The Incontinent Race Horse
Man o’ War, a powerful and dominant race horse, instilled fear in the hearts of the competition and stableboys.
The uncontrollable Man o’ War.
Born in 1917, the horse always struggled with a weak bladder. His trainer, Louis Feustel, helped to train the horse to control its bladder for longer than it had previously been able to.
As a two-year-old, Man o’ War made his racing debut at Belmont Park on June 6, 1919. Fueled by the intensity of a full bladder that needed relief, Man o’ War won at Belmont Park by six lengths. Less than a month later he won the Keene Memorial Stakes after drinking an unknown amount of water.
His career spanned over 21 races, only losing one in which a stableboy mistakenly let him empty his bladder just minutes before the race.
After Man o’ War’s fifth victory, sportswriters began to catch on to why he was such a fast and powerful racehorse. Following one of the horse’s victories, a noted writer ran to the men’s room saying “I need to pee like a race horse.” That phrase is Man o’ War’s contribution to society.
