A SONG FOR DAMASCUS

(This is the fifth of a six part series.)

PART FIVE: A HORSE FOR THE AGES

Damascus continued to collect post-year awards.  Turf and Sport Digest also named him Horse of the Year, and best three-year-old, by a huge margin over  Buckpasser, who was selected the best among the older horses.  Now, as he began 1968, Damascus would bring into his older campaign career earnings of $843,806, of which $817,941, earned in 1967, was a season record, exceeding Nashua’s old mark of $752,550, set in 1955.

Damascus would sit only so long on his laurels. With a new season, came new challenges… including the return of Dr. Fager.

California, here I come…

Damascus’ trainer, Frank Whiteley Jr., didn’t give his superstar a vacation between his three-year-old and the start of his four-year-old campaign. The reigning Horse of the Year headed to the West Coast for a three-race appearance in the Charles H. Strub series, at Santa Anita Park, beginning with the seven furlong Malibu Stakes on January 6, 1968. Bill Shoemaker was back aboard the colt.

Damascus, carrying high weight of 126 pounds, was among a field of eight four-year-olds, and would break from post position four. The field included the California-bred stretch running Ruken, under 123, owned jointly by Louis Rowan and C.V. Whitney.

As the gates opened to introduce to more than 50,000 spectators the greatest racehorse in America, Damascus broke alertly, then settled in third as Rising Market and Suteki went out in front. Damascus, flaunting his superiority, assumed the lead, in his customary fashion, entering the stretch, then drew away easily by two and a half lengths in a sharp time of 1:21 1/5, just three ticks off the track record set by Imbros in 1954. Rising Market, under 120, finished next, and then Ruken. The winner earned $27,850 of the $45,850 purse. Next on Damascus’ agenda was the 1 1/8 mile San Fernando Stakes on January 20.

Damascus was a 1-5 favorite for the 1 1/8 mile San Fernando, a distance the great colt had an affinity for, winning all four of his previous starts. He would again carry top weight of 126 pounds, and face five others in his age group. The Santa Anita turnout was almost 52,000 for a race which offered a $50,000-added payoff. Ruken also returned, under 120. It was another day at the office for Damascus. The tempo was slow and Shoemaker apparently had to keep his mount on his business. Damascus stayed closer to the pace, stalking in second before taking charge of the situation, and drawing away by two lengths in a modest 1:48 4/5. Another California-bred, the roan colt Most Host, arrived next, followed by Ruken.  The winner’s paycheck was $34,450, bringing his grand total now to $906,106 while having won seventeen of his twenty-two lifetime starts.

Injury, boycott, defeat

Bill Shoemaker fractured his femur a few days following the San Fernando. It was a serious setback not only to the jockey, who would be laid up for a protracted period, but also for Damascus. No rider knew Damascus better than Shoemaker, and his absence would be keenly felt. To replace him, Whiteley called Ron Turcotte, but his time on Damascus would be short-lived.

The third leg of the Charles H. Strub series was the race of the same name over 1 ¼ miles, and would be run on a surface made slow by rains. It was scheduled for February 3, but due to a horsemen’s boyott, the race was postponed until the following week.

Damascus’ impost stayed at 126 pounds and he would again meet Ruken and Most Host, but Most Host had no intention of following the previous script.

In what appears to have been an admirable but undistinguished career, Most Host would make 100 starts. His sire, My Host, wasn’t an outstanding racer, but did become broodmare sire of the fine California multiple stakes winner and stallion Eleven Stitches. Most Host’s grandsire was the outstanding sire Alibhai (GB), whose long list of illustrious runners included Determine, the first gray, and the first California-bred, to win the Kentucky Derby. Determine went on to sire another Cal-bred Derby winner, Decidedly. Most Host’s dam was Alga, a chestnut Chilean-bred and stakes winner in South America. He had inbreeding to English Triple Crown winner Gainsborough (GB) through his son, the great Hyperion (GB).

