Dr.Fager

The Doctor could not only rank with the American Greats but with the greatest racehorses of all time, displayed phenomenal acceleration. Over a mile, he was the greatest American horse to have blazed the racetrack.

He was foaled on W.L.McKnight's Tartan Farm in 1964. John Nerud trained him. The great colt was named after Dr.Charles Fager who saved the life of the breeding manager and trainer, John Nerud who had been toppled of a horse in his training session.

The Doctor was by Rough n'Tumble out of Aspidstra.His sire won the 1951 Santa Anita Derby (Gr.1), who also sired the champion filly, My Dear Girl, while his dam was the daughter of multiple Stakes winner, Better Self, and she later produced Ta Wee, the Champion Sprinter of 1969 and 1970.

In his 2-year-old career, Dr.Fager made a winning debut at Saratoga, where he cruised home by 8 lengths. In the World's Playground Stakes, he devoured the opposition like a tiger slaughtering it’s prey winning by 12 lengths and finally, in the Cowdin's Stakes at Aqueduct, he was hard pressed winning by ¾ of a length. Here he was a late starter breaking out last with Bill Shoemaker in the saddle, and in an attempt to catch the leaders, nearly ran over the front runners. He had betaen to the excellent colt of Wheatley Stable, Successor as well as In Reality.

One more time, he met Successor in the Champagne Stakes and this time Dr.Fager was beaten a length. Successor was named Champion Two Year Old Colt. Moreover, he had won Garden State Stakes and the Tremont Stakes.

In his three year old career, he made a winning debut in the Gotham Mile overcoming the future champion Damascus by ½ a length. Dr.Fager missed the Kentucky Derby due to knee problem.

In his next race, with Braulio Baeza in the saddle, Dr.Fager won the Withers Mile by 6 lengths in 1:33.8. Then, he finished first in the Jersey Derby and broke the stakes record, only to be subsequently disqualified and placed in last position. Dr.Fager was disqualified for "hearding" horses going into the first turn (he never touched one of them) but the stewards said he intimidated them. He won by a margin of 6 and half-lengths on the track to In Reality was awarded the race.

Next, Dr.Fager won the Arlington Million by 10 lengths like an emperor leading a victory procession. The Doctor then blazed away, setting track records in the Rockingham Special and New Hampshire Sweep Stakes. He defeated horses like Hail to Reason in the Rockingham and In Reality in the New Hampshire.

Dr.Fager met Damascus and Buckpasser in the Woodward Stakes. This race was billed as the "Race of the Century". Damascus flew past Dr.Fager to win by 11 lengths. The colt was third one length behind Buckpasser. It was the worst performance of Dr.Fager's career.

The colt was reverted to the sprints where he performed like a champion. He triumphed with a two and a half length victory in the Hawthorne Gold Cup, while in the Vosborgh Handicap at Aqueduct, he won in spectacular fashion. In the straight, he shot like a bullet from 5th place to win by 4 and a half lengths. At the end of the season of 1967, he was named Champion Sprinter and Damascus was named Horse of the Year.

Dr.Fager started his 4-year-old career winning the Roseben Handicap carrying 130 pounds. He went on to win the California Stakes by three lengths carrying 130 pounds from high class horses like three times Champion mare Gamely and Rising Match.

The most eagerly awaited events of the racing season were the clashes between the two titans, Damascus and Dr. Fager. He was back to the East Coast to run the Suburban Handicap and he conquered Damascus, winning the race by 2 lengths from Bold Hour in track record time. At the backstretch, a great duel for supremacy arose between the two titans but in the straight Damascus could find no more. Dr Fager held of a late challenge by Bold Hour (Haskell Handicap winner) to win.

In the Brooklyn Handicap, Damascus seeked his revenge after receiving 5 pounds. The pace set by Hedevar had a significant role to play in Dr.Fager's defeat who after hitting the front was unable to stave of the challenge by Damascus in the straight. In this race, Dr.Fager met the only one defeat that season. Now, the two great horses had beaten each other twice.

In his last 4 races, the Doctor performed like a great Emperor conquering territory after territory. In the Whitney Stakes, Dr.Fager drew away to win by 8 lengths despite conceding 18 pounds to the next best horse. In the Washington Park Handicap, he carried 134 lb, but still stormed to victory by 10 lengths. That day he was like a huge mountain overlooking a cluster of hills. He conquered the high class Hedevar, winning in a world record timing of 1:32.2 secs.

In the United Nations Handicap, in his only one start on turf and despite conceding 22 lbs., he defeated Advocator, by a neck. The Doctor triumphed waging a see saw battle for the lead with Advocator.

In his last race, the Vosburgh Handicap, Dr Fager blazed the racetrack for the last time.He cruised home by a staggering 6 lengths, ending his racing career in most fitting fashion, with a blaze of glory. He won in 1:20.2, a second faster than the previous Aqueduct's track record and only a fifth off the world record, despite carrying 139 pounds.

The Doctor was voted Champion Sprinter, Horse of the Year, Champion Grass Horse and Champion Handicap Horse of 1968, winning 18 starts out of 22, including losing one race on a disqualification. He amassed Usd 1,002,642.

Dr.Fager was inducted in the Hall of Fame at the National Museum of Racing at Saratoga Springs, just three years after he left the racetrack. The Doctor was sent to stud at Tartan Farm near Ocala, Florida, where he stood for eight years before his premature death at age 12, where he sired 35 stakes winners including Dearly Precious (Champion Juvenile Filly of 1975), Dr.Patches (Champion Sprinter), L'Alezane (Canadian Horse of the Year and Champion 2 year old filly in Canada) or Tree of Knowledge (Hollywood Gold Cup Invitational).

August 5, 1976, the great star left for his heavenly abode.

Dr.Fager has been rated amongst the top 10 American Horses of the last Century. Personally, amongst milers, I only rate Brigadier Gerard and Tudor Minstrel as better. Dr.Fager was a more versatile horse to them being a Champion Sprinter and also was a superior handicapper to them winning big races facing staggering handicaps. Overall, I feel he ranks behind Secretariat, Man o'War, Citation, Seattle Slew, Spectacular Bid, Kelso and Forego amongst the all-time American Greats.

The Racing Post awarded him a rating of 138 on par with Forego, Alleged and Phar Lap, amongst great horses and ahead of Kelso. Affirmed, Native Dancer and Count Fleet have been rated above the Doctor by the Racing Post (in addition to the American Horses I mentioned apart from Kelso).

The memories of this legend setting racetracks on fire will be remembered till the Sport of Racing Exists.

Dr.Fager 1964	Rough'n Tumble	Free For All	Questionanaire
			Panay
		Roused	Bull Dog
			Rude Awakening
	Aspidista	Better Self	Bimelech
			Bee Mac
		Tilly Rose	Bull Brier
			Tilly Kate