Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-21
WIN LOSE OR
UkAW By FRANCIS srAAA
Fobius, Son of Citation

AFTER THE KENTUCKY DERBY it had been felt In
some circles that if Needles was going to blow in the
immediate future would be the Preakness not the longer
Belmont Turns out the suspicion we'll founded but of
sudden it develops that Needles longer widely regarded
as shoo-in for the Belmont.
1t not to knock down colt that has $4S7
in less than two years of racing but the evidence that
FabuS at least is catching up with the first Florida bred
of any Importance Starting with allowance
back in April at Keeneland Fabus won four and
placed in his last five again Calumet is play
ing powerful hand.
Calumets to racing what the Yankees are to baseball
1t is never wise to underrate Calumet when looks
If the Jones boysPain Ben and Jimmy-have
nothing in the barn Any colt y that appears on track
with rider wearing the famed devils of Calumet got
to be taken into consideration
IL NEEDLES FORTE is SUPPOSED to be distance running
It that in the Derby he beat firing Fabus in the
final eighth of mile and equally Fabius weary
at the end of the shorter Preaknes But this
essary that Calumes colt able to last the
mile and a-half Belmont.
"ShuckS" Ben Jones puts it, "hes by Citation I don't
know of any horse that could farther than Cy."
Fabus it develops is the best of Citations crop
After he dropped by the Shameen the youngster
was named Fabus after Quintus Fabus Maximus Roman
general who fond of passing out citations But
he wasn't precisely sensation He
of II and $l7715 and Ben and Jimmy they had
better in their barn.
couple of days before the Derby Ben and Jimmy were
taking it easy after morning workouts by Fabus and his
stabemate Pntor Lea reporter visiting Calumet barn.
asked the chance they had in the big one
SO
WELL" BEN DRAWLED, "Jimmy is training EN- but I'd
say this colt abus is sounder and the other lPntor
Lea) is the better one How about it, SOM"
Jimmy nodded in agreement. "Fabus may improve" he
said cautiously but if Pntor Lea hadn't sprung knee
he'd be the main half of entry"
Pntor Lea, by Goya II (pintor means painter in Span
Sh unsound when he paraded to post Louisville
with Fabius Indeed Churchill Downs officials were surprised
when the JoneSes entered him.
Peo - r,;
Corum related last Saturday in the press box Pmico
thought he'd rest the colt for the Belmont make
that knee got better.
an tell you, Bill Jones said you only get so many
chances to horse in the Derby Pntor isn't lame
by any means He has knee condition, I'll admit but he's
good colt"
IN THE DERBY THE KNEE buckled but Pintor Lea still
finished fifth The p-off his potential may have come
when Willie Hartack who rode Fabus but had choice
the two mounts interrupted questions by newspapermen
the jockeys quarters to ask about Pintor Lea.
IF he out of the all right" Willie said II may
switch from Fabus to Pnor Lea in the Preakness In
book he's the better colt"
Even Harack then, pleasantly surprised by Fabus in
Baltimore While Pintor Lea rompS farm, presumably
having sacrificed his Belmont chances to run in the Derby
his stablemate has added stature After Preakness
tack playing it down in the characteristic of top
fight riders, said
This colt (Fabius) is improving"
Translated it could mean Hartack now thinks he has
whale of colt, at least by this seasons standards
THE 80h PREAKNESS COULD be faulted because of the
dreary time of 1895 track that should have been as
fast Pmco strip get This nearly four seconds
slower than Nashua record Preakness 1855 which
that Fabus and Needles running against Mr. Million
are they would have finished far up the track
For all of his wealth success Needles remains ss-
pec colt as far as the punger concerned They
bet big on the handsome Of Ponder is too recacrant
when 1t comes workouts and his spaced far
Once in race Needles is inclined be independently
2 lazy.
He was lucky in the Derby suffer no interference dur
ing his late charge Needles likewise unimpeded in the
much smaller Preaknes field but he waited long to make
up his mind to In company cassier than Saturdays
there was no to be indifferent ninth and last after
.three-quarte of a mile
1t all well and good to be stretch-runner but it can
be overdone More accurately Needles and others of the
fraternity ought to be called one-un" horses They've got
that one big run in them Stymie Whrlaway and Native
Dancer for instance had It, Needles only he
IN ha vinOit Rolfir