Fabius (USA)
April 6, 1953 – c. 1974
Citation (USA) x Shameen (USA), by Royal Minstrel (IRE)
Family 9-h
April 6, 1953 – c. 1974
Citation (USA) x Shameen (USA), by Royal Minstrel (IRE)
Family 9-h
The best son of the mighty Citation, Fabius was a rather delicate-looking colt but was much tougher than his appearance indicated, eventually starting 65 times. One of the better 3-year-olds of his crop, his victories included the Preakness Stakes, denying Needles a shot at the Triple Crown. He was never quite the same as an older horse, however, and, unfortunately, his quality as a racehorse did not translate to great success as a stallion.
Race record
65 starts, 18 wins, 9 seconds, 12 thirds, US$331,384
1956:
1957:
1958:
Assessments
Rated at 111 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1955, 15 pounds below highweighted Career Boy and 14 pounds below the official co-champions, Nail and Needles.
Rated at 122 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1956, 6 pounds below champion Needles.
Ranked fourth among American 3-year-old males of 1956 by The Blood-Horse.
Rated at 117 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1957, 11 pounds below champion Dedicate.
Rated at 107 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1958, 25 pounds below co-highweights Bold Ruler and Gallant Man and 24 pounds below Horse of the Year Round Table.
As an individual
A brown horse, Fabius was not particularly substantial and had a rather large head. As his father Ben Jones had done with Whirlaway, trainer Jimmy Jones kept Fabius's tail long to discourage rivals from coming up on his heels.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Fabius sired 52 winners (69.3%) and 5 stakes winners (6.7%) from 75 named foals The best of his runners was Fabe Count, who won nine stakes races in Canada.
Connections
Fabius was bred and owned by Calumet Farm. He was trained by Horace “Jimmy” Jones. He entered stud in Canada in 1959 at Nashville Stud, Ontario.
Pedigree notes
Fabius' pedigree is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to Helene (by Challedon) dam of stakes winner Eamohe (by Easy Mon) and second dam of 1975 Futurity Stakes (USA-G1) winner Soy Numero Uno, 1972 Arkansas Derby winner No Le Hace and 1967 Interborough Handicap winner Recall.
Shameen, the dam of Fabius, never raced. She is a half sister to 1939 Selima Stakes winner War Beauty (by Man o' War) and to Spotted Beauty (by Man o' War), dam of 1948 Jamaica Handicap winner Royal Blood (by Coldstream) and third dam of 1971 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Dawn Deluxe, 1992 Norsk Oaks winner Saucy Girl, 1968 Hollywood Oaks winner Hooplah, and Grade 2 winner Zen. Shameen is also a half sister to Grey Mood (by Mahmoud), dam of 1956 Michigan Mile winner Nonnie Jo (by Reaping Reward) and third dam of 1970 Matchmaker Stakes winner Dedicated to Sue.
Shameen and her siblings were produced from the winning Stefan the Great mare Silver Beauty, a full sister to 1930 Independence Handicap winner Jean Valjean and a half sister to 1935 Arlington Futurity winner Grand Slam (by Chance Play) and multiple stakes winner Jean Lafitte (by Sand Mole). Produced from the Luke McLuke mare Jeanne Bowdre, Silver Beauty is also a half sister to Mary Keen (by Victorian), dam of Canadian stakes winner Vice Admiral (by War Admiral); to stakes-placed Fantine (by Whichone), dam of 1946 Blue Grass Stakes winner Lord Boswell (by Boswell), 1947 Pollyanna Stakes winner War Fan (by War Admiral) and juvenile stakes winner Fantine Busher (by Mr. Busher); to Jeanne's Poise (by Equipoise), dam of stakes winner Apollo (by Mr. Busher); to stakes-placed Jeanne d'Arc (by Man o' War), second dam of 1961 American Derby and Travers Stakes winner Beau Prince; and to Jeannetti, second dam of 1959 Firenze Handicap winner Polamby.
Books and media
Fabius is profiled in Chapter 8 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
Last updated: November 25, 2024
Race record
65 starts, 18 wins, 9 seconds, 12 thirds, US$331,384
1956:
- Won Preakness Stakes (USA, 9.5FD, Pimlico)
- Won Derby Trial (USA, 8FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won Jersey Stakes (USA, 9FD, Garden State)
- 2nd Leonard Richards Stakes (USA, 9FD, Delaware)
- 2nd Ohio Derby (USA, 9FD, Thistledown)
- 2nd Kentucky Derby (USA, 10FD, Churchill Downs)
- 3rd Belmont Stakes (USA, 12FD, Belmont)
- 3rd Flamingo Stakes (USA, 9FD, Hialeah)
- 3rd Fountain of Youth Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Gulfstream Park)
1957:
- Won Armed Handicap (USA, 6FD, Gulfstream Park)
- 2nd Warren Wright Memorial Handicap (USA, 7FD, Arlington Park)
- 2nd Gulfstream Park Handicap (USA, 10FD, Gulfstream Park)
- 3rd Equipoise Mile Handicap (USA, 8FD, Arlington Park)
1958:
- 3rd Palm Beach Handicap (USA, 7FD, Hialeah)
Assessments
Rated at 111 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1955, 15 pounds below highweighted Career Boy and 14 pounds below the official co-champions, Nail and Needles.
