Evening star., 1955-06-13
WIN, LOSE OR
DkAW By FRANCIS sTANN
Horses of the Year

APPROXIMATELY THREE HOURS after Nashua had
run away from an extremely mediocre field in the Belmont
Swaps in California taking back of the prestige
Nashua had theoretically regained since his defeat in the
Kentucky Derby.
Swaps world record for mile and sixteenth
in $109900 stakes, his seventh win in a He did it
with strange rider Erb filling the suspended
Willie Shoemaker. And he big they say against
older horses including the 1854 Derby champion Determine
at scale weigh126 for the older horse and lis for Swaps
Three weeks after Swaps had beaten him by length
and half at Louisville Nashua winning the Preakness
with such that who witnessed the Derby felt
that William Woodward rs colt had fully atoned for his
upset loss to the California horse although Swaps back
home when the Preakness and it only Saratoga
that Nashua had to lick
Still they said: To-day he would have beaten Swaps"
But there others who replied: "The he beat
Saratoga He makes Of beating that colt who
wasn't considered good enough to in the Derby
He had his chance at Swaps and lost"
IN THE WINNERS CIRCLE at Belmont last Saturday
the trained Jockey Eddie Acaro who
was asked his version of the race.
"He very we'll" Eddie said, in part
"Were you concerned at any stage of the race?"
"Not against horses of this kind" Arcaro replied
Arcaro does not polish apples for of the horses
he rides with against Never has After the Derby it
is remembered he was talking in the jockeys room.
"Our only excuse" he said, speaking for Nashua and
himself, "is Swaps. My horse certainly his race"
"Then Swaps is the better colt?"
"He today. made my at Swaps three eighths
from the finish which is in plenty of time to catch any
leader you've got the horse Instead Swaps pulled away
****
SATURDAYS RACES in New York and California did
nothing detrac from the proposed match affair later this
Summer between Nashua and Swaps That will be red
letter day. not only for racing fans but for casual
followers of sports pages In respects shapes up
dramatic than the 1888 match between war
Admiral and Seabscuit in that it would be the Kentucky
Derby champion racing the Preaknes and Belmont winner
Meaning of course that Louisville Baltimore and New York
will have prestige riding on the outcome.
Because Swaps was shipped California right after
his Derby victory the Easts spring racing program was
adversely affected The Preaknes became just another Sat-
urday stakes And that Belmont field certainly was a
drab one.
Nashua perhaps lucky because Swaps did not re-
main in the East On the other hand perhaps it was un-
fortunate because although Nashua looked terrific in the
Belmont there is inclination on the part
OF turfmen to say
"He looked great but who did he beat? 1t was so
when Joe Louis heavyweight champion.
TWO YEARS STRAIGHT now, California horses have
won the Derby and the time has to take the West
erners seriously than in the past But the bottom
dropped out of both the Preakness and the Belmont both
older than the Derby the latter at mile and one-ha
regarded by breeders the true test of champion
Ellsworth could have entered Swaps in the Freak
ness In fact Swaps urged to do so by Pmco
81" would stay my horse could in the Bel
mont too" Ellsworth said "But he can't be made eligible
and going keep the horse here in the East for
three weeks a month Just for the Preakness
It might behoove Eastern racing fathers to junk their
rules and traditions extent in order to preserve their
classics This is not original thought but the DERBY
winner were automatically eligible for the other Triple
Crown races might bring back the interest and
crowds
If Swaps could have run in the Preakness and Belmont
there may need expressed for match race
The fans would treated to three Of them in effect
and might have settled that at least twice