Greatest season ever. Not even close. Thank you for making this argument so public finally understands his greatness. The only reason Damascus ever beat his was Hedavar. Greatest handicap horse in history
total agreement here! Though I never use the term "the greatest", I still have never seen a horse that could do it all, from turf to dirt to distance race to sprint and break track records consistently under enormous weight. I was a huge Damascus fan in '67, but by '68 Dr. Fager had won my admiration. I only saw him once as a two-year-old winning The Cowdin Stakes. Yes, TV made it easier for Secretariat. The only time I saw Dr. Fager on TV was when he, Damascus and Buckpasser squared-off in The Woodward for Horse of the Year. You only found out who won races back then in the newspaper next day (or is a fuzzy AM radio station had coverage!). I am thankful for all of the progress in coverage for fans. Watch Dr. Fager's races on TH-cam and learn!
This is great to see. I stumbled across Dr. Fager years ago and concluded the same and the more I learned he kept moving up in my rankings. He is truly one of the greatest. To watch he and Damascus go at it is a horse race. They had to put rabbits in to beat him. I wouldn't call that a horse race though. Dr. fager does not get anywhere near the glory he should get. As few side notes, I believe the greatest race I have watched is Arrogate in Dubai. And I do not consider Man O war as the greatest it was Secretariat. But Dr. Fagor is right up there in my listing. So glad to see someone putting in the effort to establish the facts. Even how he got his name Dr. Fager is cool. Dr. Fager was just one awesome horse with for sure the best racing year of any horse.
Secretariat couldn't even beat onion! A former claimer! In the Whitney stakes😂😂 sec. Would again suffer a massive DEFEAT! THIS TIME IN THE WOODWARD STAKES! TO PROVE OUT. SEC LOST 5!! TIMES! AND TO ALL NON CHAMPIONS. SEC WAS VERY OVERRATED! FACTS SHOW' IT
we're talking about a horse that ran the fastest mile ever, carrying 132 vs some of the greatest horses of all time on tracks that were NOT FAST/ speed favoring. Raced and beat Damascus and Buckpasser in the same race. I could go on, but, the video above says it all. The greatest racehorse ever: Dr. Fager.
TJ Actually Dr. Fager carried 134 pounds, and Arlington was a track that Buckpasser set the mile record 2 years ago at, it was a very fast mile track, and Damascus won that race by 10 lengths. Buckpasser finished 2nd. Dr. Fager finished 3rd, so he lost to both of them.
@@roundtable3501 Hey, Thanks Nick, you're correct, but, The good Dr. was the better horse, IMHO. That was my introduction to racing, 1967 - what a year.
TJ It was a great year in racing. As for Dr. Fager and Damascus, it can go either way. I think the arguments from both sides are strong. Why say who’s better when both are amazing. It was fitting that they went 2 and 2 in their 4 meetings.
I'm in Old Timer and have been following horses for 65 years. I've seen all the great ones from native dancer 'up close' multiple times, right up to the present time. The greatest racehorse I've ever seen was Dr. Fager, but unless you're a guy my age with my career handicapping background and resume, you just can't appreciate how remarkable this animal was. Most people are under the impression that he was a sprinter, and probably unbeatable in a mile or less. Which I feel is absurd. He was among the greatest route runners that ever lived, and no one was going to beat him in a match race at equal weights at the classic distance. No one. The dilemma was, you couldn't run with him or you'd burn out, and you couldn't catch him because he carried speed to the end. He was extremely hard to rate, so the only solution for a marquis 'world class' horse to win, was to sacrifice a great sprinter as a co-entry to force Fager into suicidal fractions and catch him in the home stretch. People forget that when Damascus put up a rabbit the first time they met, Buck Passer also put up a rabbit! TWO horses still rated in the top 20 in every respected poll, KNEW they had to enter rabbits to beat the doctor at a mile and a quarter! This is a phenomenon that hasn't ever happened, and will never happen again. The horse was a freak. Bottom line, Damascus and Buck Passer are the only two horses that ever finished ahead of him. (other than his Maiden race as an unruly and rank two-year-old, when his saddle slipped after rearing at the gate, and then raced all over the track to finish 2nd just behind Successor) b.t.w. Damascus would have won the Triple Crown in 67 but was severely boxed in during the Preakness until the final 1/8th and then fell just short. He would have broken the drought 6 years before Secretariat finally got the honor.