Six horses ran in the Charles H. Strub Stakes, with a total purse of $118,700. Damascus broke sharply from post one, and settled well back in fifth. Entering the stretch, Damascus and Most Host vied for leadership with the latter inching away at the wire, his margin over Damascus a head. The winner earned $73,700, which at that point in time was more than he had previously earned in his entire career. Damascus collected $20,000, bringing his lifetime account to $926,106. His visit to California over, Damascus had copped two-thirds of the series and headed back east. He would now get an extended break and make his next start in June.

While Damascus had his respite from competition, Dr. Fager, the Florida-bred, Tartan Farm son of Rough ‘n Tumble-Aspidistra, by Better Self, made his four-year-old debut in the seven furlong Roseben Handicap at Aqueduct, on May 4, 1968. Manhandling a small contingent of four opponents, and carrying 130 pounds, Dr. Fager hit the ground running, under substitute rider Johnny Rotz, and scorched the track in 1:21 2/5, just shy of  the track record. Two weeks later, Nerud showcased his colt in what would be his only appearance in California. On May 18, Dr. Fager met thirteen runners, in the Californian Stakes, including the brilliant filly Gamely, who would go on to divisional championships over the next two years. For the remainder of Dr. Fager’s career, Braulio Baeza would sit on his back. After taking the lead in the stretch, the colt easily pulled away to a three length winning margin, with Gamely, under 116, in second, a length ahead of Rising Market. As 50,000 fans watched Dr. Fager become the first horse to win the Californian under that impost, his final time over 1 1/16 miles was a quick 1:40 4/5.

Dr. Fager was next pointed for the 1 ¼ mile Suburban Handicap, on Independence Day, when he would again meet Damascus, in the race’s 82^nd edition.

Return to the races

After his extended vacation, Damascus returned in a one mile, seventy yard allowance affair at Delaware Park on June 17, with Manual Ycaza in the irons. Facing four relatively weak opponents, Damascus settled behind the early leader, Light the Fuse, before taking command in the stretch and pulling away by three and three-quarter lengths. His next race would be the Suburban and his third meeting with Dr. Fager.

An old and grand race

Except in 1911,1912, and 1914, when the race was not run, Belmont Park’s Suburban Handicap has been continuous since 1884, when the six-year-old bay horse General Monroe became its first winner. General Monroe was a son of the multiple stakes winner Tom Bowling, and grandson of the greatest American sire in history, the sixteen-time leader Lexington, to whom General Monroe was inbred 2SX4D. 

The Suburban Handicap,  the second leg of the New York Handicap Triple Crown, along with the Metropolitan and Brooklyn Handicaps, is a triad won by only three horses, Whisk Broom II, in 1913, Tom Fool, in 1953, and Kelso in 1961. Kelso won his second Suburban two years later. The race was shortened to its current 1 1/8 miles in 2010.

Closing in on seven

The Suburban of 1968 could have been a potential benchmark for Damascus. It was his chance to go ahead of Dr. Fager in their rivalry, and perhaps position himself well for year-end recognition. With a victory in the $107,000 race, Damascus would also take away more than $69,000, pushing him very close to the one million dollar mark.

Damascus, breaking from the one post, had originally been coupled with his pacemaker Hedevar, who was subsequently scratched after a mishap following a workout. He would carry 133 pounds. Leaving the gate from post three was Dr. Fager under 132. The short field of five would also include In Reality, under 125, who had just won the mile Metropolitan Handicap. Others in the contest were Bold Hour, carrying 116, and the filly Amerigo Lady, assigned 110.  

