Damascus … where do we begin? He was a legend, a Horse of the Year, a dual classic winner, a millionaire when earning a $1 million was still a challenging task.

He also was quite a personality. Damascus, understandably, preferred for his world to be just right. He was fond of a stable pony named Duffy, who had a calming effect on his often high-strung nerves. In fact, Damascus’ defeat in the Kentucky Derby was attributed to the colt getting upset and stressed before the race due to the absence of Duffy.

Damascus also seemed to be a fan of music, specifically rock ‘n’ roll. Writer Barney Nagler once wrote a column for Daily Racing Form titled “Strains of Rock ‘n’ Roll Soothe Damascus Before Crucial Test,” and explained how on the day of the Belmont Stakes, “The radio … raucously filled Barn 2 with a sort of music that was at once loud and purposeful. … Damascus heard it and was, for the most part, lulled by it, only to thrash around in his stall when it stopped …”

Bill Shoemaker aboard Damascus after Travers. (BloodHorse Library/NYRA photo)

While we only have circumstantial evidence to go by, it seems safe to assume that all was well with both Duffy and the radio on Aug. 19, 1967. On that day, Damascus — his own engine tuned to just the right frequency — delivered a performance in the historic Travers Stakes that bordered on unbelievable.

Just three challengers turned out to face Damascus on that summer day at Saratoga, with others perhaps scared off by Damascus’ Triple Crown exploits, or by his remarkable seven-length triumph in the American Derby just two weeks prior. The three that did show up were a quality group, including the California Derby winner Reason to Hail and the Carter Handicap victor Tumiga, but the crowd of more than 28,000 that turned out to witness the Travers did not hesitate in establishing Damascus as the overwhelming favorite to win at odds of 1-5.

Safe to say, Damascus delivered on those expectations.

Right from the start, the Travers had plenty of drama and excitement to offer. When the gates opened, Tumiga came out fast and so, too did Gala Performance, winner of the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga one week prior. The two colts immediately engaged in a hard-fought battle for early supremacy, flying into the first turn well clear of Damascus and Reason to Hail while setting very fast fractions of :22 3/5 and :45 4/5.

Meanwhile, Damascus — under a patient ride from Hall of Fame jockey Bill Shoemaker — was loping along in third place, completely relaxed and content to let the battle unfold in front of him. At one point, the gap separating Damascus from the leaders grew to 16 lengths, which “appeared to be an insurmountable lead” according to the Aug. 20, 1967 edition of the Courier-Journal.

Damascus, of course, dispatched that humorous notion.

When Shoemaker asked the great colt to run, Damascus accelerated like a drag racer, reeling in the leaders with a freakish turn of foot.

“I had a lot of horse, running real easy,” Shoemaker said in the Courier-Journal. “When I asked him to move to the leaders just before we hit the half-mile pole he took off.”

1967 Travers stretch. (BloodHorse Library/NYRA)

“Took off” could be considered an understatement. By the time Damascus hit the quarter pole, he already was six lengths in front, and none of his opponents could remotely keep up. Gala Performance and Tumiga were exhausted from their early duel; Reason to Hail was rallying mildly, but he was no match for Damascus, who danced to his own tune in the run down the Saratoga homestretch, in sync with the relentless rhythm of his own thundering hooves, which came as steady as the drumbeat of a rock ‘n’ roll chart topper.

Ten lengths. Twelve lengths. Fifteen. Eighteen? You bet. Nineteen and counting. Twenty. Twenty-two. According to the Courier-Journal, Damascus’ lead grew to “some 25 lengths at one stage” before Shoemaker allowed Damascus to slow his strides and ease up as the finish line approached.

Regardless, Damascus reached the finish line a staggering 22 lengths in front of Reason to Hail, winning “with ridiculous ease” while equaling the track record of 2:01 3/5 for 1 ¼ miles. It was a singular performance thoroughly unmatched in the history of the Travers; to this day, no horse has won the race by a greater margin.

“I didn’t know we equaled the track mark or I might have let him run a bit more in the final furlong,” Shoemaker said in the Courier-Journal, adding emphasis to the extraordinary extent of Damascus’ domination. The Aug. 20, 1967 edition of the Chicago Tribune was likewise lofty in its praise of the colt, stating that, “Damascus was so perfect and so outstanding that the fans began to cheer as he turned the corner for home, and they gave the colt and Shoemaker a bigger hand when they returned to the winner’s circle.”

We can only assume that Duffy was on hand and proud of his companion!