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New Jersey i By Fred Galiani Juvenile Needles Has Strong Following Annexed Last Race in Near-Record Time Jockey Choquette His Biggest Booster MONMOUTH PARK, Oceanport, N. J., June 24. Despite the reputations of the unbeaten Pollys Jet and Decathlon, both of whom are expected to do battle in the Tyro Stakes here on the holiday week end, there is a strong rooting contingent in these parts for b-H Stables Needles. The bay colt, by Ponder Noodle Soup, won impressively here the other afternoon, in which he came within a fifth of a second of the track record, after being away slowly and having trouble finding racing room. When he finally did get through, he came thundering down the stretch to win handsomely by a length. Johnny Choquette has ridden the colt in all of his four races and is the cheer leader of the Needles rooting section. "This is a real good colt," Choquette said. "I dcnt think there is anything around that will beat him when it comes to a distance of ground. Hes won three out of his four starts and the one he lost couldnt be helped. We had the outside post in a field of 11 that day, got off badly and I bet we werent 15 yards from the outside fence all the way around the turn. It was a four and a half furlong race and we were the only ones who had to go five furlongs. Yet with all that, when we got straightened away, he was only beaten more than two lengths for all the money. Getthere Jack won the race, but I dont think hell beat this colt again. Equals Nances Lad in Juvenile Form "Hugh Fontaine the trainer and I knew this colt was. a good one long before we started him," continued the Canadian-born rider. "Hes nicely proportioned. He has a deep shoulder and big quarters and he runs with a nice, low effortless action. Theres no lost motion. I told Hughie the day at Gulstream. wed be sure to get a track record and we did, winning by three and a half lengths. Hes slow to get going, but once he does, he moves. Thats why I say hes going to be much better when they go a distance. Last year we knew Nances Lad was a real good one, but he got hurt and couldnt get to the races. Hes proven that he is a top stakes horse. Ordinarily I dont make any predictions, but Ill say that Needles now is as good as Nances Lad was at the same time last year." Needles is owned by the partnership of Mr. and Mrs. B. M. Heath of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla and Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Dudley, of Stillwater, Okla, He won his first race by five lengths, was beaten by Getthere Jack in the Gulf-stream Juvenile and then set a track record at Hallan-dale the next time out. The muscular bay made it three for four here the oher day and is now ready to take on the tops of the division. As far as Choquette and Fontaine are concerned, theyve got the Needles to puncture the balloons of Pollys Jet, or anybody else. Best crack of. the week goes to Kenny Church, who was on Ifabody in his pursuit of Helioscope in the Salvador Mile. "I had a very monotonous ride," he said. . . . Tommy Root shipped Fabulous Fox and Winning Fleet down from Jamaica and the former promptly won by himself, as an odds-on choice should. Mr. and Mrs. Walden, along with Root, were present to see the race but it was a photo finish for the former to make it. They were unable to make plane connections from their Midway, Ky., home and grabbed a train at the last minute, arriving at the track after the long trip just prior to the race. . . . Bob McGee, son of trainer Jimmy McGee, arrived from St. Meynards Seminary, near Evansville, Ind., on his summer vacation. Before heading east, Bob stopped off to see his brother, Mike, who has three horses at Arlington Park. Blinkers Help Peeler Annex Victory The addition of blinkers by trainer Oscar Mackey did the trick for Llongollen Farms Peeler, who won at long odds Tuesday, the Kitchen Police colt leveling down at the races and drawing away at the finish. May be a good one. ... . Harry Newcombe, owner of the Leslie Jane Stable, has left his Marthas Wave at ThistleDown for the Marathon Handicap to be run at the Cleveland track a week from Saturday. The mare won a distance race there last week end. . . . Mrs. Joe Camac, who broke her ankle a couple of weeks ago, is coming along nicely, according to her husband, but will have to keep her foot in a cast for about another five weeks. Last year Mrs. Camac and Katy Pardue won the three-legged race at the horsemens picnic, but the former must perforce be a scratch for this years renewal of the race. W. P. Griffiths, of Philadelphia, who has a string here in the care of Phil Miller, was an observer the other afternoon. His mare, Joycie G., was sent to the Meadowview Farms and was bred to Slide Rule. She will be kept in New Jersey and the foal will be eligible for homebred races in the state. . . . Andy "Doc" Co-lando is bemoaning the fact he cant get to the winners circle, but is knocking at the door. He has started nine horses, and had four seconds and three thirds. . . . "Dutch" Nielsen has taken over five horses foe Lou Steacker, of South Jersey, including Autumn Mist and Whirling Glow, a sophomore and juvenile, respectively, for whom he has high hopes. . . . Jack Skelly hasbeen engaged to ride H. P. Metcalf s Roman Rocket in the Longfellow Handicap on the turf here next Wednesday.