When the field was away, Dr. Fager took the lead. Damascus was in close pursuit in second, at one point getting within a head of his arch rival, who was running easy. Damascus eventually faltered in the stretch as Bold Hour overtook him. As they approached home, Dr. Fager pulled away for a two length win, after a gate to wire record performance, with his 1:59 3/5 clocking shaving a full second off the stakes mark, and equaling Gun Bow’s track record. Damascus finished third, more than three lengths behind the runner-up and five behind the winner.  He earned $10,700, giving him a career total of $943,316, and still $56,684 shy of the magic number. Also of note was In Reality, who suffered a career ending canon bone fracture.  Retired and off to stud, In Reality became an important stallion in prolonging the Man o’War sireline.

Damascus was now three for five on the year. Dr. Fager was three for three and would meet Damascus again in his very next start, the 1 ¼ mile Brooklyn Handicap on July 20. Damascus however, would race again before that, in the Amory Haskell Handicap, at Monmouth Park, on July 13.

A stumble makes two

Damascus would carry 131 pounds in the Haskell and face seven opponents including Bold Hour, under 116. Mr. Right, a five-year-old winner of the Santa Anita Handicap earlier in the year, got away with 114. The purse was $111,000, with the winner collecting $72,150.

Right from the start things went badly for Damascus. When they popped the gate, he stumbled out of post six. Once the colt got going, he was in sixth position, advanced to third, and eventually inched into second, but was passed by Mr. Right, who fell one and a quarter lengths shy of Bold Hour, who had taken the lead entering the stretch and kept at it to the finish. Damascus, again finishing third, picked up $11,000, to bring his career bankroll to $954,416. He was knocking on the millionaire club door but it seemed those last few dollars were getting more difficult to earn. He had also lost two races in succession for the first time in his career.

Considering how the complexion of the race developed after the stumble, Damascus’ effort was credible. He was racing often and the following week would have to meet Dr. Fager for the fourth time in the Brooklyn Handicap. Nerud’s colt held a 2-1 advantage in their series, and if he won again, any speculation about which horse was better would more than likely be resolved. Damascus needed to put his best foot forward if he was going to defeat an adversary who was about to explode in the racing universe with amazing star power.

Within a span of sixteen days, Damascus would make three starts, all covering 1 ¼ miles, with two against Dr. Fager. He returned to Aqueduct for the Brooklyn, and based on the Suburban outcome, received a five pound allowance from Dr. Fager, who was assigned 135 pounds to Damascus’ 130. And Damascus wouldn’t run alone. Hedevar would join in the fun.

The Brooklyn

The Brooklyn Handicap had its inception just three years after the Suburban, in 1887. The race’s inaugural winner, the four-year-old bay colt Dry Monopole, won the contest under a feathery 106 pounds, negotiating the 1 ¼ mile distance in 2:07. The Brooklyn is currently run at 1 1/2 miles.

Getting even

The 80^th running of the Brooklyn Handicap, with a purse of $109,400, took place on July 20, 1968, with a field of seven.

Damascus would break from post two, next to the 3-5 favored Dr. Fager, stationed in three. When they left the gate, Hedevar, under Tommy Lee, was out first and went about his duty. Baeza was riding Dr. Fager and trying to use as much restraint as possible to keep him reasonably back of the leader. Dr. Fager, hoisting 135 pounds, was pulling his rider, and trying to chase down a speed freak, who opened up some daylight. The fractions, initially set by Hedevar, were punishing Dr. Fager, the quarter in :22 4/5, and a half in :45 4/5. Eventually Baeza let out the stops and the colt sped into the lead and the far turn, covering six furlongs in 1:09 2/5, before hitting a mile in 1:34 3/5, a pace reminiscent of the previous year’s Woodward Stakes. Damascus, who had left the gate in fifth, and trailed by eleven lengths in the early going, had patiently waited, and now it was time to pounce on his prey. Well within himself, he was moving beautifully, and began to speed up around the far turn, before coming alongside Dr. Fager in the stretch. The Tartan colt tried valiantly to keep going but had nothing to offer his rival, who streaked ahead and drew away by more than two lengths at the finish.

