Whirlaway, Nashua, Needles, Swaps, Citation: Horses of Renown

According to the Chinese Zodiac, this year, 2026, is the Year of the Horse, so, even though I do not acknowledge or adhere to any Zodiac, I do like the idea of "the Year of the Horse." There have been other years of the horse that I was not aware of, namely 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954 and 1942. I don't know anything of great significance that I wish to share about any of those years of the horse. What I am somewhat intrigued by is the fact that there are certain racehorses that for some reason have always gotten my attention, and I don't really know why. I want to explore them with you. I was not yet born in 1942, but I read that in 1942, though there was no Triple Crown winner, the horse Whirlaway, who won the Triple Crown in 1941, still dominated in 1942, as he was named Horse of the Year in 1942 with many important wins and was nicknamed "Mr. Longtail." Whirlaway is one of the names I want to mention here as one of a small number of horses that for some unknown reason have always captured my attention. They are Whirlaway, Nashua, Needles, Swaps and Citation. Nashua was the betting favorite in 1955, but was beaten by Swaps in the Kentucky Derby. But Nashua beat Swaps by 6 1/2 lengths in a match race that won him the 1955 Horse of the Year distinction. Eddie Arcaro rode Whirlaway when he won the Triple Crown in 1941 and Citation when he won the Triple Crown in 1948. Arcaro rode Nashua when he won the 1955 Preakness and Belmont Stakes. This must be why Eddie Arcaro is and was the face of horseracing for me. He also rode Bold Ruler, Secretariat's sire in some major races in 1957, including the Preakness Stakes. Swaps won the Kentucky Derby in 1955 and was 1955 Horse of the Year. Needles won the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in 1956. Citation was the 1948 Triple Crown winner and 1948 Horse of the Year. I likely would not have been aware of that. I was just a toddler. What I want to know is why these five horses are so interesting to me. Part of the reason may have been this racing game that had those names on it as the horses that you raced by spinning a wheel and then moving the horses along a track. But why does this keep them in front of me so much? The following is an AI Overview. I keep it here for future reference. It kind of explains why these horses are so interesting to me. They were all famous during the 40s and 50s, years that I am most interested in. I would have been aware of all of them except Citation in the years that they were in the news: "Here's a brief look at their racing careers and lives: Whirlaway (1941-1960): A Triple Crown winner known for his unique, "whirling" running style, he raced through his 4-year-old season and lived to be 22, according to Wikipedia. Nashua (1952-1980): A major rival to Swaps, Nashua raced intensely but retired soundly, living to 22, as noted by the Blood-Horse. Needles (1953-1984): A Kentucky Derby winner who had significant health issues (like bone chips) but still had a great career, living to a remarkable 27, detailed by the Kentucky Derby. Swaps (1952-1990): A champion California horse who famously raced Nashua, he lived to 26, noted by the Racing Hall of Fame. Citation (1945-1970): The first millionaire racehorse and a Triple Crown winner, Citation had a long retirement and lived to be 29, as reported by the New York Times." P.S. I was not born in a Year of the Horse. I was born in a Year of the Dog. For what that's worth. And there’s a boardgame out there with Whirlaway, Citation, Twenty Grand, Seabiscuit and Gallant Fox. I want to find one.