Racehorses named after Celebrities

[Indian Charlie]

Originally Posted by Merlinsky

The Belmonts named MOW before they knew they'd be selling him at auction. Originally they were going to keep him out but were afraid everybody would assume they were keeping the best and selling the lesser yearlings, diminishing what the entire group would bring. They were already up against it with their yearlings suffering distemper and looking pretty ragged for a sale. Dunno if he was named as a weanling or yearling but it was either 1917 or 1918. He was sold at Saratoga in 1918 as Man O' War.

Well, at least that makes some sense.

I always figured he was named after a jellyfish or type of ship.