Dr. Fager’s track equaling mark was fleeting. Damascus, with a devastating move, had just broken it, covering the 1 1/4 mile Brooklyn in a time of 1:59 1/5. He was a full second shy however of Noor’s American mark, set under 127 pounds, in the 1950 Golden Gate Handicap.  It must have been one of the sweetest victories for Damascus and his trainer. In addition, the win netted Damascus $71,110, making him racing’s eighth millionaire with earnings of $1,025,526.

Damascus and Dr. Fager were through with each other, leaving a four-race rivalry in a draw.

Dynamos

Dr. Fager made his next start on August 3 in the 1 1/8 mile Whitney Handicap at Saratoga. Carrying 132 pounds, and giving eighteen pounds to three hapless opponents, he won the race about as easily as a horse could, running off by eight lengths at the finish. His next start would be mind boggling.

On August 24, at Arlington Park, Dr. Fager entered post position nine, among ten horses, for the one mile Washington Park Handicap. In one of the greatest performances in history, the big colt carried 134 pounds, won by ten lengths, and finished in an unbelievable 1:32 1/5 for a world record that would stand for almost thirty years.

Damascus also won his next two starts, both under 134 pounds. Twenty-one days after the Brooklyn Handicap, on August 10, Damascus was asked to face a short field of four opponents in the William DuPont Handicap at Delaware Park, over 1 1/16 miles. Braulio Baeza would be aboard the colt for four races. Among the field were black type winners Big Rock Candy, a six-year-old Tennessee-bred, the five-year-old Fast Count, a son of 1951 Horse of the Year Counterpoint, and Charles Elliott, a four-year-old, whose second dam, War Siren, was a daughter of Man o’War.

With a tepid pace, Damascus moved rather close to the proceedings, before making short work of the overmatched field, his margin at the finish two lengths with the next arrivals, Big Rock Candy and Charles Elliott, getting twenty-one and twenty-four pounds respectively from the winner.

Damascus’ capacity to race frequently continued and he met five runners on September 2, at Aqueduct, for the 1 1/8 mile Aqueduct Stakes. The tempo was slow and Baeza again kept him closer. The reigning Horse of the Year pulled away with authority in the stretch, his winning margin a length and a half, while giving stakes winners More Scents, in second, and third finisher, Fort Drum, twenty pounds each.

Damascus performed like a powerful, relentless locomotive, but one had to wonder how long he could keep it up.

“Horse of Steel”

Damascus was named after a type of durable steel, called Damascus steel, used in the production of swords. The name was fitting since his sire was Sword Dancer; but there was a more significant reason. Damascus indeed had been a “horse of steel,” sound, durable, sharp, who could race with quick turnarounds, considerable weight, and usually win or at least finish in the money. Yet, as marvelous as the great colt was, he was not made of any metal. Beneath that tough, hard frame was still a mortal creature of blood, flesh, and bone. He only had so many performances to give, and his time on the track was running out.

Damascus raced again only twelve days later, carrying 133 pounds, in the Michigan 1 1/8 Handicap, at Detroit Race Course. He would face eleven runners and break from the rail. Among the field was Nodouble, a three-year-old chestnut colt and budding star. Beginning with a victory in the 1 1/8 mile Arkansas Derby, Nodouble would race through his five-year-old season, earn two handicap championships (Thoroughbred Racing Associations), and never compete in any contest that wasn’t a stakes. Nodouble also finished a credible fourth in the Preakness after an impaired trip, and second in the 1 1/8 mile American Derby. Now he would meet Damascus, and enjoy a twenty-two pound pull.

When they were sent away, Hedevar, under 112 pounds, and Misty Run, carrying 109, took the lead. Hedevar then stalked in third, but retreated in the backstretch, as Nodouble advanced. Damascus was in tenth. As Nodouble and Misty Run fought for leadership in the far turn, Damascus made his move and zoomed past Misty Run, but was unable to reach the eventual winner who hit the wire two and three-quarter lengths in front. Damascus, in second, had a head over Misty Run.

