Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-12-30
WIN, LOSE OR
DNAW By FRANCIS srANN
This Day at HioIeoh

MIAMI, DEC. 30-This windy morning for these
parts Sharp piercing squalls had marked the night
the Haleah track was fetock deep Whether walking
gaoping horses sometimes lost footing stumbled
giving their mud begrimed exercise boys hard time
Mr. Fitz-sunny Jim Fitzsimmons-met the big horse
he returned to his stable The big horse course
is Nashua, and the 8yearold Mr. Fitz watched carefully
the highest horse in history pale
blue-and -hamingo-pnk blanket and began to the
walking ring, led by a groom.
Old Jim is bent He leans crutch when he walks,
his feet shutting in oldf shoned high shoes in the mire
He sweater under wind-breaker against the cold
but his eyes cleaned as he spoke of Nashua.
Hes the greatest I trained Sunny Jim said II
had good Johnstown Gallant Fox Omaha
but this one is unusually good"
THE OLD CARTER, WHO easily is the most popular and
respected in racing in America, said
"Ive got two Wheatley f1les working now Let's drive
down to the turn and watch"
Mr. FitZ, astoniShingly, climbed behind the wheel
big, powerful automobile.
my family thinks I'm the worst driver in the world"
Mr. Fz murmured but what hear of people busting
up each other Miami Beach, I'm not they're right
Cautiously but unerrngy he drove devious half-mile
to the backstrech There small pines that hid the
rail and John Fitzsimmons, his son, said:
BE careful coming behind the pines horses
the track don't know we're here and they may throw
boy That wouldn't be any fun on this kind of track"
They'd drown" a visitor said.
mot quite replied the elder Ftzsmmons but it might
panic horse or two and somebody could get hurt"
**+&
THE HORSES THAT ARE galloping breeding run
counterclockwise those which have made their
walked back in keyedup state along the outside rail-
clockwise.
"Those are my two FLIES" Mr. Ftz said One was the
less standard brown in color the other gray.
think they've got possibilities the old said "but guess
Nashua you talk about let's go the
barn"
Picking UP his aluminium head bent previously low
MI. Ftz led the way back to the car he drove.
They still cooling out Nashua in the walking ring
when Mr.. Fitz arrived at the barn and a man asked
'Mr Ftz since this horse sold for the record
price, has it made difference in attitude toward
him? mean, there is horse that brought believe slightly
more than million and quarter Is horse worth that
much money!"
This apparently was" Sunny Jim parted.
did think at the time Of sae one that
people would bid million for hm?"
MR. FTTZ, WITH A nice but c o nm ndi ng bark to
Nashuas groom ordered the stopped defrocked
in the middle of the ring
II figured he'd go for at least million" Fitz said
apprasng the incredible shoulders the that
$s455 in purses in two years of racing second only
to Citations Of $1os57So was question :"
AS the old mans voice faded, asked
IF he had been sold by the Belar Studs bankers
other than Leslie Combs and his syndicate would
have continued to train him?"
Depends" Mr. Fitz drawled Personally, had hoped
Bull Hancock of Lexington would buy him. But Mr. Combs
is Just the type of Bull He knows horses
but to question Wouldn't have taken the job
If somebody who didn't know racing bought him"
"MR. FTTz," asked, do yo4 think you figured in
the sale price of Nashua? you've close to 300
stakes better than 81 million
The old man smiled. II don't think figured in the
price SALE should say know Nashua better than
anybody else probably but competent trainer could
have done the job He's easy horse to train He eats well
drinks his waer-ncdentaIy he takes 10 to is gallons of
bottled mountain water day. and what he doesn't drink
do every stop by the barn.
Speaking of water drinking, read where Nashua is
drinking so much of the bottled mountain water that Mary
lands football players can't get any All say is that
it's practical Maryands football players welcome TO
what Nashua got in the way Of water"