Your comment is full of would have , should have. Sec didn't have rhe "honor" of rhe TC; it doesn't work that way. Dr. Fager had a legendary 4YO season but never ran in the Classics and showed he could be beaten at 3YO when he had to run under 1:10at the 3/4 mark. Further, his jockey stated he was a miler that could finish but was stretched at 10 furlongs. Sec had none of these weaknesses. This is objectivity versus subjectivity.
@@bbmtgeyour point is well taken, but keep in mind, no horse that's ever lived could expect to post 1:09:3 (not 1:10) at 6 furlongs carrying 135 lbs, and expect to win a 1-1/4 mile race against closers like Buckpasser and Damascus. That's why both those champions entered rabbits to burn Dr. Figure out. Obviously without the rabbits, there would be no need to post suicidal fractions. And keep in mind that Damascus used this tactic twice. This is the reason, that Dr. Fager beat Damascus the other two times they met (both times without rabbits) and Damascus was beaten handily at the classic distance with no excuses on either. occasion. No horse I've ever seen could have beaten him in a match race at equal weights up to a mile and a quarter. But he could not be rated. If there was an animal alongside him, he would absolutely refuse to let the horse pass him. Without a sacrificial rabbit, no barn that ever raced against him, would try to run with him, because they'd fade, and closers that try to catch him, would fail because he held his speed for so long! He posed an absolute dilemma to every trainer and barn, until they took advantage of his biggest weakness, which was he couldn't be rated! The only solution was a rabbit or two, as barns conspired to beat Dr Fager together. The only reason why the owner of Damascus, allowed him to run twice against Fager without a rabbit, was because the general public and the newspapers were beginning to call the owner a coward. (Buckpasser's owner didn't take the bait. They simply retired Buckpasser as a 4-year-old (after their first meeting, rather than race against Fager at the classic distance again, but at this time without a rabbit) On the other hand, the owner of Damascus wouldn't back down from the challenge. And on both occasions, Damascus came in second. Both times fading badly in the stretch after trying to run directly behind Fager's hindquarters the entire first mile. He was doomed. But it was the only possible chance he had each time, or Fager simply would have stolen each race without ever being challenged. And by the way, I only mentioned Damascus in my earlier comment, to shed light on the greatness of that horse. I was at the triple crown in 1967. I wrote about his bad luck in the Preakness, is the only reason why he did not win the triple crown. That took another 6 years and Secretariat. Just one more thing, Dr. Fager didn't run in the triple crown races in 1967 because Johnny Nerud the trainer, also had a vested interest in the horse itself. So as both an investor and trainer, he decided to race Fager in all the rich stakes races that surrounded the triple crown. Fager won every one, and in the process during those races beat all the horses that eventually did run in the triple crown, with the exception of Damascus who skipped those stakes races. This is the reason why in 1967, a full year before Dr. Fager reached his peak, the racing public called for a three horse match race! Buckpasser 1966 champion, Damascus 1967 champion, and Dr Fager, and unbeaten 3-year-old who skipped the triple crown, but we're setting track records all over the country! Unfortunately a three match race turned into a race with five horses. That's because the two sacrificial rabbits, one from each barn, were added as co-entries. All three champions went off at 5/2 odds, and Needles to say, Damascus caught Fager in mid-stretch, and Buckpasser caught Fager in late stretch. No single horse ever caught Doctor Fager again. In his career he raced 22 times. If you discount his maiden race as a rank 2-year-old, they were the only two horses that ever finished ahead of him. Both were in that race I just spoke about.
Que fantástico es este deporte. Me emociona tanto, ver, saber, admirar a estos grandes caballos, junto a sus jinetes , propietarios y criadores....fantástico...
Secretariat and Dr. Fager are my 2 favorite American racehorses. Only one is remembered. The Doctor deserves better. Saying he ran like the wind is a complement to the wind.
