The following is an article describing the match race between Man o' War and the first Triple Crown Winner, Sir Barton.
Man o' War acted up at the start, allowing Sir Barton to break on top, but the older horse held his lead for only sixty yards before Man o' War passed him. As the New York Times reported:
"He actually galloped the Ross colt dizzy in the first mile and drew away so easily in the final quarter of a mile that he was never fully extended."
Despite his lack of effort, he took 6 2/5 seconds off the track record and beat Sir Barton by seven lengths. After the race, a story circulated that the stirrup leathers on Kummer's (Man o' War's Jockey) saddle had been cut, but the rumor was never proven.
The Kenilworth Gold Cup was not only the "Race of the Century," but it was also the first entire race to be filmed. Photographer Edward Muybridge, the man who had taken the first film of a running animal forty years before, used fourteen cameras to record the event, and the film was shown on Broadway. Even though the great horse had outrun the Triple Crown winner, set numerous track records, and set world records that still stand today, Man o' War had never been fully extended, and he was retired without ever having the opportunity to display his full potential.
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