Damascus’ loss compromised his reputation and jeopardized his chances of repeating the year-end honors which he had basked in. He would race again in two weeks in the Woodward Stakes and if he could defend his sensational triumph of 1967, another championship, and perhaps Horse of the Year, might still be within his reach.

Nix that

The Woodward Stakes, with a purse of $106,800, on September 28, was exactly one year, shy of two days, since Damascus’ famed win in the race that vaulted him to Horse of the Year. The Woodward had returned to the re-opened, renovated Belmont Park, marking Damascus’ debut appearance in the cavernous venue with the main track’s wide sweeping turns, and more than 42,000 spectators on hand to watch him. This time, there would be no Buckpasser or Dr. Fager. The field was small, consisting of Damascus, black-type winner Grace Born (Arg.), Fort Drum, and Mr. Right. Each horse would carry 126 pounds.

Damascus broke from post three, and was moved along by Baeza, closely tracking a sluggish pace, with the lukewarm leader Grace Born. Damascus went to the front in the stretch, but Mr. Right, slow to get going under Heliodoro Gustines, was now driving, and got even with Damascus, who was ready for a fight. The two runners battled all the way to the wire in a photo finish, but Mr. Right was declared the winner by a nose. Now along with his “big ‘Cap” win, he could add a Woodward Stakes victory in a head-to-head confrontation with the Horse of the Year.  In addition, he had won the Trenton Handicap in his previous campaign, would capture that race twice more, and also annex the Suburban Handicap as a six-year-old.

Damascus’ loss was a crushing blow. Whiteley wasn’t happy about the ride, and the crowd, after heavily betting Damascus, expressed their dissatisfaction with a chorus of boos directed toward Baeza, who was taken off the mount.

Ycaza was supposed to return on Damascus, but due to a back injury, was unable to ride. Larry Adams got the call, and would be aboard the horse for the first time in Belmont Park’s Jockey Club Gold Cup on October 26.

Exit

Damascus would face five runners in the two mile Jockey Club Gold Cup, on a surface labeled “good.” The purse was worth $109,800 and the winner would take home $71,370.  On the meeting’s last day, more than 40,000 were in attendance.

A startling change for Damascus was the application of front leg bandages, something he had never worn before; but he seemed keen to go.  When they were off, Mr. Right led the parade, but in the clubhouse turn, the outstanding California-bred stayer, and multiple handicap winner Quicken Tree, under Bill Hartack, was in pursuit. Chompion stayed back in third. After a mile and three-quarters, Quicken Tree had a solid lead, and widened it to five lengths in the stretch, with Funny Fellow closing. Damascus had been the third horse out of the gate, and kept well shy of the leaders. He began his patented bid in the far turn but couldn't seem to advance. The colt then stalled, and steadily retreated further and further back of the field as  Quicken Tree held off the oncoming Funny Fellow by a length and a quarter at the wire, in a time of 3:22 4/5. Damascus stayed in the race and appeared to bobble when finally crossing the wire, after finishing last, thirty-seven lengths behind the winner, and the only time he was ever out of the money. There was good reason for his lack of performance. He had bowed the tendon in his left front which became evident at the finish. What should have been Quicken Tree’s day in the limelight was understandably negated by the injury to Damascus, with concerned eyes focused on him.

In obvious distress, Damascus was vanned off, and with him went shattered hopes for any year-end honors; but even more significant, Damascus’ storied career was over. With his retirement announced two days later, the great colt had recorded a four-year-old season of twelve starts, ten in stakes, six wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds, and $332,975, a respectable but modest campaign for a horse of his stature, especially when compared to 1967. What mattered most was his injury but Damascus had always been sound and resilient. He would recover, and the remainder of his life would be rewarding.