Dr. Fager could do anything... Except be rated, his inability to lay off a rabbit cost him two times vs. Damascus (also a great horse)... That tactical weakness is just about the only criticism though... He was a GREAT horse and probably IS underrated by most... In a hypothetical match race I don't know if I would bet on any of the great legends, Secretariat, Spectacular Bid, Man o'War, Citation, Affirmed, Kelso, any of them vs. Dr. Fager... And it is hard to say any Thoroughbred had a better year than the Dr.'s 1968 season...
The good Dr. was one of the all time greatest & up to a mile, going one on one with any horse in history, i think he was unbeatable...Secretariat did lose to Angle Light in the Wood & lost to Onion up at the Spa so he was far from unbeatable...Sec had a devastating kick but really beat nothing in the Belmont...Sham was a very good horse but also a very tired one in the Belmont & the rest of the field was NW1 caliber..The Doc was an assassin..he'd run you into the ground & leave you gasping..Damascus employed Hedevar to beat him twice but in a one on one he got hammered...the Vosburgh at 7f carrying 139lbs & going 1:20.20 eased up was breathtaking & the win in the United Nations carrying 134 lbs & running over a track that he didn't favor (soft turf) was mind blowing..He did leave Fort Marcy, Tobin Bronze & Flit To (all Grade 1 turfers) in his wake & battled a very game Advocator to the wire to gut it out...Richard Eller is correct..1968 is one of the greatest years any race horse has ever achieved....The legend, Dr. Fager
*Damascus employed Hedevar to beat him twice but in a one on one he got hammered* There is no reason to assume that Dr. Fager could have defeated Damascus in the Woodward even if the rabbit (Hedevar) had been absent. Dr. Fager ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:03 and change which was _by far_ his slowest time at 1 1/4 miles. He was no good that day while Damascus was in top form. In the Brooklyn Handicap a year later it was a different story. Dr. Fager was highly competitive even though he ultimately lost by 2 1/2 lengths. Running at equal weight, Dr. Fager might have defeated Damascus that day even with a rabbit in that race. However, carrying 135 pounds in the Brooklyn versus 130 for Damascus may have been "the straw that broke the camels back".
i was at the U N handicap at Atlantic city track Nerud said the Doc was slipping on the turf around the last turn and he still outfought a game Advocator giving 22 lbs. Ft Marcy had a 16 lb break and he was the turf champ the previous year.
no man. Secretariat was versatile himself that even a rabbit wouldn't mean nothing to him when he's healthy. for us to know is to get him ready n put him to the test. when he got beaten by prove out he wasn't to be in that race. that race was for Riva ridge but he couldn't handle the track that day. big red wasn't training did very well. that tells a lot. when Mike Tyson was the man ut was the same thing. untouchable but when he starts doing his own thing he lost his fight. partying n drinking n refuse to train but he still did very well.
Fager was a great sprinter and, that's all he wrote. He never raced 1 mile and a half, never mind 2 miles, he probably would have died. Remember also that the longer you carry weight the more it starts to weigh on you. Go look at kelso who was truly great at all distances and, was carry 12 pct of his body weight and, only weighed 900 pounds and, look like a deer. Not even close. Kelso was and, is a class by himself. You mist not know much about the great kelso. In 50 stake races kelso was only passed at the stretch once!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You just don't know kelso. You will be mind boggled. KELSOS' BIGGEST FAN.
Never understood why Dr. Fager couldn't be rated when he saw the rabbit Hedavar? Damascus got him twice that way. The other two times they met, Dr. Fager beat him. Damascus was a great horse, but couldn't run on a wet track. Fager could run on anything. He was a beast.
Richard Eller, the man in this video I think was working on a book about Dr Fager. But I know he is dead now. He died not long ago. His obituary can be viewed on line. I dont think he ever finished the book.
We certainly don't know Secretariat would have been greater at four than he has been at three. There are many great horses who were more successful at age three than they were as older horses. Citation, Nashua, Damascus, Buckpasser, and Seattle Slew are but a few of those.
Big Red was 16 wins in 21 races. Onion looked him in the eye at the Spa and outran him down the stretch. No one looked the Doc in the eye and beat him. Rabbits don't exist today. Ganging up on the Doc was the only chance great horses like Damascus and Buckpasser had to beat him.
