The Big Train

He wasn't exactly handsome; he was more like a heavy-duty freight train. A wise horse, he exerted himself no more than necessary. He never bothered to break a record unless it took record time to win; he was content to win his races by a neck, or a nose. But even a great gelding like Armed, smart in pacing himself, can run down. Five months ago, after winning eleven races and $288,725 in one season, he was pulled off the track and given a rest.

His handlers gave him a soft diet of bran mash and hay, and nothing to do all day. Then gradually he was brought up to form with long jogs and short workouts. A fortnight ago, at Florida's Hialeah Park, the Big Train raced again. He won--by a few inches. Last week, with 130 Ibs. on his back,/- the brown gelding did it again. Neither race was an important one, but they were impressive warm-ups for the winter's big two: the $50,000 Widener Handicap at Hialeah next week and the $100,000 Santa Anita Handicap the following week. Armed's toughest competitors, Assault and Stymie, are both taking the winter off.

If all goes well in Florida's Widener, Armed's Millionaire Owner Warren Wright plans to fly the big horse out to California for the Santa Anita race, his first airplane ride. At six, Armed still seemed to have a lot of run left in him--and he was already the sixth biggest money-winner ($391,-575) in racing history.

/- Including 106-lb. Jockey Doug Dodson and a pound and a half of saddle. The rest was lead, in serted in a pad under the saddle, since the track handicapper had given Armed the maximum weight to carry. The added weight slows a horse down, gives lighter-weight lesser lights a chance.

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