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Reflections By Nelson Dunstan • Swaps Was Best Horse on Derby Day Nashuas Forte Is Racing in Front Downs Horsemen Not Co-Operative NEW YORK, N. Y., May 11.— In our effort to analyze last Saturdays running of the Kentucky Derby, we want to make it clear that there is no question in our mind that the best horse won as the race was run, and that until the two meet again Swaps must be considered superior to Nashua. There are, however, many factors to this race, and while it is true that Swaps was Nashuas master last Saturday, it would be premature to accept him as a truly great horse on the basis of one important victory. It certainly cannot be said that defeating a horse of Jeans Joe caliber in the Santa Anita Derby was sufficient to stamp Swaps as possessing the quality to win the Kentucky Derby. In defeating Nashua he established himself as an outstanding colt. Without taking anything from Swaps, it is our opinion that Nashua has always run his best races while setting the pace. The fact is that with the exception of his narrow defeat in a short race by Royal Note, Nashuas only defeats have come when he was taken off the pace. He has never been beaten while setting the pace. He won the Florida Derby coming from behind, but won narrowly from a mediocre field. He won the Wood Memorial coming from behind by the narrowest of margins; primarily because Summer Tan tired. It would be interesting to see what would happen if Nashua and Swaps met again and if Nashua went out to set the pace. Downs Strip Suited Californian Best It is also a fact that the Churchill Downs racing strip suited Swaps more than Nashua for the reason that the track has a very shallow cushion and is very similar to California tracks. On the other hand, the "Long Island tracks have a deep cushion, which might not suit Swaps as well. We repeat, that Nashua had no excuses. He was always in the clear, made his move, drew on almost level terms, but was not good enough. It is truly a shame that Swaps will not have the opportunity to win the Triple Crown. We are in full agreement with the editorial in this newspaper on Tuesday that it is high time supplementary entries were permitted for all important stakes. We cannot see anything sporting about winning the Preakness or the Belmont when the outstanding horse is not in the neld. Members of The Jockey Club should be the first to see the virtue of this idea, for they are men who are primarily interested in the sporting side of racing, and there is little satisfaction in winning an imoprtant race unless you are beating the best. It seems to us that it is high time that the top officials of the HBPA took a hand in the fiasco that took place at Churchill Downs last Friday, when the horsemen were so reluctant to enter their horses for Derby Day that the entries were not filed until 3 p. m., Churchill Downs time, and were not received in the East until almost 5 p. m., eastern time. Consequently not a single afternoon newspaper on the eastern seaboard published entries for Derby Day. It also prevented Daily Racing Form in Chicago from publishing its, special edition, which is printed as a service to the many fans who jam Louisville on Derby Day. The Kentucky Derby is the most popular. and colorful race in the United States. Surely, the least the track deserves is the support of the horsemen to fill the program for that day. No one benefits more from the popularity of the Derby and its great service to racing than the horsemen of this country. Nine Stakes Remain at Belmont Park The Juvenile Wednesday was the sixth stake run at Belmont, some of them in wretched weather, but there are still nine important stakes on the flat to be run. On May 21, when the Withers will be run, the secondary feature of the day, will be the International Steeplechase which has 0,000 added. This event will be a highlight for those who follow steeplechasing and with eight foreign jumpers in the line-up, it is, as its title suggests, international in every sense of the word. Three-year-old will continue to occupy the spotlight at Belmont for, after the running of the Withers, the 0,-000 Coaching Club American Oaks for fillies will be followed by the Peter Pan Handicap at one mile and a furlong on June 4. This is a prep for the 00,000 Belmont Stakes at a mile and a half, which will bring the meeting to a close on June 11. The Belmont officials have made no announcement as to whether construction on the new plant will start immediately after the Belmont running or whether the fall meeting will be staged at their own course or transferred to Aqueduct.