Very interesting video and sort of refreshing that this is about a great season and the horse's name doesn't begin with S!!! 48 years of their nasty 2 cents and obnoxious behavior. But I do have a negative to this video. Dr. Fager was 4 when this guy was talking about his season. I don't know if the comment below about Bid at 4 being better is valid, although he is one of my absolute favorites and he might aa well have taken his safety pin hoof and kicked me in the gut after the Belmont, but also at 4, were greats like Swaps and Kelso. Thanks to the book by the DRF called Champions, I made a list of the best 19 horses but they are aa 3 year olds. I don't think it's fair that a 3 year old is compared to a 4 year ols. I will ALWAYS be a Man O'War hold out, but in all fairness, only God knows what Secretariat would have done at 4 and Dr Fager certainly didn't have the same 3 year old season. And to see Claiborne lead him away will always be a crime in my mind. So while this is refreshing, I don't think it's fair. Btw, Damascus is in my top 5 best ever!
Great comments. I too have The Champions. Secretariat and Damascus at 3 were better than Dr Fager. Secretariat obviously peaked during the Triple Crown. That’s what the public remembers. Onion, Prove Out or Angle Light wouldn’t have beaten Dr Fager in 100 races. I have Doc, Swaps and Spectacular Bid in my top ten. Damascus top 20. Up to and including 1 1/8 Dr Fager edges them all as a four year old. I realize that Big Red never ran at four. Swaps is very underrated. Look at his speed figures! Ghostzapper is in my top 10 also. Any horse who runs 1:08 flat and under 2:00 gets a look in. Ghostzapper qualifies. Dr Fager ran under 1:08 2x and under 2:00 3x, carrying weight!
the Bid's 1:57 plus at Santa Anita was very impressive but the track was fast, don't think he would have beaten the Doc, Fager 's competitiveness showed when he tried to bite a horse going up the backstretch because the horse had the balls to try to run with him , Bill Boland was the jock and he couldn't control him
Good video...and Dr Fager certainly deserves the highest praise. But comparing him to Secretariat is not a good comparison. Secretariat not even en the same league as Dr Fager. Secretariat was almost exclusively a restricted runner. And when he did test open company, he failed as often as he didn't. To make a fair debate. Spectacular Bid would be a better debate. The world records, the ability to carry weight, the absolute dominance. Or Maybe the Mighty Swaps as the 3erd in a 3 horse race. A race I wish I could see.
Actually, Dr. Fager won a number of races in which a rabbit was present. He lost twice when a rabbit was present and that was when competing against an all-time great horse. That said, it is unlikely he would have won the Woodward even if no rabbit had been present. Dr. Fager was no good that day and Damascus was in top form. The only other race he lost when a rabbit was present was when Damascus beat Dr. Fager by 2 1/2 lengths in the Brooklyn Handicap. Damascus won in a 1 1/4 mile Aqueduct track record time of 1:59.2. That record still stands today 53 years later. It also turns out that, Dr. Fager carried 135 pounds in that race vs. 130 for Damascus. At equal weight, Dr. Fager might have won even with the rabbit.
rabbits don't exist today, that's on Johnny Nerud. How about "fuck you" and your rabbits. Stupid to accept those conditions knowing the fierce competitor the Doc was.
Greatest season ever. Not even close. Thank you for making this argument so public finally understands his greatness. The only reason Damascus ever beat his was Hedavar. Greatest handicap horse in history
total agreement here! Though I never use the term "the greatest", I still have never seen a horse that could do it all, from turf to dirt to distance race to sprint and break track records consistently under enormous weight. I was a huge Damascus fan in '67, but by '68 Dr. Fager had won my admiration. I only saw him once as a two-year-old winning The Cowdin Stakes. Yes, TV made it easier for Secretariat. The only time I saw Dr. Fager on TV was when he, Damascus and Buckpasser squared-off in The Woodward for Horse of the Year. You only found out who won races back then in the newspaper next day (or is a fuzzy AM radio station had coverage!). I am thankful for all of the progress in coverage for fans. Watch Dr. Fager's races on TH-cam and learn!
