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Maryland By Charles Hatton Growth of Production Reflected in Derby Laurel Jamaica Feature Handicaps Saturday Doubledogdare OnetoBeat in Kentucky Oaks OaksLAUREL LAUREL Md May 1 Who do you like That is the provocative question asked oftenest about the race to presidential candidates but to the Kentucky Derby aspirants Most of those experting this Run for the Roses seem to prefer the D H Stables Flamingo and Florida Derby winner Needles A few hereabout think Besomer will prove the one to beat In New York there is a partiality for the Whitney colts and on the West Coast for Terrang and Count Chic As you see almost every section of the country has a root ¬ ing interest Apart from that Needles is technically a Floridabred Besomer a Virginian Terrang a native son and the Whitneys Kentuckians It is an unusual situation Mostly the Kentucky Derby horses come from Kentucky though as we have previously noted a highclas performer may be reared anywhere including the Rothschilds f prmal garden in Paris ParisNeedles Needles has fared so well he has rewritten the rules which give Floridians five pounds off in their native state Clearly he did not need this concession in either the Flamingo or the Derby at Gulfstream and it will not be on the books next season At the moment the son of Ponder continues to hold steady as the futures choice for Bill Corums racing holiday on the ancient Downs of the Churchill family even though he has not been to the post since March 24 about six weeks ago We recall that when first he started at Hialeah last winter following his long period of absentia since The Garden State it was openly questioned if trainer Hugh Fontaine was not running him with a haircut and a shave But as matters turned out he ran a good race and he bounced right back to take the Flamingo It is perfectly obvious that the former polo player knows his horse and we do not think he is going to come up short for Saturdays race It appears that he wants to run fresh and that is the way he is going to be on the end of the week weekJoint Joint Subahdar for Repeat in Maryland Laurel will feature members of the handicap division on the upcoming Saturday as also will GNYA at Jamaica The eligibles for the fortythird running of the 15000 added Laurel Handicap of a mile and a six ¬ teenth include Jce Jones Fisherman Jet Action and Subahdar While no shipping plans have been an ¬ nounced for the first three the mildmannered Oscar White is definitely pointing Subahdar for an attempt to repeat in this stake From the Laurel this horse went on to win the Camden and Quaker City handi ¬ caps White has been bringing the Alsab gelding along slowly and all his recent works have been creditable Fisherman has been named also for the Grey Lag at Jamaica but a final decision on plans for him may de ¬ pend upon the status of Nashua We do not think his people much care to choose the syndicated colt at anything like even weights weightsLaurels Laurels meeting an unqualified success incidentalN ly will come to a close next Monday and on the follow ¬ ing day the scene of Maryland racing will be shifted to Pimlico where Lou Pondfield has the stage all set for one of the longest and most ambitious spring meets in the history of the Old Hilltop Many of the better per ¬ formers we have seen here at the course in Prince Georges Howard and Anne Arundel counties will be active at the Baltimore County meetingJ Fred Col will and others of the MJC are delighted with horse ¬ mens response to the stakes events which have at ¬ tracted nominations suggesting some of the finest sport in the East during the weeks ahead aheadOn On Friday of this week which is the witching hour of Derby Eve when you need a navigator and a seeing eye dog to get up and dowrf Fourth Avenue in Louis ¬ ville there will be decided what we consider one of the worlds greatest threeyearold filly fixtures We are thinking now of the Kentucky Oaks which is equally as old as the Derby both having been instituted in 1875 From this distance it appears that A B Han ¬ cock Jr will start the favorite in the 1955 twoyearold filly champion Doubledogdare who has a pedigree as American as apple pie and who won the Oaks Trial straight as a yard of pump water the other day Here at Laurel there is a filly who was bred by Hancocks good Virginia friend Howell Jackson who is not going to run in the Downs stakes but who is making prep ¬ arations to ambush her in the Acorn and CCA Oaks that follow at Belmont Park We refer of course to Nasrina who polled a good many votes as the best of her age and sex division last fall fallConsider Consider Nasrina a Worthy Challenger ChallengerEddie Eddie Christmas who has a way with fillies as witness Gallorette is said to have been bringing Nas ¬ rina a daughter of Nasrullah and Red Shoes foaled at atClaiborrie Claiborrie along slowly and patiently and it is going to be very interesting to note what develops when these two fillies de honneur tangle Doubledogdares legs now look a little second hand and she still has to stay as far as Nasrina but we must say that there is not a sweeter tempered mare of her class in racing This is in her favor and also that of trainer Moody Jolley who will not have to develop an ulcer bringing her up to her engagements A horse with a tranquil disposition has the best chance of carrying on
