Sport: Bluegrass Tradition

Horseplayers who studied their form charts simply had to make him the favorite. Even the homebred hardboots from Jefferson County, Ky., agreed that Florida-bred Needles was the horse to beat in the 82nd running of the Kentucky Derby. But they all had their doubts. The big bay colt had won his big races this spring in his home state, where he got a 5-lb. native-son weight advantage. There was also an old bluegrass-and-julep tradition : "No horse whose name begins with 'N' can win a Derby." None ever had; Native Dancer, the favorite, was nosed out in '53; last year Nashua,...

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