This is great to see. I stumbled across Dr. Fager years ago and concluded the same and the more I learned he kept moving up in my rankings. He is truly one of the greatest. To watch he and Damascus go at it is a horse race. They had to put rabbits in to beat him. I wouldn't call that a horse race though. Dr. fager does not get anywhere near the glory he should get. As few side notes, I believe the greatest race I have watched is Arrogate in Dubai. And I do not consider Man O war as the greatest it was Secretariat. But Dr. Fagor is right up there in my listing. So glad to see someone putting in the effort to establish the facts. Even how he got his name Dr. Fager is cool. Dr. Fager was just one awesome horse with for sure the best racing year of any horse.
Secretariat couldn't even beat onion! A former claimer! In the Whitney stakes😂😂 sec. Would again suffer a massive DEFEAT! THIS TIME IN THE WOODWARD STAKES! TO PROVE OUT. SEC LOST 5!! TIMES! AND TO ALL NON CHAMPIONS. SEC WAS VERY OVERRATED! FACTS SHOW' IT
Absolutely!
we're talking about a horse that ran the fastest mile ever, carrying 132 vs some of the greatest horses of all time on tracks that were NOT FAST/ speed favoring. Raced and beat Damascus and Buckpasser in the same race. I could go on, but, the video above says it all. The greatest racehorse ever: Dr. Fager.
TJ
Actually Dr. Fager carried 134 pounds, and Arlington was a track that Buckpasser set the mile record 2 years ago at, it was a very fast mile track, and Damascus won that race by 10 lengths. Buckpasser finished 2nd. Dr. Fager finished 3rd, so he lost to both of them.
@@roundtable3501 Hey, Thanks Nick, you're correct, but, The good Dr. was the better horse, IMHO. That was my introduction to racing, 1967 - what a year.
TJ
It was a great year in racing. As for Dr. Fager and Damascus, it can go either way. I think the arguments from both sides are strong. Why say who’s better when both are amazing. It was fitting that they went 2 and 2 in their 4 meetings.
That was 134 not 132.
KELSO DID THE MOST EVER
My father loved this horse.
I've been reading the Ragozin sheets for over 30 years! Fastest horse ever!
The Best
I'm in Old Timer and have been following horses for 65 years. I've seen all the great ones from native dancer 'up close' multiple times, right up to the present time. The greatest racehorse I've ever seen was Dr. Fager, but unless you're a guy my age with my career handicapping background and resume, you just can't appreciate how remarkable this animal was. Most people are under the impression that he was a sprinter, and probably unbeatable in a mile or less. Which I feel is absurd. He was among the greatest route runners that ever lived, and no one was going to beat him in a match race at equal weights at the classic distance. No one. The dilemma was, you couldn't run with him or you'd burn out, and you couldn't catch him because he carried speed to the end. He was extremely hard to rate, so the only solution for a marquis 'world class' horse to win, was to sacrifice a great sprinter as a co-entry to force Fager into suicidal fractions and catch him in the home stretch. People forget that when Damascus put up a rabbit the first time they met, Buck Passer also put up a rabbit! TWO horses still rated in the top 20 in every respected poll, KNEW they had to enter rabbits to beat the doctor at a mile and a quarter! This is a phenomenon that hasn't ever happened, and will never happen again. The horse was a freak. Bottom line, Damascus and Buck Passer are the only two horses that ever finished ahead of him. (other than his Maiden race as an unruly and rank two-year-old, when his saddle slipped after rearing at the gate, and then raced all over the track to finish 2nd just behind Successor) b.t.w. Damascus would have won the Triple Crown in 67 but was severely boxed in during the Preakness until the final 1/8th and then fell just short. He would have broken the drought 6 years before Secretariat finally got the honor.
Your comment is full of would have , should have. Sec didn't have rhe "honor" of rhe TC; it doesn't work that way.
Dr. Fager had a legendary 4YO season but never ran in the Classics and showed he could be beaten at 3YO when he had to run under 1:10at the 3/4 mark.
Further, his jockey stated he was a miler that could finish but was stretched at 10 furlongs.
Sec had none of these weaknesses.
This is objectivity versus subjectivity.
