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Nashua was trained by Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons and ridden by jockey Eddie Arcaro. As a two-year-old in 1954, Nashua entered eight races, winning six and finishing second twice, which earned him champion 2-year-old honors. The following year he earned United States Horse of the Year awards from the Thoroughbred Racing Association (with 21 of the 40 votes), and the publishers of Daily Racing Form.

Nashua was the betting favorite to win the 1955 Kentucky Derby but was beaten by the second choice, Swaps.In the 1955 Preakness Stakes, second leg of the Triple Crown, Swaps did not run and Nashua won by a length over a surprisingly strong challenge by Marion duPont Scott's colt, Saratoga. Nashua's time of 1:54 3/5 for the mile and three-sixteenth race on dirt broke the Pimlico track record.

Swaps did not run in the Belmont Stakesand Nashua, the overwhelming choice of the bettors, romped home nine lengths ahead of his nearest rival Blazing Count with Porterville another five and on-half behind them.

In what would become Nashua's most famous race, he defeated Swaps in an August 31, 1955 match race at Chicago's Washington Park Race Track.

Nashua would be voted the 1955 American Horse of the Year. James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons - Born in 1874 in Brooklyn, New York, on land where the Sheepshead Bay track was built, James “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons became a jockey at 15. For five years, he rode mostly at bush tracks, then began to combine riding and training when his jockey career failed to take off.

Fitzsimmons saddled his first stakes winner, Bartender, in the early 1890s and also rode the horse to victory in the Brewers’ Handicap at Pimlico. In 1923, Fitzsimmons got the break which launched him to a career with high-class horses, taking over the stable of Hall of Fame member William Woodward, Sr. Later that decade, Fitzsimmons began training for the Phipps family. That association lasted until Fitzsimmons retired in 1963.

Louise Mason was an artist that specialized in thoroughbred horse portraits. Her painting are truly unique to the time period and represent some of the top horse athletes and jockeys. Several of her painting are on display at California Racecourses, including Hollywood Park, Santa Anita, Los Alamos and Del Mar. In association with turfwriter and handicapper Ernie Mason, she was also known as a handicapper and columnist as “Lucky Louise”. She was honored in the 1960’s edition of “Who’s Who in Horsedom”. Ernie Mason a top handicapper at Santa Anita Race Track for over 23 years.