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Dr. Fager
By Steve Haskin
Pub Date: August 2007. Now in paperback! Dr. Fager was one of the most versatile and talented racehorses of modern times. In 1968, he recorded what many believe to be the single greatest season by any horse in the history of the sport. By being named Horse of the Year, champion handicap horse, champion sprinter, and co-champion grass horse in 1968, Dr. Fager became the first and only horse ever to win four titles in a single year.
Author Steve Haskin recounts Dr. Fager's most memorable exploits: his world-record mile of 1:32 1/5, under 134 pounds, which lasted twenty-nine years; his seven-furlong track record of 1:20 1/5 at Aqueduct, under a staggering 139 pounds, which lasted thirty-one years; and his equaling of the track record in the Suburban Handicap at Aqueduct for one and a quarter miles under 132 pounds.
Each of the Doc's races was a study in greatness, whether it was sprinting, racing a distance of ground, or racing on the turf. Although his records finally have fallen, there is no doubt that the hole Dr. Fager ran in the wind ever will be filled. He remains one of the most popular racehorses of the modern era.
Dr. Fager was ranked No. 6 in The Blood-Horse magazine's list of the Top 100 Racehorses of 20th Century.
Praise for Dr. Fager :
"Outstanding. A remarkable horse and a remarkable story. Memorable brilliance and versatility come to life again in the pages of Steve Haskin's Dr. Fager. A beautiful tribute to a remarkable colt."
-- Joe Hirsch, Daily Racing Form
"Steve Haskin, one of our most gifted racing writers, has done it again with a thrilling story of the life and times of the great Dr. Fager. A classic."
-- Joe Durso, The New York Times
"Superbly done. A wonderful combination of historical fact along with elegant descriptions of a wonderful horse."
-- Ed Bowen, Noted writer and chairman of the Hall of Fame Committee
"This is Haskin's first solo venture, and it is well worth the wait. An extremely well-researched work, a delight from beginning to end. It is a tale that somehow seems like fiction, but is most certainly fact. Haskin's knowledge and respect for the great horse shines through on every page."
-- Linda Dougherty, The Trentonian
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