SEC. WEAKNESS WAS HE LOST 5!! TIMES. AND TO SOME NOT GREAT HORSES! ALL SEC'S LOSSES WERE TO CHEAPER ALLOWANCE HORSES! 😂😂FACTS MATTER
@@bbmtgeyour point is well taken, but keep in mind, no horse that's ever lived could expect to post 1:09:3 (not 1:10) at 6 furlongs carrying 135 lbs, and expect to win a 1-1/4 mile race against closers like Buckpasser and Damascus. That's why both those champions entered rabbits to burn Dr. Figure out. Obviously without the rabbits, there would be no need to post suicidal fractions. And keep in mind that Damascus used this tactic twice. This is the reason, that Dr. Fager beat Damascus the other two times they met (both times without rabbits) and Damascus was beaten handily at the classic distance with no excuses on either. occasion. No horse I've ever seen could have beaten him in a match race at equal weights up to a mile and a quarter. But he could not be rated. If there was an animal alongside him, he would absolutely refuse to let the horse pass him. Without a sacrificial rabbit, no barn that ever raced against him, would try to run with him, because they'd fade, and closers that try to catch him, would fail because he held his speed for so long! He posed an absolute dilemma to every trainer and barn, until they took advantage of his biggest weakness, which was he couldn't be rated! The only solution was a rabbit or two, as barns conspired to beat Dr Fager together. The only reason why the owner of Damascus, allowed him to run twice against Fager without a rabbit, was because the general public and the newspapers were beginning to call the owner a coward. (Buckpasser's owner didn't take the bait. They simply retired Buckpasser as a 4-year-old (after their first meeting, rather than race against Fager at the classic distance again, but at this time without a rabbit) On the other hand, the owner of Damascus wouldn't back down from the challenge. And on both occasions, Damascus came in second. Both times fading badly in the stretch after trying to run directly behind Fager's hindquarters the entire first mile. He was doomed. But it was the only possible chance he had each time, or Fager simply would have stolen each race without ever being challenged. And by the way, I only mentioned Damascus in my earlier comment, to shed light on the greatness of that horse. I was at the triple crown in 1967. I wrote about his bad luck in the Preakness, is the only reason why he did not win the triple crown. That took another 6 years and Secretariat. Just one more thing, Dr. Fager didn't run in the triple crown races in 1967 because Johnny Nerud the trainer, also had a vested interest in the horse itself. So as both an investor and trainer, he decided to race Fager in all the rich stakes races that surrounded the triple crown. Fager won every one, and in the process during those races beat all the horses that eventually did run in the triple crown, with the exception of Damascus who skipped those stakes races. This is the reason why in 1967, a full year before Dr. Fager reached his peak, the racing public called for a three horse match race! Buckpasser 1966 champion, Damascus 1967 champion, and Dr Fager, and unbeaten 3-year-old who skipped the triple crown, but we're setting track records all over the country! Unfortunately a three match race turned into a race with five horses. That's because the two sacrificial rabbits, one from each barn, were added as co-entries. All three champions went off at 5/2 odds, and Needles to say, Damascus caught Fager in mid-stretch, and Buckpasser caught Fager in late stretch. No single horse ever caught Doctor Fager again. In his career he raced 22 times. If you discount his maiden race as a rank 2-year-old, they were the only two horses that ever finished ahead of him. Both were in that race I just spoke about.
Que fantástico es este deporte. Me emociona tanto, ver, saber, admirar a estos grandes caballos, junto a sus jinetes , propietarios y criadores....fantástico...
Secretariat and Dr. Fager are my 2 favorite American racehorses. Only one is remembered. The Doctor deserves better. Saying he ran like the wind is a complement to the wind.
KELSO WAS AMAZING TOO!
Dr. Fager could do anything... Except be rated, his inability to lay off a rabbit cost him two times vs. Damascus (also a great horse)... That tactical weakness is just about the only criticism though... He was a GREAT horse and probably IS underrated by most... In a hypothetical match race I don't know if I would bet on any of the great legends, Secretariat, Spectacular Bid, Man o'War, Citation, Affirmed, Kelso, any of them vs. Dr. Fager... And it is hard to say any Thoroughbred had a better year than the Dr.'s 1968 season...
His inability to be rated is why I put him behind Secretariat. But that wildness is why he was so great.
you are correct sir...the best
The greatest season by any horse is 1980. Spectacular Bid. Now that would be a match for the ages.
Spot on.
