The fast pace set up the race for Damascus, who closed ground quickly in the stretch and won by lengths. Dr. Fager held on for second while Hedevar finished last. Dr. Fager made his next start in the Whitney Stakes on August 3, where he received "only" 132 pounds under the allowance conditions of the race. Facing only three rivals, each of whom carried 114 pounds, he went off at odds of 1–20 (the legal minimum). Dr. Fager went to the early lead and set sensible fractions, completing the half mile in :47 (two seconds slower than the pace in the Brooklyn.) Under a hand ride, his margin increased down the stretch to eight lengths at the finish. Despite the high weight and lack of competition, his time for miles was 1:48, just three-fifths off of the track record. World record Dr. Fager made his next start on August 24 in the Washington Park Handicap at Arlington Park under 134 pounds. Damascus was also being considered for the race but was withdrawn because his trainer felt the distance of a mile favored Dr. Fager. Despite extremely high heat and humidity in the Chicago area, Dr. Fager was in excellent spirits before the race. When asked by a local television crew to describe the colt, Nerud responded, "I guess he'd be like a golfer who scored 62 every time he played." Arlington Park has a long chute on the backstretch, meaning the runners would only have to go around one-turn to complete the mile. As a result, a fast time was anticipated despite Dr. Fager's high weight assignment. Nerud doubted though that Dr. Fager could match the existing world record of 1:32 set at Arlington Park in 1966 by Buckpasser while carrying 125 pounds. “Those things aren't important to me," he said when asked about setting the record. "I'm only interested in winning and you just try to handle a horse the best way you can to get him to win." Dr. Fager went off at odds of 3–10 while spotting his rivals between 16 and 23 pounds. During a fast opening quarter mile of 22 seconds, Baeza rated him in sixth place while keeping him out of traffic problems on the outside of the pack. He then started to make up ground, moving up to second as the half-mile was completed in a stunning 44 seconds flat. Considering the ground