Trainer Simon Callaghan won Friday's first race, the $200,000 Damascus Stakes, with Americanize, who disputed the pace throughout the seven-furlong race.

Americanize ($12) was timed in 1:21.73 and set fractions of 22.02 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 44.39 for a half-mile. 

"The track is pretty speedy," Callaghan said. 

Americanize had his stakes debut in the Damascus, his third win in nine starts.