He's the best I've ever seen some never knew his name I think I'm right
The good Dr. was one of the all time greatest & up to a mile, going one on one with any horse in history, i think he was unbeatable...Secretariat did lose to Angle Light in the Wood & lost to Onion up at the Spa so he was far from unbeatable...Sec had a devastating kick but really beat nothing in the Belmont...Sham was a very good horse but also a very tired one in the Belmont & the rest of the field was NW1 caliber..The Doc was an assassin..he'd run you into the ground & leave you gasping..Damascus employed Hedevar to beat him twice but in a one on one he got hammered...the Vosburgh at 7f carrying 139lbs & going 1:20.20 eased up was breathtaking & the win in the United Nations carrying 134 lbs & running over a track that he didn't favor (soft turf) was mind blowing..He did leave Fort Marcy, Tobin Bronze & Flit To (all Grade 1 turfers) in his wake & battled a very game Advocator to the wire to gut it out...Richard Eller is correct..1968 is one of the greatest years any race horse has ever achieved....The legend, Dr. Fager
*Damascus employed Hedevar to beat him twice but in a one on one he got hammered* There is no reason to assume that Dr. Fager could have defeated Damascus in the Woodward even if the rabbit (Hedevar) had been absent. Dr. Fager ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:03 and change which was _by far_ his slowest time at 1 1/4 miles. He was no good that day while Damascus was in top form. In the Brooklyn Handicap a year later it was a different story. Dr. Fager was highly competitive even though he ultimately lost by 2 1/2 lengths. Running at equal weight, Dr. Fager might have defeated Damascus that day even with a rabbit in that race. However, carrying 135 pounds in the Brooklyn versus 130 for Damascus may have been "the straw that broke the camels back".
i was at the U N handicap at Atlantic city track Nerud said the Doc was slipping on the turf around the last turn and he still outfought a game Advocator giving 22 lbs. Ft Marcy had a 16 lb break and he was the turf champ the previous year.
no man. Secretariat was versatile himself that even a rabbit wouldn't mean nothing to him when he's healthy. for us to know is to get him ready n put him to the test. when he got beaten by prove out he wasn't to be in that race. that race was for Riva ridge but he couldn't handle the track that day. big red wasn't training did very well. that tells a lot. when Mike Tyson was the man ut was the same thing. untouchable but when he starts doing his own thing he lost his fight. partying n drinking n refuse to train but he still did very well.
AMEN!!
Wasn't there supposed to be a new Dr. Fager book in the past year or two?
Does anyone know about this?
Dr Fagar vs Zenyatta vs Secretariat vs Sea Biscuit vs Man O’War vs American Pharaoh vs Frankel vs Shergar...over different distances who knows?
Fager was a great sprinter and, that's all he wrote. He never raced 1 mile and a half, never mind 2 miles, he probably would have died. Remember also that the longer you carry weight the more it starts to weigh on you. Go look at kelso who was truly great at all distances and, was carry 12 pct of his body weight and, only weighed 900 pounds and, look like a deer. Not even close. Kelso was and, is a class by himself. You mist not know much about the great kelso. In 50 stake races kelso was only passed at the stretch once!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You just don't know kelso. You will be mind boggled. KELSOS' BIGGEST FAN.
Teddy Lopez
Kelso lost more races at sprint distances than he won. Kelso was not a sprinter. Don’t try and act like he is one.
Yeah the greatest legend is BigRed
I would have loved to see him run against Zenyatta with both carrying equal weight. I think he would have chewed her up. Especially at a mile distance
That's not even the same league. Dr Fager would not waste his time.
The man makes good points. But Spectacular Bid was better. And yes Secretariat would have been smoked by either horse.
Her uncle could beat em all (including her of course 😅)
Never understood why Dr. Fager couldn't be rated when he saw the rabbit Hedavar? Damascus got him twice that way. The other two times they met, Dr. Fager beat him. Damascus was a great horse, but couldn't run on a wet track. Fager could run on anything. He was a beast.
Richard Eller, the man in this video I think was working on a book about Dr Fager. But I know he is dead now. He died not long ago. His obituary can be viewed on line. I dont think he ever finished the book.
Certainly better than Secretariat. Not sure if he was better than Spectacular Bid though... Swaps also could enter that conversation as well.
Look man when you run 2:24 as a three year old hand ridden that’s all she wrote
Hand ridden..that's a laugh. They hard rolled that track for a week. And he was full out. Secretariat wouldn't run within 10 lengths of Dr Fager.
