Evening star., 1955-05-08

14O al CIldG pOl1lL lOOkGU ike
mt of his sixth Derby victory,
the pace-settlng Swaps unloosed
some amazing reserve strength
that enabled him to pull away
and win by a widening length
and half in a sparkling 2:014s
for the gruelling mile and a
quarter.
Fourth Fastest Since 1875
This was the fourth fastest
Derby since Aristides won in
1875. eclipsed only by Whirlaway
in 1941. Middleground in 1850
and Hill Gail in 1852, and
equalled by Twenty Grand in
1881. It was the first victory
for California -foaled colt since
Norwich won in 1922 and the
first win in four tries for little
Willie Shoemaker, who rode one
Of his greatest races in beating
the Nashua-Arcaro combination.
Summer Tan, Nashau's arch
rival. was right behind him again
in third place, but this time
there were 61a lengths separat-
ing the Belair Stud colt and
Mrs. John Galbreath's game g.
year -old.
The Cain Hoy Stable, whose
Dark Star nosed out Native
Dancer in another startling
Derby upset two years ago, f1n-
ished fourth with Racing Fool,
four lengths back of Summer
Tan, whose jockey, Eric Guerin,
was the unlucky rider on Native
Dancer.
jeans Joe Fifth
After the four money winners
in the battle for the lush pot
of $152,500. the order of finish
in the optimistic field of 10 was
Jeans Joe. Flying Fury, Honeys
Alibi, Blue Lem, Nabesna and
Trim Destiny.
Aside from Nashua, whose 13-
toto odds furnished most of the
pre-Derby conversation among
the folks who are supposed to
know about such things, the
only horse that made real race
out Of 1t was Trim Destiny, q
50-to-1 shot whose only claim
to fame was victory in the little
regarded Arkansas Derby. Trim
Destiny, whose rider, L. c. Cook,
spells his first name Lois-even
If most printers won't go along
with him-gave Swaps quite a
battle going up the backstretch,
but called it a day at the far
turn when Nashua moved up and
made his challenge.
It would be hard to imagine
a more truly run Derby. Nashua,
winner Of 10 Of his previous IL
starts, never got a better ride
and simply ran into a horse that,
amazing as it must have been
to about 40 million television
watchers, had too much courage
for him in the last eighth Of a
mile. It wasn't any question Of
Shoemaker outriding Arcaro, for
that just isn't being done, and
Eddie never rode a better race.
Swaps Second Choice
Swaps, whose owners, Rex
Ellsworth and Trainer Meshach
Tenney, are Mormons. made the
Derby his fifth straight victory
in justifying the faith Of the
many in the crowd Of 100000:
odd that made him the 14-to-S
second choice in the betting. Be-
fore the race, most of the East
ern writer's couldn't understand
how the California son Of Khaled
could be rated ahead of Summer
Tan, who went off at $3.50 to /.
When Shoemaker turned Swaps
loose at the eighth pole, it was
easy to understand. The wise
boys had been wrong again.
Most of the Eastern writer's
had rated Nashua no better than
4 to after his dramatic VIC
tory over Summer Tan in the
Wood Memorial two weeks ago.
However, last Saturday Swaps,
1913 pounds, won q
smashing victory in a six-fur-
long race at Churchill Downs,
812 lengths ahead of
something called Sty-Runner. q
son of Stymie. 1t was impressive
because the time was only one
fifth of the track record.
Nevertheless, many recalled
that Swaps in winning the $780,
600 Santa Anita Derby under
Johnny Longden was only half
q length ahead of Jeans Joe and
not going too strongly. Those
skeptics were really surprised