Go Man Go facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Go Man Go

Go Man Go being exercised by jockey Robert Strauss, Los Alamitos Racetrack, about 1956
Breed	Quarter Horse
Discipline	Racing
Sire	Top Deck (TB)
Grandsire	Equestrian (TB)
Dam	Lightfoot Sis
Maternal grandsire	Very Wise (TB)
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1953
Country	United States
Color	Roan
Breeder	J. B. Ferguson
Honors
Racing record
47-27-9-3, AAAT speed rating
Race earnings
$86,151.00 (approximately $897,600 as of 2025)
Major racing wins
PCQHRA Futurity, Autumn Championship (twice), Wonder Lad Stakes (twice), Clabbertown G stakes (three times); Winner Take All Stakes; Barbara B Handicap; Champion Stakes; Ruidoso Derby; State Fair Stallion Stakes; Gold Bar Stakes; New Mexico State Fair
Racing awards
1955 World Champion Quarter Running Horse; 1956 World Champion Quarter Running Horse; 1957 World Champion Quarter Running Horse; Superior Race Horse; 1957 High Money Earning Race Horse; 1956 High Money Earning Horse
Honors
AQHA Hall of Fame
Last updated on: April 29, 2009.

Go Man Go (born 1953, died 1983) was a famous American Quarter Horse stallion and race horse. He was known for his incredible speed and his fiery personality. He was so good that he was named World Champion Quarter Running Horse three times in a row! Only one other horse has ever done that.

Go Man Go was a bit of a rebel. In his very first race, he threw his rider, broke through the starting gate, and ran around the track all by himself. But he was eventually caught and still managed to win that race! He raced for five years until 1960. During that time, he won 27 races and earned over $86,000.

His parents, Top Deck and Lightfoot Sis, were not racehorses themselves. But Go Man Go inherited his amazing speed from his mother. After his racing career, he became a very successful father to many champion racehorses. He was even inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. Many people compare his impact on horse racing to that of famous athletes like Babe Ruth in baseball.

Go Man Go's Early Life

Go Man Go was born in Wharton, Texas, in 1953. His father was a Thoroughbred horse named Top Deck. His mother was a Quarter Horse named Lightfoot Sis. Go Man Go was the second foal born from this pairing.

His owner, J. B. Ferguson, bought Lightfoot Sis for $350. He then bred her to Top Deck. Lightfoot Sis was fast, but she never raced because of an eye injury. Go Man Go was said to be "lean and hard-boned" but also "the best."

Go Man Go was known for being difficult to handle. His trainer once said he was "plain mean as a bear." But his jockey, Robert Strauss, remembered him differently. He said Go Man Go was "ornery," but also "the greatest horse I ever rode."

Go Man Go's Racing Career

Go Man Go competed in 47 races during his five years on the track. He seemed to love racing from the start. Even during training, he would sometimes just take off with his rider!

Before his very first race, Go Man Go caused a stir. He flipped over in the starting gate, threw his jockey, and crashed through the front. He ran around the entire track by himself! But he was caught, put back in the gate, and still won the race. He then won his next five races easily.

He often raced against another champion horse named Vandy's Flash. They met 12 times! Go Man Go won most of their races. Their last race was in 1959, and that was the only time Vandy's Flash beat him. It was also Go Man Go's final race.

Go Man Go won 27 races, came in second 9 times, and third 3 times. He earned over $86,000 in prize money. He also received a "Superior Race Horse" award. He was named World Champion Quarter Running Horse for three years in a row (1955, 1956, and 1957). He was the first two-year-old horse to win this big title.

When he retired, Go Man Go held world records for speed at different distances. He is still the only stallion to be a three-time World Champion Quarter Running Horse.

Ownership and Registration

Go Man Go had a few different owners during his life. In 1955, a man named A.B. Green bought him for $42,000. This was a lot of money back then!

Two years later, Go Man Go's original owner, J. B. Ferguson, won him back in a bet. Ferguson bet Green $42,000 that Go Man Go's full brother, Mr Mackay, would beat Green's new horse. Mr Mackay won, and Ferguson got Go Man Go back!

Later, in 1960, Ferguson sold Go Man Go for $125,000. He was bought by Frank Vessels Sr. and Bill and Harriet Peckham.

There were also some issues with Go Man Go's registration with the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA). At first, he was only in the "Appendix" registry. This meant he looked more like a Thoroughbred than a Quarter Horse. His owner wanted him to be in the "Tentative" registry. This would make him more valuable for breeding.

The AQHA committee waited to see how good Go Man Go's babies would be. Finally, in 1958, they gave him a regular registration number. This was a big deal for his future as a breeding horse.

Breeding Career and Legacy

After retiring from racing, Go Man Go became a very successful father (called a stallion in horse terms). His first group of babies, born in 1958, were already champions.

The price to breed a mare to Go Man Go (called a "stud fee") went up quickly. In 1960, it was $500. By 1963, it was $2,500! He fathered 942 foals in total. More than half of them became successful racehorses.

Many of his children won major awards. Two of his daughters, Goetta and Ought To Go, were even inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. Two of his grandchildren, Kaweah Bar and Rocket Wrangler, also made it into the Hall of Fame.

Go Man Go was still a bit of a character even as a breeding stallion. One of his owners said he loved to have his lip tugged! But he "absolutely hated getting his feet dirty."

Go Man Go died in 1983 and was buried in New Mexico. His headstone says: "Go Man Go, The King."

In 1990, Go Man Go was inducted into the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame. There's even a big race named after him, the Go Man Go Handicap. Many experts say he was one of the fastest horses ever. He changed Quarter Horse racing forever.

Pedigree