Man o’ War is considered one of the best racehorses of all time. The only one that comes close is Secretariat, and most experts still say Man ‘o War was better. He only raced in 1919 and 1920 but he won 20 out of 21 races. He won one race by an incredible 100 lengths. He triumphed in another even though they made him carry an extra 138 pounds to make it more fair.
In 1921, a Texas oil millionaire, William Waggoner, offered $500,000 for Man o’ War. That would be around $6,000,000 in 2015. Riddle turned him down, as he did when Waggoner increased his offer again, first to $1 million and then a blank check. “The colt is not for sale,” he said. That is how valuable he was.
How much time did Man o’ War actually spend racing? Over his entire career, it was less than 33 minutes. He trained day after day, month after month, and only raced for half an hour. Man o’ War only raced well because he plodded well.
The most significant times in our lives will not be the triumphs and successes. It will be the continuous steady effort in your everyday life. Do the little things well. Do them as if everything depended on it. As Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.”
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This illustration was inspired by an observation by Rev. Dr. W. A. Criswell in his sermon “Twas The Day After Christmas: Religion In The Letdown,” December 26, 1954; it is Kerux Sermon #23352. Other facts were taken from the article “Man o’ War came close to perfection,” by Larry Schwartz, ESPN; < https://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016132.html >.
The calculations on his total racing time was derived from “Man o’ War: Complete Racing Record,” < http://www.secondrunning.com/man%20o'%20war.htm >.