One reign ends, another begins

Damascus’ reign as America's racing king was about to end. The year 1968 belonged entirely to Dr. Fager, who emphatically seized the moment and ultimately the crown currently worn by his great foe. After his world record performance in the Washington Park Handicap, Dr. Fager made his lone start on turf.  On September 11, in Atlantic City’s 1 3/16 mile United Nations Handicap, the colt defeated the exceptional multiple stakes winner and Kentucky Derby runner-up Advocator, and reigning grass champion Fort Marcy. His margin of victory was only a neck, but he carried 134 pounds, giving the aforementioned second and third place finishers twenty-two and sixteen pounds respectively. Following this win, Dr. Fager ended his career on November 2, returning to the Aqueduct main track against six runners. Carrying 139 pounds, in the Vosburgh Handicap, he blasted the seven furlongs, landing across the wire in track record time of 1:20 1/5, with a winning margin of six lengths.

Victorious in seven of his eight starts, and never carrying less than 130 pounds, Dr. Fager had electrified the turf world and would sweep all four of the sport’s major championships, Horse of the Year, Champion Handicap Horse, Champion Grass Horse, and Champion Sprinter, the latter for the second time. Arguably the greatest dirt miler of all time, and the sport’s fastest horse, Dr. Fager earned a lofty place in history, and one envied by most Thoroughbred stars.

Damascus vs. Dr. Fager… for all time

Despite the two-to-two tie in their private series, was one horse greater than the other?

Damascus would always have to carry the “rabbit” stigma, as Dr. Fager’s followers adamantly claim this was the only way he could ever beat their horse. Perhaps that's true but Dr. Fager always took the bait and essentially invited a formidable rival to reel him in; yet, in the absence of Hedevar, Damascus was defeated twice. The horse may have had good reasons, but he still lost to an adversary who was at least his equal.

Their last three confrontations covered 1 ¼ miles, all in record time, the first by Damascus, then Dr. Fager, and finally Damascus again.

Outside of these four meetings, their overall race campaigns were somewhat dissimilar. Dr. Fager’s two-year-old campaign was more challenging and involved three stakes races compared to Damascus’ one stakes, but at ages three and four, Damascus had more arduous racing agendas, including the entire Triple Crown, when he won two of the three races, while posting the second fastest Preakness time to that point. Among Damascus’ other major stakes wins were the Remsen and Bay Shore at age two; the Wood Memorial, Dwyer, American Derby, Travers, Aqueduct Stakes, and Jockey Club Gold Cup at three; then at age four the Malibu Stakes, San Fernando Stakes, and a repeat win in the Aqueduct Stakes. Dr. Fager, at two, won the Cowdin; at three he won the Withers, Arlington Park Classic, Hawthorne Gold Cup, Vosburgh and Roseben Handicaps; then at four, the Californian, Whitney, United Nations Handicap on grass, and his second score in the Vosburgh.  

As a three-year-old, Damascus defeated older horses three times, in the Aqueduct Stakes, while conceding weight, the Woodward Stakes, and the Jockey Club Gold Cup. He lost his first outing against his elders by a mere nose in the William Du Pont Jr. Handicap, while giving the four-year-old winner eight pounds. It is unclear to this writer how often Dr. Fager prevailed over his elders, but he did so at least once, in the Vosburgh Handicap, while also giving weight.

Both horses were out of the money only once, when Dr. Fager won the Jersey Derby, as a three-year-old, by more than a half dozen lengths, but was disqualified and placed last, and Damascus due to injury.

The two rivals had opposite running styles.

Dr. Fager was an eager, aggressive runner, with lightning speed, who relished being on the lead or close to the pace, before exploding with unbelievable power to leave opponents in his wake, often either with record or near record performances, while carrying and giving tremendous weight. His records in the Washington Park and Vosburgh Handicaps bordered on otherworldly.

Damascus was best coming from off the pace, ramp up in the far turn, and with scary acceleration reach full throttle in the stretch, putting the opposition at his mercy. He was also a successful weight carrier, but what made him remarkable was his capacity to emerge from way out of it, and still win by overwhelming margins, with his Travers Stakes a nonpareil performance by a stretch runner.

