Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-19
Needles Odds-On at 4to 5
To Win Todays Preakness
Fobius, Top Rival,
Quoted at 5 to z;
Shower Possible
BY LEWIS F. ATCHISON
Star stan CORRESPONDENT

BALTIMORE, May 19.-ThiS
|city's big week end of racing
reaches a climax today when
nine 3-year-olds prance out on
the soil of musty old Pimlico for
the Both running Of the 100000
Preakness. With nine starters,
the purse will gross $l32.800.
The second leg of racing's
coveted Triple Crown will be pre-
scented with all the fanfare and
color Baltimore can command
for the occasion. Post time for
the first race has been moved up
Is minutes to 1:45 when the
Powder Puff Derby. a race for
feminine riders which drew nine
starters, leads off the program.
The Preakness is scheduled for
approximately 5:45 and will be
telecast and broadcast on a ma
tional hookup by the Columbia
|Broadcasting System. (WTOP.
Channel 9, in Washington.) In
addition to untold thousands of
TV and radio fans who will see
and hear the broadcast, track
Officials expect at least $4,000
to see the horses in the flesh.
Warm Day Forecast
The weather forecast called
for a cloudy and windy after
noon, with the temperature about
70 and possible showers late in
the day.
Florida bred Needles, aiming
for his fourth big purse in a
100000 race, was the odds-on
choice at 4 to S in the morning
line to add the Preakness to
his Kentucky Derby triumph,
continuing his drive toward the
Triple Crown. The net purse to
all but two supplemental NOM
inees. who paid $500. will
amount to $84,250. If the winner
is Needles it will boost his earn
ings to $546,305, putting him
ahead of Ponder, his sire and the
1949 Derby winner. Pnoder won
I$54l,275 IN Al starts.
Needles only serious compe-
tition is expected to come from
the three horses who trailed the
Flamingo and Florida Derby
winner across the finish line in
the Kentucky Derby. There could
be a surprise, but at least three
of the nine seem to be going
along only for a canter and to
give their owners the thrill of
watching their colors in the
classic.
FabiuS Second Choice
Calumet's Fabius, runner-up
at Churchill Downs after cutting
out the pace. is regarded as the
biggest threat to a Needles vic
tory. Some experts feel that on
Pimlico's deep track with the
sharp turns and short stretch.
Fabius and Jockey Willie Har-
tack may not be caught this time
if they get any kind of lead.
Fabius is the 5-to-2 second
choice.
Mrs. Helen Kellogg's Come On
Red, who seems to be just finding
his running shoes, won his way
into the Preakness with sur
Iprising third-place finish in the
Derby. 1t cost his owner the ST.
500 supplemental price but fourth
place would get it back, and any
thing better than that would be
profit. Second. third and fourth
places are worth $4,000, SIS, 900
and $500. in that order.
1 Count Chic. like Needles, is a
late starter who came from far
back to get fourth place in the
Derby. His owners would prefer
a longer route than the Freak
ness mile and three-siXteenths
but seem to be going on the
theory that anything can happen.
D. G. Arnstein's Eiffel Blue.
winner of the Bahamas Handi-
cap, w. E. Britt's No Regrets,
seventh in the Derby after get
ting up to second place. and
Winding Way Farms Golf Ace.
disqualified winner of the Wood
Memorial, and H. c. Fruehauf's
Ilong-shot pair of Ratheram and
Fleet Peet complete the field.
Golf Ace has shown nothing since
his showing in the Wood, which
induced his owners to pay the
supplemental fee to make him
eligible. The FruehaIf pair seem
to be strictly a couple Of sight
seers.
Each Carries 126 Pounds
I AS in the Derby, each horse
will carry 1875 pounds.
/ Nashua paid $3.50 when he
won the race last year and there
lis a chance that if Needles wins
he won't pay much more than
that. Shortest payoff in Freak
ness history was the 1920 paid
by Citation in 1948.
! North Downs Farms Menus,
winner of the Laurel Handicap
in his last start. won the 10000
. added Mr.. Fitz Handicap yester-
day on program honoring
Americas top trainers.
Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons. 81
!; year-old dean Of trainers,
, couldn't get down from New
York to witness the inaugural
trimming Of the La mile, feature
named in his honor, but his son,
John, accepted the plaudits in
his behalf after the race.