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Reflections By Nelson Dunstan » Swaps Performs Great Feat on Coast Duel With Nashua Natural This Year Open Race Would Be Better Than Match NEW YORK, N. Y.,, June 13. — In the winners circle after the running of the Belmont Stakes, William Woodward, Jr., said: "We have no definite plans for Nasnua at xnis time ana l win discuss it with Jim Fitzsimmons before making an announcement." The next day, it was revealed that Rex Ellsworth, owner of Swaps, and Woodward, owner of Nashua, had discussed a possible meeting of the pair at Hollywood Park for 00,000, winner-take-all. Now it develops, that Woodward will not ship Nashua to the Coast. Whether this match ever will materialize is a. question at this writing. Nashua gave a very fine performance winning the Belmont Stakes on the week end, and a few hours later the wires advised that Swaps had won the Californian in world record time. There was some consternation in the Ellsworth camp when they heard of Willie Shoemakers suspension last week, but Ellsworth phoned Chicago for Dave Erb, who arrived in California in time to pilot Swaps. Judging by the outcome of the Californian, Erb gave the son of Khaled just as im- pressive a ride as Ted Atkinson did with Nashua when he replaced the suspended Eddie Arcaro in the Wood Memorial. Second Westerner to Lower World Mark While Swaps was most impressive winning the Derby from Nashua, his victory in the Californian was even more so. It is something of a stunt for any three-year-old to meet older horses at scale weight in June, especially such a four-year-old as Determine, who won the Kentucky Derby last year. Like Swaps, Determine probably made the finest showing of his brilliant ca-. reer in the 1954 Californian, when he ran second to the four-year-old Imbros. Winning on the week end, Swaps ran the one mile and a sixteenth in 1:40%, time whittling two-fifths of a second front the world record established by Poona H. at Santa Anita last winter. It was also in June that Man o War established the world record of 2:14V£ for the one mile and three furlongs in the Belmont Stakes of 1920. Both Nashua and Man o War had an easy time, nor was Swaps forced to give his all to create the new world record in the Californian. That showing will go down in the books as one of the greatest performances by a three-year-old against older horses. While the sophomores usually hold their own with the handicap stars in the fall, it is rare when one wins such a race in June. Last week considerable was heard about a meeting between Nashua and Swaps. Reports had it that Ben Lindheimer, executive director of both Arlington and Washington Parks, would offer 5,000, winner-take-all, for a match in the fall. Then, on Sunday, the Ellsworth story broke. After the impressive showing of the two colts on the week end the proposed match becomes more attractive. Nashua is an eligible for the Dwyer, which will be run at Aqueduct "on July 2 and as it has long been the policy of Belair to send their top colts in the Aqueduct race, it is our guess that the stable will do so with the son of Nasrullah. Ellsworth has stated that he plans to send Swaps to Chicago for the American Derby at Washington Park, August 20, but the Belair colt is not an eligible for this event. So, if there is a meeting between the pair, it will have to be some other occasion. If both continue their winning ways, a match would be a magnet that would draw fans from all over the country. A few days ago we reported that George Humphrey had said: "If Nashua and Swaps ever meet, I will be there regardless of where it may be."
