Fabius (horse)
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Fabius (foaled April 6, 1953) was an American
Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed. Thoroughbreds are ...
racehorse. In a career that lasted from 1955 through 1957, he ran sixty-two times and won eighteen races. He is best known for his performances in the 1956
Triple Crown Triple Crown may refer to: Sports Horse racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing (United States) ** Triple Crown Trophy ** Triple Crown Productions * Canadian Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing * Tri ...
: after finishing second in the Kentucky Derby. he won the
Preakness Stakes The Preakness Stakes is an American thoroughbred horse race held on Armed Forces Day which is also the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs () o ...
and finished third in the Belmont Stakes.


Background

Fabius was a "delicate-looking" brown horse bred and raced by Lexington, Kentucky's Calumet Farm. He was from the first crop of foals sired by Citation, who won the 1948 U.S. Triple Crown for Calumet in 1948 and became an inductee of the Hall of Fame. Citation was considered a disappointment as a stallion, and Fabius was his only winner of a Triple Crown race. He was out of the mare Shameen, a daughter of
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Eclipse Stakes winner Royal Minstrel, who was a son of 2,000 Guineas Stakes winner
Tetratema Tetratema (27 April 1917 – July 1939) was an Irish-bred, British-trained Thoroughbred racehorse and sire. In a racing career which lasted from May 1919 until October 1921 he won thirteen of his sixteen races, include the all twelve of his ...
. As a member of Thoroughbred "Family" 3-o, Fabius was distantly related to the British
Classic A classic is an outstanding example of a particular style; something of lasting worth or with a timeless quality; of the first or highest quality, class, or rank – something that exemplifies its class. The word can be an adjective (a ''c ...
winners Santa Claus, Carrozza and Shahrastani. Although Fabius was bred in Kentucky, his pedigree was overwhelmingly European: of the sixteen horses in the fourth generation of his pedigree, only two were of American origin. The colt was sent into training with Horace A. "Jimmy" Jones and was usually ridden by Bill Hartack.


Racing career

In his first race of 1956, Fabius won the Florida Purse at
Hialeah Park Race Track The Hialeah Park Race Track (also known as the Hialeah Race Track or Hialeah Park) is a historic racetrack in Hialeah, Florida. Its site covers 40 square blocks of central-east side Hialeah from Palm Avenue east to East 4th Avenue, and from East ...
. He then ran third in both the
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at
Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...
and Hialeah's
Flamingo Stakes The Flamingo Stakes was an American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-old horses run over a distance of a mile and one-eighth. Run as the Florida Derby until 1937, the inaugural event took place at Tampa Downs on February 27, 1926. There was ...
. Four days before the 1956 Kentucky Derby, Fabius recorded a one-length win in the
Derby Trial Stakes The Pat Day Mile Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on dirt over a distance of one mile scheduled on Kentucky Derby Day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The current purse is $500,000. History ...
at Churchill Downs, leading to his being considered a serious contender for the first leg of the Triple Crown: six of the previous eight Derby winners had finished either first or second in the Trial. In the Derby, Fabius went to the front after a quarter of a mile and held the lead well into the stretch. An eighth of a mile from the finish, he was overtaken by the favorite, Needles, and finished second, beaten three quarters of a length. In the Preakness Stakes at
Pimlico Race Course Pimlico Race Course is a thoroughbred horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Ol ...
, Fabius started 2.5/1 second favorite behind Needles in a field of nine colts, with some observers expressing the view that the shorter distance and tighter turns could give him an edge over the Derby winner. Hartack sent Fabius into the lead half a mile from the finish, and the Calumet colt held a clear advantage as the runners turned for home. Needles came from well back in the field to reduce the margin but could not catch Fabius, who won the second leg of the U.S. Triple Crown by one and three quarter lengths. Fabius was expected to start favorite for the Belmont Stakes, especially after a win in the Jersey Stakes on May 26 which led some commentators to draw comparisons with his sire. In his final prep race, however, he ran was beaten six lengths by 23/1 outsider Ricci Tavi in the Leonard Richards Stakes at
Delaware Park Racetrack Delaware Park (also known as ''DelPark'') is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track, casino, and golf course in Stanton, Delaware. It is located just outside the city of Wilmington, and about 30 miles from Philadelphia. Thoroughbred racing ...
. In the Belmont, Fabius got the better of a prolonged struggle with Ricci Tavi and Charlevoix to turn into the stretch one and a half lengths in front. As in the Derby, he was overtaken by Needles at the eighth pole and finished third, with the fast-closing Career Boy taking second place. The rivalry between Fabius and Needles continued into 1957, but early in the year it was another Calumet horse, the five-year-old Bardstown, who proved the best of the handicap division. In early March, Fabius produced a "blazing stretch run" to win the Armed Handicap at
Gulfstream Park Gulfstream Park, owned by The Stronach Group, is a Thoroughbred race track, casino and outdoor entertainment and shopping destination in Hallandale Beach, Florida. Thoroughbred horse racing occurs year-round, defined by three distinct race meets ...
, but in the climactic race of the Florida campaign, Fabius and Needles were decisively beaten by Bardstown in the
Gulfstream Park Handicap The Gulfstream Park Mile Stakes (formerly known as the Gulfstream Park Handicap) is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Gulfstream Park each year. The race is open to horses age four and up, willing to race one mile on the dirt. A Grade II even ...
.


Stud record

Fabius retired from racing to become a breeding stallion for Calumet Farm, but proved to be a failure as a sire of winners. From his few offspring, the best may have been multiple
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stakes winner Fabe Count.


Pedigree

*Through the influence of his dam, Fabius was
inbred Inbreeding is the production of offspring from the mating or breeding of individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. By analogy, the term is used in human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and o ...
4x4 to The Tetrarch, meaning that this stallion appears twice in the fourth generation of his pedigree.


References


External links


Video of Fabius winning the 1956 Preakness Stakes
{{Preakness Stakes Winners 1953 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Preakness Stakes winners Thoroughbred family 3-o