@@Bigrosty44 10 lengths of what race. Secretariat is the fastest horse ever. Where’s Dr Fagers triple crown? Yeah that’s what I thought
IS THIS DR. FAUCI??LOL😂😂😂
Is the book out? What’s it called?
Richard Aller
R.i.p. bob judy, he used to gallop dr. Fager
Secretariat didn’t run at four don’t know how much greater he would have been
We certainly don't know Secretariat would have been greater at four than he has been at three. There are many great horses who were more successful at age three than they were as older horses. Citation, Nashua, Damascus, Buckpasser, and Seattle Slew are but a few of those.
Big Red was 16 wins in 21 races. Onion looked him in the eye at the Spa and outran him down the stretch. No one looked the Doc in the eye and beat him. Rabbits don't exist today. Ganging up on the Doc was the only chance great horses like Damascus and Buckpasser had to beat him.
Very interesting video and sort of refreshing that this is about a great season and the horse's name doesn't begin with S!!! 48 years of their nasty 2 cents and obnoxious behavior. But I do have a negative to this video. Dr. Fager was 4 when this guy was talking about his season. I don't know if the comment below about Bid at 4 being better is valid, although he is one of my absolute favorites and he might aa well have taken his safety pin hoof and kicked me in the gut after the Belmont, but also at 4, were greats like Swaps and Kelso. Thanks to the book by the DRF called Champions, I made a list of the best 19 horses but they are aa 3 year olds. I don't think it's fair that a 3 year old is compared to a 4 year ols. I will ALWAYS be a Man O'War hold out, but in all fairness, only God knows what Secretariat would have done at 4 and Dr Fager certainly didn't have the same 3 year old season. And to see Claiborne lead him away will always be a crime in my mind. So while this is refreshing, I don't think it's fair. Btw, Damascus is in my top 5 best ever!
Great comments. I too have The Champions. Secretariat and Damascus at 3 were better than Dr Fager. Secretariat obviously peaked during the Triple Crown. That’s what the public remembers. Onion, Prove Out or Angle Light wouldn’t have beaten Dr Fager in 100 races. I have Doc, Swaps and Spectacular Bid in my top ten. Damascus top 20. Up to and including 1 1/8 Dr Fager edges them all as a four year old. I realize that Big Red never ran at four. Swaps is very underrated. Look at his speed figures! Ghostzapper is in my top 10 also. Any horse who runs 1:08 flat and under 2:00 gets a look in. Ghostzapper qualifies. Dr Fager ran under 1:08 2x and under 2:00 3x, carrying weight!
the Bid's 1:57 plus at Santa Anita was very impressive but the track was fast, don't think he would have beaten the Doc, Fager 's competitiveness showed when he tried to bite a horse going up the backstretch because the horse had the balls to try to run with him , Bill Boland was the jock and he couldn't control him
Good video...and Dr Fager certainly deserves the highest praise. But comparing him to Secretariat is not a good comparison. Secretariat not even en the same league as Dr Fager. Secretariat was almost exclusively a restricted runner. And when he did test open company, he failed as often as he didn't. To make a fair debate. Spectacular Bid would be a better debate. The world records, the ability to carry weight, the absolute dominance. Or Maybe the Mighty Swaps as the 3erd in a 3 horse race. A race I wish I could see.
Couldn’t handle a rabbit though
Actually, Dr. Fager won a number of races in which a rabbit was present. He lost twice when a rabbit was present and that was when competing against an all-time great horse. That said, it is unlikely he would have won the Woodward even if no rabbit had been present. Dr. Fager was no good that day and Damascus was in top form. The only other race he lost when a rabbit was present was when Damascus beat Dr. Fager by 2 1/2 lengths in the Brooklyn Handicap. Damascus won in a 1 1/4 mile Aqueduct track record time of 1:59.2. That record still stands today 53 years later. It also turns out that, Dr. Fager carried 135 pounds in that race vs. 130 for Damascus. At equal weight, Dr. Fager might have won even with the rabbit.
rabbits don't exist today, that's on Johnny Nerud. How about "fuck you" and your rabbits. Stupid to accept those conditions knowing the fierce competitor the Doc was.