A Great Racing Year, With The Best Still Ahead

Nashua's dramatic return to the track last Saturday drew the biggest racing crowd in Florida history. In California the impressive victory of Swaps—running for the first time in half a year—had Californians glistening-eyed. Meanwhile, the horse that all but caught Nashua at the wire Saturday, Alfred G. Vanderbilt's Social Outcast, is being flown to California to test Swaps this Saturday. And before March is out, Swaps and Nashua could well be running against each other in another dazzler in Florida.

These are some of the spectaculars—past and in prospect—of what promises to be racing's biggest winter. So far, the figures speak for themselves. Tropical Park: attendance and pari-mutuel betting up 8% and 13% over last year. Hialeah (so far): attendance and betting up 2% and 5%. Santa Anita: up 5% and 4%. And with the biggest events still to come.