Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-20
Needles Fails
To Get Fubius
In Preukness
Continued from Page CT

j0OuSUIl III LIE DeIDy, got JDdL
far again today but had to settle
for third. He supplanted Golf
Ace near the turn for home. But
Golf Ace, whose winning per-
Torrance in the Wood Memorial
-nullified by a foul-earned him
a ticket to the Preakness, at
least got back the $500 fee
.for his owners by finishing
fourth.
Big Question Arises
On the turn, as Hartack took
Fabius ahead, Golf Ace and No
Regrets went with him, but Eiffel
Blue faded as badly as a $10.9e
blue suit. The race now was be-
ginning to take the expected
form. The big question popped
up-can Needles catch Fabius?
Needles was running on the
turn and the crowd knew it.
i Here comes Needles" they
screamed.
The winner of the rich Fla
mingo, Florida Derby and Ken
lucky Derby was moving into
high gear, but at that point. only
a jet plane could have caught
! Fabius.
Needles tried. He came through
Ratheram and Fleet Peet like {
] bullet. and with Erb drumming
an sos for more speed. took the
! inside path into the stretch. N,
Regrets, Golf Ace and the fadins
Eiffel Blue threatened to bloch
, him on the rail. SO Erb reinec
up ever so slightly and came tx
the outside. The incident prob
ably didn't hurt. but it didn't de
him any good.
Fabius Earns S84.25O
i Through the stretch 1t was Fa
bus with Needles futilely trying
to make up ground. Everybody
knew he couldn't make it, anc
yet the crowd didn't seem to be.
lieve that the Kentucky Derby
champion and potential wearel
of the Triple Crown was goine
down to defeat. Fabius had il
under lock and key.
After the first four, the order
of finish was Count Chic, Fife,
Blue. Come On Red, Ratheram
and Fleet Peet.
The victory, worth $84,250 tc
Fabius, who had won three ir
a row. including the Derby Tria
before bowling to Needles al
Churchill Downs. 1t boosted his
lifetime earnings to S162,765.
Second place was worth $685.
900 to Needles. giving him totaI
earnings of $487 ,055, but appar-
entity ending his threat to Nash
ua'S 3-year-old record as q
bread-winner.
No Regrets earned $4,000, al.
most half as much as he won il
nine previous starts, and Col
Ace, as noted before. simply got
back his $500 supplemental
fee.
Hartack said Fabius acts like
he might be settling down anc
become a real nice horse. HI
thought Pintor Lea, the othel
top 3-year-old in the Calume
barn, would have been better il
he had stayed sound. But Pintol
Lea broke a wing bone in hi
right forefoot in the Derby anc
; is out Of training.
I Trainer Jimmy Jones, smilinE
and bowling in the winners circle
where he received the famed
Woodlawn vase from Gov
! McKeldin, said the Preaknesi
was 1.-THE one race we like tx
! win but admitted he was {
little dubious about beatinl
Needles.
The only order Jones gave Har
tack was to try to ease off tn,
pace if it was real fast. becausl
going to the front might havl
, tired Fabius and made him
sitting duck for Needles lat,
llruSh.
This race today was run ou
way :. it was a very SATISFYING
victory" he said.
Erb and Fontaine had
long talk on the track after tn,
track after the jockey dis
mounted. Disappointment wa,
written all over the face Of thu
old gentleman, VINO was re-
! Isplendent in striped canary
, colored Stacks with darl
brown coat and dark panam,
hat. Joe Rutter. Needles groom
in the D and II. Stable. pattet
] him affectionately on the head
and they trudsed off down tn,
track, ignored and almost i'm,
noticed while Jones, Hartack ant
their colts groom, SLOW anC
Easy Martin celebrated in tn,
winnnS circle.