

(1949) , awards = , honours = , updated= Ace Admiral (foaled in 1945) was an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...

racehorse.

Background

His sire, Heliopolis, was the leading sire in North America in 1950 and 1954. His grandsire, Hyperion, was a six-time

leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland The title of champion, or leading, sire of racehorses in Great Britain and Ireland is awarded to the stallion whose offspring have won the most prize money in Britain and Ireland during the flat racing season. The current champion is Frankel, who ...

. His dam, War Flower, was a daughter of

Racing career

Ace Admiral was born in the same year as the great Calumet Farm colts Citation and

Coaltown Coaltown (1945–1965) was an American Hall of Fame Champion Thoroughbred racehorse of whom ''The New York Times'' said "was probably the most underrated Thoroughbred of the 20th Century." Coaltown was nicknamed "The Goose" by the stable empl ...

. In his two-year-old season, Ace Admiral ran third to Citation in the Pimlico Futurity. Citation went on to dominate U.S. racing in 1947 and in the spring of 1948 leading up to the U.S. Triple Crown races. As such, like many other owners at the time,

felt it was in their best interest not to enter Ace Admiral in the Triple Crown races. Under trainer Jimmy Smith and jockey Ted Atkinson, Ace Admiral won a number of important races that year in New York, including the

at Aqueduct Racetrack and the prestigious

Saratoga Race Course Saratoga Race Course is a Thoroughbred horse racing track located on Union Avenue in Saratoga Springs, New York, United States. Opened in 1863, it is often considered to be the oldest major sporting venue of any kind in the country, but is actu ...

. Sent to compete in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

in 1949, Ace Admiral was trained by William Molter. At

Santa Anita Park Santa Anita Park is a Thoroughbred racetrack in Arcadia, California, United States. It offers some of the prominent horse racing events in the United States during early fall, winter and in spring. The track is home to numerous prestigious races ...

, the four-year-old horse won the Santa Anita Maturity. At

Hollywood Park Racetrack Hollywood Park was a thoroughbred race course located in Inglewood, California, about 3 miles (5 km) from Los Angeles International Airport and adjacent to the Forum indoor arena. In 1994, the original Hollywood Park Casino was added to t ...

, he won the Sunset Handicap,

, and

Breeding record

Ace Admiral was retired to stud at

Spendthrift Farm Spendthrift Farm is a thoroughbred race horse breeding farm and burial site in Lexington, Kentucky, currently owned by Eric & Tammy Gustavson. It was founded by Leslie Combs II and named for the great stallion Spendthrift, who was owned by Combs' ...

in Lexington, Kentucky, where he sired: *

Ace Marine {{Infobox racehorse , horsename = Ace Marine , image = , caption = , sire = Ace Admiral , grandsire = Heliopolis , dam = Mazarine , damsire = Sweepster , sex = Stallion , foaled = 1952 , country = Canada , colour = Chestnut , breede ...

(1952 - Mazarine),

Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to honour those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and Thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. It is located at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. The ...

Canadian Horse of the Year The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honour given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honour in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing. Part of the Sovereign Awards program since 1975, ...

(1955), won the three races that four years later, in 1959, formally became the Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Inside Tract (1954 - Mary Terry), won

Jockey Club Gold Cup The Jockey Club Gold Cup, established in 1919, is a thoroughbred flat race open to horses of either gender three-years-old and up. It has traditionally been the main event of the fall meeting at Belmont Park, just as the Belmont Stakes is of the s ...

, 3rd

Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () o ...

, 2nd Belmont Stakes * Frosty Admiral (1961 - Tickly Bender), Puerto Rico Horse of the Year and Puerto Rico Horse Racing Hall of Fame

References

Pedigree for Ace Admiral
1945 racehorse births Thoroughbred family 4-f Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States