Damascus left the track with a lifetime record of 32 starts, 21 wins, 7 seconds, 3 thirds, and $1,176,781 in earnings, while winning from six furlongs to two miles, all on the dirt. His resume included two track records, a third track record equaled, and one stakes record. Damascus also had the distinction of being the only horse to defeat Dr. Fager in 1968, and thus denying the Tartan colt a perfect campaign.

Dr. Fager retired with 22 starts for 18 wins, 2 seconds, 1 third, and $1,002,642. He won from 5 ½ furlongs to 1 ¼ miles on dirt, and at 1 3/16 miles on the lawn. He recorded three track records, while equaling another, and one world record.

Whether one’s allegiance is to Damascus or Dr. Fager, everyone would agree that the two colts were genuine superstars, who enriched the history and grandeur of Thoroughbred racing immensely. 

A new life

After Damascus received widespread attention by various breeding interests, the son of Sword Dancer-Kerala arrived at Claiborne Farm, in Paris, Kentucky, near the end of 1968, to begin the next phase of his life. It would be a life blessed with longevity, full of promise, and rich in fruition.

To be continued...

Bibliography

A.P., “Sports Briefs,” Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, December 6, 1967, p. 33, col. 2.

“Damascus,” Thoroughbred Champions: Top 100 Racehorses of the 20^th Century (Lexington, KY: The Blood-Horse Inc., 1999), p. 71.

“Nashua,” Thoroughbred Champions, p. 97.

Lucy Heckman, Damascus, Thoroughbred Legends No. 22 (Lexington, KY: Eclipse Press, 2004), p. 105.

Daily Racing Form, Champions: The Lives, Times, and Past Performances of America’s Greatest Thoroughbreds, Revised Edition, Champions from 1893-2004 (New York: Daily Racing Form Press, 2005), p. 202.

A.P., “Damascus in ‘Anita Stakes Bid Saturday,” The Press Courier, January 5, 1968, p. 17, col. 1.

A.P., “Damascus Wins Malibu Stakes,” The Modesto Bee, January 7, 1968, p. B-6, col. 1.

Daily Racing Form, The American Racing Manual 1992 (Hightstown, N.J.: Daily Racing Form Inc., 1992), p. 876.

Associated Press, “Damascus After 6^th Straight,” Daytona Beach Morning Journal, January 20, 1968, p. 13, col. 2.

A.P., “Damascus Feasting On Stakes At Santa Anita” Meriden (Conn.) Journal, January 22, 1968, p. 5, col. 2.

Canadian Press, “Damascus Strikes at Santa Anita and earns loot,” Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, January 22, 1968, p. 13, col. 1.

Heckman, Damascus, pp. 107-108.

A.P., “Damascus Gets Stuck In Mud,” The Miami News, February 12, 1968, P. 2-C, col. 3.

A.P., “12 To One Shot Beats Damascus,” Daytona Beach Sunday News Journal, February 11, 1968, p. 3-B, col. 1.

“Most Host,” Pedigree Online Thoroughbred Database, http://www.pedigreequery.com/most+host

“Most Host,” equineline.com, http://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm?page_state=ORDER_AND_CONFIRM&reference_number=330811&registry=T&horse_name=Most Host&dam_name=*Alga&foaling_year=1964&nicking_stats_indicator=Y

A.P., “Ocala’s Dr. Fager Takes Californian By 3 Lengths,” Ocala Star-Banner, May 19, 1968, p. 2-C, col. 4.

Heckman, Damascus, pp. 111-112.

Daily Racing Form, The American Racing Manual 1992, pp. 1017-1018.

