Swaps vs. Nashua - 1955 Match Race

[@OHRaceFan]

Swaps' only defeat in 1955, an otherwise monster year for him. Arcaro gave Shoemaker a lesson for life in this race. Thanks for posting a classic from the glory days of racing! *****

[@Jazzgirl8888]

I agree cf - I am so sorry Swaps had a bad foot but he sure ran a great race and Nashua was a powerhouse This is fantastic footage . A great race. I love listening to the voices of Eddie Arcaro and Frank Wright as well. Thank you so much for posting and I hope you will have a wonderful day ! :)

[@BE109]

These two were both excellent animals. I favor Swaps just a wee bit, he always battled a troublesome front hoof. In this race that hoof problem had flared up. Tenney chose to run him anyway,so he wouldn't disappoint the crowd. I will not say that was the reason for his loss,but it sure didn't help. Nashua was on song this day,yet he sometimes didn't really give his utmost(a gift from his sire Nasrullah). Both had stellar years as 4 Yr olds,Swaps and Nashua were both great ones.

[@benthekeeshond545]

If Arcaro was the rider during the Whirlaway/Alsap match race, Whirlaway would have blown away Alsap. I wonder if Arcaro said anything about Whirlaway's loss to Alsap.

[@40momba]

My Dad was there and got Shoemaker's autograph...cool video thanks for uploading it!

[@TakedaNoKashin]

Not mentioned by anyone, Sunny J. Fitzsimmons did an incredible job training Nashua for this race.

[@BackstretchUnderdog]

This was quite the matchup!

[@JohnFPorcaro]

CF comes through again! Great race with 2 great jockeys.

[@BE109]

No offense to Nashua,but that swaps wasn't 100% is clear by the final time of 2:04 & change. Swaps other times at 10 furlongs were much much faster! But they were both TB greats!

[@hanoverianjumpers101]

Thoroughbreds were so much faster back in the day. Swaps and Nashua just burst from the gate and you could see right where they quit running about 2:04 ...You never see when horses quit these days because they're never running hard enough! :D Thanks for posting this!

[@hoffmannamps]

Too bad Ellsworth and Tenney ran Swaps in this race, he was injured. If they would have waited until he was healthy the outcome could have been different.

[@Vinow]

The horse is a beauty

[@Jazzgirl8888]

Thank you ! :)

[@bg147]

Arcaro gave Nashua a great ride... masterful. However, I think Swaps lost the race right out of the gate. He was on the wrong lead, he veered out, and he was not getting ahold of the track. Maybe that's why Shoe didn't gun him.

[@1948BigCy]

@BE109 : Didn't Arcaro say that had Swaps been 100%, he probably would have beaten Nashua?

[@GBeret83]

@OHRaceFan, Amen to that!! It wasn't so much that Swap's got beaten by Nashua as much as Shoemaker got flatly outfoxed by Arcaro!!!

[@SuperCharlieKitty]

Swaps seemed kind of dull in that race. Nashua's jockey would later say that he doubted Nashua could have beaten a healthey Swaps.

[@nin12dog]

I do not like to see a horse whipped as brutally as this.