Rated at 122 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1956, 6 pounds below champion Needles.
Ranked fourth among American 3-year-old males of 1956 by The Blood-Horse.
Rated at 117 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1957, 11 pounds below champion Dedicate.
Rated at 107 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American older males of 1958, 25 pounds below co-highweights Bold Ruler and Gallant Man and 24 pounds below Horse of the Year Round Table.
As an individual
A brown horse, Fabius was not particularly substantial and had a rather large head. As his father Ben Jones had done with Whirlaway, trainer Jimmy Jones kept Fabius's tail long to discourage rivals from coming up on his heels.
As a stallion
According to records kept by The Jockey Club, Fabius sired 52 winners (69.3%) and 5 stakes winners (6.7%) from 75 named foals The best of his runners was Fabe Count, who won nine stakes races in Canada.
Connections
Fabius was bred and owned by Calumet Farm. He was trained by Horace “Jimmy” Jones. He entered stud in Canada in 1959 at Nashville Stud, Ontario.
Pedigree notes
Fabius' pedigree is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to Helene (by Challedon) dam of stakes winner Eamohe (by Easy Mon) and second dam of 1975 Futurity Stakes (USA-G1) winner Soy Numero Uno, 1972 Arkansas Derby winner No Le Hace and 1967 Interborough Handicap winner Recall.
Shameen, the dam of Fabius, never raced. She is a half sister to 1939 Selima Stakes winner War Beauty (by Man o' War) and to Spotted Beauty (by Man o' War), dam of 1948 Jamaica Handicap winner Royal Blood (by Coldstream) and third dam of 1971 Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Dawn Deluxe, 1992 Norsk Oaks winner Saucy Girl, 1968 Hollywood Oaks winner Hooplah, and Grade 2 winner Zen. Shameen is also a half sister to Grey Mood (by Mahmoud), dam of 1956 Michigan Mile winner Nonnie Jo (by Reaping Reward) and third dam of 1970 Matchmaker Stakes winner Dedicated to Sue.
Shameen and her siblings were produced from the winning Stefan the Great mare Silver Beauty, a full sister to 1930 Independence Handicap winner Jean Valjean and a half sister to 1935 Arlington Futurity winner Grand Slam (by Chance Play) and multiple stakes winner Jean Lafitte (by Sand Mole). Produced from the Luke McLuke mare Jeanne Bowdre, Silver Beauty is also a half sister to Mary Keen (by Victorian), dam of Canadian stakes winner Vice Admiral (by War Admiral); to stakes-placed Fantine (by Whichone), dam of 1946 Blue Grass Stakes winner Lord Boswell (by Boswell), 1947 Pollyanna Stakes winner War Fan (by War Admiral) and juvenile stakes winner Fantine Busher (by Mr. Busher); to Jeanne's Poise (by Equipoise), dam of stakes winner Apollo (by Mr. Busher); to stakes-placed Jeanne d'Arc (by Man o' War), second dam of 1961 American Derby and Travers Stakes winner Beau Prince; and to Jeannetti, second dam of 1959 Firenze Handicap winner Polamby.
Books and media
Fabius is profiled in Chapter 8 of Avalyn Hunter's American Classic Pedigrees 1914-2002 (2003, Eclipse Press).
Fun facts
- Fabius is one of a record eight Preakness Stakes winners raced by Calumet Farm. The others are Whirlaway (1941), Pensive (1944), Faultless (1947), Citation (1948), Tim Tam (1958), Forward Pass (1968) and Oxbow (2013). All but Oxbow were bred by Calumet.
- Fabius Maximus Verrucosus, generally known to history as Fabius, was a dictator of the Roman Republic who waged a war of attrition against the invading Carthaginian general Hannibal during the second Punic War in the third century BCE. While his strategy was not politically popular, it eventually resulted in Hannibal's being forced to retreat from Italy after 15 years. Fabius' name survives in the military term “Fabian strategy,” used for a campaign in which delaying, hit-and-run, and scorched-earth tactics are used to wear down an opposing force. His name also survives in “Fabian socialism,” whose advocates seek to bring about a socialist state gradually rather than by revolution.
Last updated: November 25, 2024