Story of How Idea Originated, Daily Racing Form, 1955-06-16

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Story of How Idea Originated There is quite a story behind this story of a meeting between Nashua and Swaps. It started on a night when Don Ameche and his wife, "Honey," were having dinner with Toots Shor and his wife in a New York club. Shor asked Ameche if he knew Woodward. Don answered: "No, but I would like to." Big and affable Shor then took Ameche over to Woodwards table and the- two talked for over half an hour. Ameche told this writer: "I never met a finer young fellow in my life. It was only natural that our conversation centered on Nashuas defeat by Swaps in the Kentucky Derby. Woodward gave every credit to Swaps and called him a fine horse. When we parted, I did so with the thought, and Honey- shared it with me, that Woodward was a fine son of a great father." The following day, Ameche phoned his long-time friend, Ben Lindheimer in Chicago, and told him that Woodward was agreeable to meeting Swaps in a match race or in any other kind of a race where the question of. supremacy could be settled. Lindheimer was elated anoTsaid he would offer 0,000 to 00,000 for the pair to meet in the fall. When Ameche told Woodward, he said: "Tell him to make it 5,000 and I feel sure that Rex Ellsworth will agree." No one can blame Hollywood Park for attempting to get the match. It is a great race track, but its meeting closes on July 25, so there would hardly be the time for the two horses to meet. Talking with Lindheimer the other day, he said he made the stipulation that the match race was not to interfere with the plans of the two owners. He further said he was not concerned about the money, even up to 00,000, but was anxous to give Chicago fans the finest in racing. Nashua is eligible for the Dwyer, which will be run at Aqueduct on .July 2, and it was always the policy of the late William Woodward to start his top horses in this race. Swaps has been, named for the American Derby on August 20 and Ellsworth stated some time ago that he plans to ship his great colt to Chicago for that race. So what all the fuss is about is something we fail to understand. These men are sportsmen in the true sense of the word and, as we said above, there must have been a misunderstanding on the part of the Hollywood officials.


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1950s/drf1955061601/drf1955061601_4_7
Local Identifier: drf1955061601_4_7
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800