Look Back: In Stakes Debut, Damascus Rolls in Remsen
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Photo: Mike Sirico
Damascus wins the 1966 Remsen Stakes
Damascus is Impressive
Earlier in the week, trainer Frank Whiteley Jr. showed a good-looking, lightly raced juvenile in Damascus, who won the Remsen Stakes from Native Guile and Reflected Glory.
The Sword Dancer—Kerala colt races for Mrs. Edith Bancroft in the old Belair silks of her father, William Woodward. It was the youngster's fourth start and first stakes effort and he was drawing out at the end. Cool Reception, the Canadian 2-year-old champion, was in tight quarters most of the way and finished fifth.
Damascus
Damascus, rated favorite over 13 other 2-year-olds, captured the 53rd running of the Remsen Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths over Native Guile.
Top-weighted Cool Reception, recently named in a poll as Canada's best 2-year-old, finished fifth after contending with heavy traffic in the stretch, trailing the winner by three lengths.
Damascus, the homebred representative of the late William Woodward Sr., master of Belair Stud, has won three of four starts, the Remsen being his first attempt in added-money competition. Mrs. Bancroft also has been represented this season by Hedevar, winner of the Equipoise Mile Handicap.
Damascus is the first stakes winner from Kerala, who has two other reported foals, winner Full View and stakes-placed Aunt Tilt. Unraced Kerala is out of Blade of Time, who had five winners from nine reported foals, including stakes winners Bymeabound, Blue Border, Guillotine, and Ruddy. Blade of Time, also unraced, is out of Bar Nothing, who produced one other reported foal, winner British Flyer, before dying of a twisted intestine in 1939.
Sword Dancer, the sire of Damascus, also is represented this season by stakes winner Lady Pitt, recently named in two polls as the best 3-year-old filly of the season. Also the sire of previous stakes winner Musical Night, Sword Dancer was voted Horse of the Year in 1959. The stakes-winning earner of $829,610 is owned by a syndicate and stands at John W. Galbreath's Darby Dan Farm near Lexington. He had an Average-Earnings Index of 1.93 with 35 year-starters through 1965.