Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-20
Fabius Captures Preakness
As Needles Stretch Bid Fails
No Regrets
Third Before
1914 Fans
BY LEWIS F. ATCHISON
Star Staff Correspondent

BY LEWIS F. ATCHISON
Star STAFF Correspondent
BALTIMORE. May l9.-The
colt that had done everything
asked of him" was asked to
catch Calumet Farms speedy
Fabius in the Both running Of
the Preakness today and couldn't
dot it. Thus Needles chances of
winning the coveted Triple Crown
of racing vanished in puff of
dust.
At the finish of slow mile
and three-sixteenthS it was
Fabius by length and three
quarters over Needles. Wallace
E. Britt's No Regrets was third
by a length. while Winding Way
Farms Golf Ace finished fourth
by a half length and the rest Of
the nine-horse field brought up
the rear. A crowd of 29,774---
larger than expected at old Pim-
lico-screamed with excitement.
The time was an undistin-
guished 1885. almost four full
seconds off Nashua's record
making time a year ago. Few
were thinking of time, however,
as Fabius roared into the home
stretch on the head end of the
parade and the late-Starting
Kentucky Derby winner charged
at him from his customary spot
in the caboose.
Fabius Pays 81
Second choice in the wagering,
Fabius paid 81, S2.40 and $2.40.
Needles paid 1920 for place and
show, while No Regrets paid
$3.50 to show.
Needles fans. roofing for him
to take his fourth straight $780,
600 purse enroute to the Triple
Crown, confidently put $123,703
out of win pool of $226.094 on
his nose. He was 3-to-5 on the
board when Starter Eddie Blind
sent the field on its way. and the
$49,83l bet on him in the show
pool by sure thing" gamblers
created minus pool of $40,
which the track had to make
good.
1t was not a good day for SEN
timental horsemen who were
pulling for old Trainer Hugh
Fontaine's sake as much as any,
thing else. But when the field
rounded the clubhouse turn into
the backstretch. with Needles
almost II lengths back. his
packers were smitten with a
sinking feeling that today his
famed finishing kick might not
be enough. 1t wasn't.
"Never Gave Up"
Jockey Dave Erb said that
Needles Kentucky Derby victory
might have taken more out of
him than his handlers suspected.
HE never gave up and was
not tired. but at the 70-yard
pole / knew we couldn't make it."
Erb said.
Needles had no excuses. The
track was fast. if seemingly a
bit dead The threatened late
Afternoon showers held off and
it was warm and sunny. with a
good breeze blowing. 1t was an
ideal day for racing. The field
was small. eliminating showing
and crowding.
If any horse had an excuse it
was Fabius. who stumbled COM
ing out of the gate and went
almost to his knees. But Jockey
Willie Hartack got the son OF
Citation-Shameen running quick
lily and he was never worse than
third, Fablus ran pretty much
the same sort of race that got
him second place in the Derby,
moving into the lead on the last
turn and pulling out all the stops.
To some press box observers
Willie seemed to have a wobbly
horse under him in the last six
teenth, but if so the West Vir-
ginian did an excellent Job OF
holding HIM together.
Eiffel Blue Sets Pace
Daniel Arnstein's Eiffel Blue
set the pace for six furlonGS.
with Golf Ace. a supplemental
entry. and Fabius close behind.
Needles was last, almost as far
back as last weeks mystery mag
azine installment. In between
were No Regrets. Harvey c. Frue-
hauf'S entry of Ratheram and
Fleet Poet. which finished eighth
and ninth, Mrs. Helen w. Kel-
logg's Come On Red and Dino
Lozzi's Count Chic.
Most experts. regardless OF
the finish. expected a repeat OF
the Kentucky Derby finish two
, weeks ago which found Come on
: Red and Count Chic finishing
! behind Needles and Fabius in
, that order
No Regrets. who got up to
second place briefly under Doug
Continued on Page CT, Col. S