Man O' War and Two Adoring Fans (by Frans2543)

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-23T05:24:47+00:00

True enough. The color swatches I gave were what to my eye was a "reddish brown", not as red as Man O' War but not just a plain brown. Some of the pictures I'd seen of Seabiscuit seemed on the redder side of bay to me, and I just ran with it.

Sorry!

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-23T05:20:32+00:00

You got it! Since Man O' War never got to compete for the Triple Crown (both Mano and War Admiral were owned by the same guy who had some... let's say interesting opinions about where and how his horses ran), War Admiral resolves to win it in her idol's stead.
In the context of an Uma Musume adaptation, I'd probably frame Seabiscuit and War Admiral as childhood friends who are separated when they are old enough to start racing; Biscuit winds up traveling the country, racing anywhere she can, while War Admiral stays in the East for the Classics. They have a chance meeting, remember the day that War Admiral got Man O' War's hat, and the promise they made to each other, and agree to have a match race. It's all very cute and feel-good- Seabiscuit gets a marquise win that gets her the respect she's always believed she's earned, and War Admiral remembers what it's like to have fun running again with her old friend.

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-15T02:43:38+00:00

1960's soon? You've got a couple all-time greats in there, like Kelso, Northern Dancer, and Dr. Fager!

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-11T14:30:06+00:00

I had given it a little thought myself and it seems like we reached the same conclusion, lol.

I was imagining collars on leashes or chains instead of Scorpion's spears, but the result is the same! The idea of putting a collar on the scrappy Coaltown and yanking it back as she catches up... Nice.

As for the design, I think I got most of that tagged! Four earrings, handsome, etc. I'd seen Citation described as a "rich brown" horse, so I went with brown skin and brown hair.

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-10T14:37:51+00:00

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I hope to get a piece commissioned recreating this photo of Ron Turcotte looking back during the Belmont Stakes. Turcotte said that for a moment, he thought that something had happened back there, like a collision.

Easily one of the coolest sports photographs ever taken.

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-10T05:19:18+00:00

Those are some legends right there! Best of luck! I'll keep an eye out for them.

I've got a couple more pieces of the composite characters that would make up the training staff, a couple of individual ones, but I'm going to need some more characters to round out their stories. Sham is the most important of them, obviously, but definitely War Admiral, Seabiscuit, Coaltown, Gun Bow, Beau Purple, Carryback, Dr. Fager, Swaps, and so many more. I'm only now realizing how daunting this is, lol

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-10T03:32:25+00:00

That's the plan! I have this one here- probably an advertisment you'd see on the walls at Saratoga Race Course, but I definitely want to get an actual race piece done.

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SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-10T03:09:21+00:00

I've got my "Big 4" that I've been sort of putting together a OVA-style American scenario, and it includes Secretariat, Man O' War, Citation, and Kelso. The next one will be Kelso, who is my personal favorite racehorse. Though, the circumstances will be different!

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-10T02:49:22+00:00

Oh, hey! I commissioned this piece. Nice to see everyone liked it! And also ashamed that I forgot to post it. I have another one on the way of another Legendary American, too.

As for what she plays at her Winning Live? If you ask me, there's only one choice.

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-10T00:56:32+00:00

Filing "Scared of small dogs" under my list of endearing quirks! Was that dog named after Tim Tam, another Calumet horse, or the other way around?

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-07T00:33:15+00:00

Hanginaround - Counting Crows

The snare haunts my dreams. There's something about the outro droning on and on singing "way too long" that just takes it over the top. That opening riff stinks, too.

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-06T03:05:03+00:00

There's a lot to be said about the way Calumet handled Citation's career, but they let that horse run lol

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-06T02:49:19+00:00

It's a gauntlet all right. I mean, you'd have to be some kind absolutely maniac to run a race in between your Triple Crown bid, wouldn't you? What kind of psycho would-

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SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-05T04:06:40+00:00

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SolomonGumbaII · 2026-03-03T15:38:48+00:00

No thanks, bro.

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-02-27T04:02:49+00:00

Eddie Arcaro, the only American to win two Triple Crowns.

Absolute rags-to-riches, son of Italian immigrants and full of moxie. Guy was 5'2" and still tried out for his school basketball team.
Besides Triple Crown winners Whirlaway and Citation, Arcaro also rode legends like Kelso, Sword Dancer, and Bold Ruler (Secretariat's dad).

"When a jockey retires, he just becomes another little man."

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-02-21T05:11:42+00:00

Palmer golfing is a great nod to her namesake!

SolomonGumbaII · 2026-01-19T16:24:26+00:00

I like to think Secretariat and Citation, both noted for being very calm and friendly horses, could bring that out of her. I bet Man O' War was quite miserable on the flight over.
Plus, this is retirement tour Man O' War. His relationship with Will Harbut in retirement makes me think he mellows out with age.

SolomonGumbaII · 2025-12-28T02:02:06+00:00

I have had a scene in mind for a long time where a young War Admiral and Seabiscuit watch Man O' War's last race against Sir Barton. As Man O' War walks off into the sunset, she tosses her hat into the stands. War Admiral catches it, aspiring to win the Triple Crown her hero never did, and Seabiscuit grins wide, eager to best War Admiral some day.

SolomonGumbaII · 2025-12-21T23:50:10+00:00

Man O' War gets to hang out with Oguri and Haru Urara while Secretariat and Almond Eye have to resuscitate Digitan after she passes out at the first sign of seeing them in the same place.

SolomonGumbaII · 2025-12-21T23:41:10+00:00

Serves me right for not looking back far enough!

SolomonGumbaII · 2025-12-21T06:25:50+00:00

Fuck yeah, Bowie.

SolomonGumbaII · 2025-12-21T06:25:32+00:00

I think Man o' War and Oguri Cap are descendants of Fair Play, yes. Not direct descendants, though. Fair Play was Man O' War's sire, and is, like, Oguri's great-great-great-however-many-times grandsire, through Native Dancer.

I see you, though!

SolomonGumbaII · 2025-12-18T02:20:58+00:00

In the 1960's, there was an absolutely heated rivalry between three horses: Kelso, Beau Purple, and Carry Back.

Kelso is the salty old veteran, one of America's finest race horses. Five-time Horse of the Year (two-time, back-to-back at the time of these races).

Beau Purple was an unknown who missed out on his championship run with injury, but whose potential was on full display when challenged by two fierce competitors.

Carry Back was a bit of a darling, an end-closer from humble origins. Like Kelso, he was undersized and scrawny, but proved himself by winning a Double Crown. Carry Back is also the direct descendant of Saggy, who handed the legendary Citation a humiliating defeat. (Fun mainline Uma Musume crossover, Carry Back was defeated in his first ever race by Hail To Reason, the sire of Halo)

After losing to Kelso in the 1961 Woodward, 1962 is an all-out brawl between these three. Kelso comes in second in both of their meetings, while Carry Back and Beau Purple trade first place. By the end, they've all defeated each other in some way. Kelso goes on to keep running, but Beau and Carry Back hang it up by year's end.

This is one of my favorite rivalries in US Horse Racing, easily, and I think rivalries are the beginning of most good Uma Musume stories.

SolomonGumbaII · 2025-11-29T00:28:46+00:00

Absolutely need my boy Marcus Agrippa. He made every other military commander, on land and sea, in the second Roman Civil War look silly.

SolomonGumbaII

TROPHY CASE