Dr. Fager xx (Dr. Fager)

Dr. FAGER (April 6, 1964 – August 5, 1976) was an American thoroughbred racehorse who had one of the greatest single racing seasons by any horse in the history of the sport. In 1968 at the age of four, he became the only horse to ever hold four American titles in one year when he was named the Horse of the Year, champion handicap horse, champion sprinter, and co-champion grass horse. In his most famous performance, Dr. Fager set a world record of 1:32 1⁄5 for a mile in the Washington Park Handicap while carrying 134 pounds. Dr. Fager's time would stand as the world record on any surface for 29 years. It still stands as the American record for a mile on the dirt. Dr. Fager is estimated to have completed the second quarter in a blistering 20 3⁄5 seconds, believed to be the fastest quarter-mile ever run in a non-sprint race. Trainer John A. Nerud Record 22: 18-2-1 Earnings $1,002,642 Dr. Fager made 22 starts, winning 18 times with two second-place finishes and one show. The only time he was out of the money was as a result of a disqualification in the Jersey Derby, in which he finished first. Only three horses ever finished in front of Dr. Fager: Champion juvenile male Successor, Horse of the Year Damascus, and Horse of the Year Buckpasser. His headstrong nature was considered his only weakness as a racehorse. "He was very easy to train, a very willing and smart horse," said Nerud. "He also was very sensitive. He didn't want you to raise your voice to him, and he didn't want anyone whipping him. If something didn't suit Dr. Fager, he would let you know immediately." In August 1968, Dr. Fager was syndicated for 32 shares costing $100,000 each for a total value of $3.2 million. Most of the shares were retained by McKnight and Nerud, plus a few outside breeders including Paul Mellon. Dr. Fager retired to stud at Tartan Farm in 1969 near Ocala, Florida, where he stood for eight years before his death at age 12 on August 5, 1976. Death was attributed to a colon obstruction brought on by a bout of colic. He was buried at Tartan Farm, now known as Winding Oaks Farm. Posthumously, he was the leading sire in North America of 1977 and finished second in 1978. From 265 named foals, he sired 172 winners (64.9%), 35 of whom were stakes winners. His most famous offspring include American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Dearly Precious, 1978 co-champion sprinter Dr. Patches, Tree of Knowledge, Canadian champion L'Alezane and important broodmare Killaloe, the dam of Fappiano. "The memory of him is the memory of the wind. I shall remember the brilliant Dr. Fager like a sudden shaft of sunlight on a darkening day." — Sportswriter David Alexander In The Blood-Horse magazine's list of the top 100 U.S. thoroughbred champions of the 20th Century, Dr. Fager ranks sixth.[54] In 1971, three years after he left the track, he was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York.[55] Steve Haskin wrote a book on Dr. Fager for the Thoroughbred Legends series published by Eclipse Press in 2000. Dr. Fager's career is recorded in "Champions: The Lives, Times, and Past Performances of the 20th Century's Greatest Thoroughbreds" by the editors and writers of the Daily Racing Form. “He could punch a hole in the wind” - Braulio Baeza, his regular rider Tribute: https://youtu.be/lfV0ukqPX3g