“General Monroe,” Pedigree Online Thoroughbred Database, http://www.pedigreequery.com/general+monroe

“Tom Bowling,” Pedigree Online Thoroughbred Database, http://www.pedigreequery.com/tom+bowling

Thoroughbred Times Co., Inc., The Original Thoroughbred Times Racing Almanac 2009 (Lexington, KY: Thoroughbred Times Books, 2008), p. 467.

A.P., “Top Handicap Racers Meet in Suburban Today,” St. Joseph (Mo.) Gazette, July 4, 1968, p. 2-C, col. 6.

Heckman, Damascus, pp. 113-114.

A.P., “Dr. Fager Wins Suburban Handicap,” The Morning Record, July 5, 1968, p. 8, col. 4.

Joe Nichols, “Dr. Fager Equals Track Mark in Taking Suburban; Damascus Third In Aqueduct Race,” The New York Times, July 5, 1968, p. 29, col. 1.

Triangle Publications, Inc., (The Morning Telegraph), “Charts of Races at Aqueduct; ‘Seventh,’” The New York Times, July 5, 1968, p. 29, col. 4.

Daily Racing Form, Champions, p. 203.

A.P., “Bold Hour Wins; Picked Damascus 3^rd,” Schenectady Gazette, July 15, 1968, p. 31, col. 5.

Heckman, Damascus, pp. 115-117.

Daily Racing Form, The American Racing Manual 1992, pp. 705-706.

Thoroughbred Times Co., Inc., The Original Thoroughbred Times Racing Almanac 2009, p. 278.

Claire Novak, “Still Dapper Evening Attire To Brooklyn,” BloodHorse.com, http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/45563/still-dapper-evening-attire-to-brooklyn

Ed Schuyler, Jr., (Associated Press Sports Writer), “Damascus Joins Millionaire Club,” The Free Lance-Star, July 22, 1968, p. 7, col. 3.

A.P., “Millionaire Status for Damascus,” Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, July 22, 1968, p. 16, col. 2.

A.P., “Millionaire Damascus Tramples Dr. Fager,” Ocala Star-Banner, July 21, 1968, p. 2-B, col. 1.

Heckman, Damascus, pp. 117-119.

Steve Haskin, Dr. Fager Thoroughbred Legends No. 2 (Lexington, KY: Eclipse Press, 2000), pp. 104-107.

Joe Nichols, “Damascus Beats Dr. Fager; Earnings Pass Million; Damascus Wins Brooklyn And Snaps Track Record,” The New York Times, July 21, 1968, p. 1, col. 7, p. 4, col. 2.

Triangle Publications Inc., (The Morning Telegraph), “Charts of Races at Aqueduct,” The New York Times, July 21, 1968, p. 4, col. 4.

A.P., “Damascus Streaks To Win In Du Pont Race,” Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal, August 11, 1968, p. 4-B, col. 1.

Heckman, Damascus, pp. 122-123.

Heckman, Damascus, from the book jacket.

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2001), p. 291.

Ed Schuyler, Jr., “Damascus Out to Better Racing Image,” The Evening News, September 27, 1968, p. 20A, col. 3.

Heckman, Damascus, pp. 124-127.

Joe Nichols, “Mr. Right Defeats Damascus By Nose In Woodward,” The New York Times, September 29, 1968, p. 1, col. 1, p. 5, col. 2.

A.P., “Quicken Tree Beats Lame Damascus,” Schenectady Gazette, October 28, 1968, p. 27, col. 3.

Joe Nichols, “Damascus Hurt, Runs Last; Gold Cup Taken By Quicken Tree,” The New York Times, October 27, 1968, p. 1, p. 9, col. 2.

A.P., “Dr. Fager Named Horse Of Year,” The Morning Record, November 13, 1968, p. 13, col. 3.

“Dr. Fager,” Thoroughbred Champions, p. 33.

“Damascus,” Thoroughbred Champions, p. 71.

A.P., “Damascus Syndicated For $2.5 Million,” The Morning Record, November 23, 1968, p. 9, col. 3.

Copyright 2012 by John Califano