Sport: No Party

Will Harbut, Man o’ War’s ancient groom and greatest admirer, had a set speech when he led visitors (50,000 a year) to the special stall at Faraway Farm, Ky. It went something like this, with asides to his charge: “Heah he is, ladies and gen’men. Come heah, Red. . . . Stands 16 and one-half hands high. . . . I say, come heah you old Red.”

After siring 383 registered foals, Old Red doesn’t move so fast any more. There is no longer money in his genes. He serves no more mares, gets out to pasture only three hours a day. Last week, Will Harbut served Man o’ War his usual 4:30 a.m. breakfast, as he has for 18 years, then posed for a picture taking him for a walk. A few days later, 60-year-old Will Harbut suffered a stroke that paralyzed his right side, took away his eyesight. He would not be at the party this week when the greatest race horse of them all turned 29.