Sport: $350 More

After his ankle went bad a year ago, Calumet Farm’s Armed was turned out to graze on Kentucky bluegrass. Armed is a gelding and no use at stud, but as 1947’s horse-of-the-year, and winner of $773,700 (now third highest in racing history), the then seven-year-old had earned the right to grow old in comfort. Instead, Armed perked up with the rest cure; his ankle bothered him hardly at all. Last week, to a sentimental flurry of applause from the crowd, the old champ jogged to the post at Hialeah Park for a comeback.

Hialeah race fans had not been sentimental enough to make him the favorite, but for one shining moment it looked as though he might come through. After lagging for half a mile behind horses that two years ago would only have been warmups for him, he began to cut his way through the pack. It was too late; the best he could do was third—and prize money of $350.

But there would be other races. If Armed’s legs held out, there was no reason why he couldn’t emulate another great gelding, Exterminator, who kept running and winning until he reached the venerable age of nine.