"upset"

[George Thompson]

Well, reports of my dropping out of this coven have so far proved to be
greatly exaggerated.  But I will have to do so, because I have to set
up an automatic reply on my email, and can't have you folks receive a
daily statement that I am on sabbatical.  It would be too much like
gloating.  But it's just as well that I didn't get around to pulling
the plug until the question of Man o' War and Upset came up.

Larry Horn observes "I'd (gingerly) wager that the view of Upset's 1919
win as a huge upset is largely through hindsight", Man o' War not
having raced enough before his loss to Upset to have established the
reputation he later enjoyed as the greatest horse in living memory.
The reports of the event in newspapers of the time show that Man o' War
was regarded as an extraordinary horse even in the first year of his
career.  There is a chart of his races in a book called Champions: The
Lives, Times, and Past Performances of the 20th Century's Greatest
Thoroughbreds, published a few years ago by "DRF" (Daily Racing Form).
(Available in better reference collections everywhere, of course.)  The
comments on his victories in his races before his defeat
were "easily"; "easing final 16th" (twice) "never extended" and so
forth.  His reputation was also shown by the fact that in the Sanford
Memorial, the race when he was beaten by Upset, he carried 130 pounds,
as did a colt named Golden Broom, while Upset and another carried 115
and the 3 other horses in the field carried 112.  The [New York] Sun
reported that "because Man o' War and Golden Broom were matched to meet
in the [Sanford], thousands of sportsmen made a special trip here from
distant cities. . . .  (August 14, 1919, p. 16, col. 1)  When Man o'
War lost, The Sun gave the event a 6-column headline: "Man o' War,
Although Beaten in Sanford Memorial, Outclasses Field of Juveniles."
The New York Tribune gave it a 4 column head.  (August 14, 1919, p. 13,
cols. 5-8)  The reports in the Times and the World were less
extensive.  The Sun stated: "He ran better than he ever did, and,
although beaten, made half a dozen of the best youngsters in training,
including the great Golden Broom, appear cheap."  The Tribune said: "He
looked more glorious in defeat than Upset did in victory."  His defeat
was laid to the facts that he was not ready for the start -- it was a
walk-up start, starting gates not being in use -- and that he was
several times caught behind horses.

These accounts of the race suggest that the word "upset" was not
familiar in the sense of "unexpected victory or loss" before this
event.  The World stated: "One might make all sorts of puns about it
being an upset, but Man o' War in the opinion of nine out of ten
observers was far the better colt in the race. . . .  (August 14, 1919,
p. 11, col. 1)  The pun did not occur to the reporters from the Tribune
or the Times.  It occurred to the reporter for The Sun also: "Upset's
victory was a big upset to all racegoers, even his famous trainer,
James Rowe"; and "Golden Broom caused more than an upset", but he seems
to have been thinking of "upset" as in "distress", for instance "upset
stomach".

GAT

George A. Thompson
Author of A Documentary History of "The African
Theatre", Northwestern Univ. Pr., 1998.