Mucho Macho Man was ridden in races by several top jockeys, including Rajiv Maragh, Ramon Dominguez, Mike Smith, Edgar Prado and Gary Stevens.

Because Mucho Macho Man was born late in the year for a Thoroughbred foal, as a growing two- and three-year-old he had to compete against horses that were several months older and more mature.

Following a five-month layoff due to surgery that addressed a problem with his breathing, he returned to the track in November 2011 with a win, won three graded stakes races in 2012, and finished a close second to Fort Larned in that year's Breeders' Cup Classic.

Sportswriter Steve Haskin, who followed the horse's career for The Blood-Horse, stated that the saga "provided enough uplifting human interest stories to fill a book".

[6] Mucho Macho Man returned to the track in January 2014 with a decisive win in the Sunshine Millions Classic, but finished fourth in the Santa Anita Handicap.

[25] A strong support staff also worked consistently with the horse, including assistant trainer Marcelino Valencia, stable groom Valietal Tapia, and hot walker Karina Lopez.

In February 2014, anticipating the stallion's future retirement to a stud career after the 2014 season, Adena Springs Farms purchased an interest in Mucho Macho Man, but he remained in training with the same team and raced under Reeves' colors.

Frank Stronach, noting that Adena arranged the mating between Macho Uno and Ponche de Leona, described the sale as "a homecoming of sorts".

Still tall and lanky, he was sent to Bill White for race training, with Carole telling the trainer, "physically this horse is late, but mentally he's way ahead.

[13][38] At the Risen Star, he first came to the notice of one of his future jockeys, Gary Stevens, then a sports analyst, who noted the colt's calm demeanor, describing him as "a chilled out customer... very relaxed".

A knowledgeable horseman, Green insisted that as a condition of employment he had the right to advocate for what was best for a horse under his management, even if that meant expressing disagreement and imposing "tough love" on the owners.

[7] For his four-year-old debut, Mucho Macho Man ran at Gulfstream Park, defeating Ron the Greek in the Sunshine Millions Classic, a race restricted to horses bred in Florida or California.

[51] In May at Churchill Downs, he finished third behind Successful Dan and Fort Larned in the Grade II Alysheba Stakes, carrying top weight of 123 pounds (56 kg) .

[57] Mucho Macho Man began his 2013 season by running again in the Sunshine Millions Classic, but the track was sloppy, and on this occasion he was pulled up in the homestretch and placed last in the race.

[61] He was once again entered in the Woodward Stakes at Saratoga on August 31, but Ritvo scratched him on the day of the race due to the wet track, described as a "sea of slop".

[62] Ritvo then moved Mucho Macho Man to Santa Anita Park almost two months before the Breeders' Cup races because she felt he "thrived" in California.

[8] It was a major commitment for the horse's team, as Ritvo, Green, Petro, Tapia and Lopez had to leave their home base in Florida, and Reeves had to cover the expenses.

[6] Stevens' contribution to the human interest saga included a comeback in 2013 after having been forced to retire seven years earlier due to debilitating knee pain.

[17] In a moment of synchronicity, actress Elizabeth Banks, who co-starred with Stevens in Seabiscuit, playing Marcella Howard, presented the Breeders' Cup Classic trophy.

[3] Dean and Patti Reeves stated, "It is a great honor to think that a horse with such humble beginnings could intertwine the lives and stories of so many people, and tug at the heartstrings of racing fans from all over the world.

"[71] At the end of 2013, Mucho Macho Man was the number one-ranked horse for the year in North American purse winnings, higher than rivals Will Take Charge and Game On Dude as well as the other two top five contenders Orb and Wise Dan.

Participation in the online polling for that award, up by more than 50 percent from the previous year, was believed to be largely due to the popularity of Mucho Macho Man and the people around him.

[4] In December 2013, Ritvo and Green confirmed that Mucho Macho Man would return to race as a six-year-old,[75] and their goal for the horse was to "target the Breeders' Cup again".

"[79] His connections next entered him in the Santa Anita Handicap, nicknamed the "Big 'Cap", on March 8, returning to California rather than shipping him overseas to run in the $10 million Dubai World Cup later that month, again stating that they considered it to be best for the horse.

[80] With the announcement that Will Take Charge was also coming to California, the 2014 race became the most highly anticipated running since the matchup of Alysheba and Ferdinand in 1988, the only other time that the previous year's Breeders' Cup top two finishers returned to challenge one another at the Santa Anita Handicap.

Game On Dude, described as "on fire" that day, won the race and broke the stakes record in doing so,[83] Will Take Charge was second,[84] but Mucho Macho Man started to lose energy at the three-eighths pole and finished fourth behind Blingo.

[83] Ritvo had no excuses for his finish, noting only that he had missed a few training days due to rain, and the extra moisture had also changed the condition of the Santa Anita track.

[87] On July 15 it was announced that Mucho Macho Man was officially retired from racing and would stand at stud at Adena Springs beginning in the 2015 breeding year.

[88] In a further twist of synchronicity, in the same week Stevens announced he was taking a break from race riding due to the need for a total knee replacement.

[89] Ritvo explained that Mucho Macho Man was sound, but "[a]fter five seasons of training and racing, he shows signs of some minor wear and tear.