Evening star., 1960-04-03
VenetiunWuY
Is Nosed Out
In Thriller .
BY FRANCIS STANN
Star stah Writer

HALbANlJAbE, Fla, April Z
His whip flashing like q
rapier in the late afternoon sun,
Bobby Usserv virtually lifted
the favored Bally Ache to VIC
tory today in the sl20600
Florida Derby in as thrilling a
finish as the Gulfstream Park
classic ever has known.
In front nearly all the way
in a two-horse struggle. Bally
Ache finally was Tapped by
Venetian Way inside the eighth
pole. Bill Hartack. shooting for
his fourth straight Florida
Derby triumph, moved Venetian
Way inches ahead nearing the
finish, and then Bally Ache. a
colt that many had vowed could
never go the distance. come on
again.
Hartack vigorously hand-rode
Venetian Way down the final
yards while Ussery spared
neither his whip arm nor the
hot left flank of the son Of
Ba a'lydam-CelcStisi Blue. It was
a tremendous finish and from
the stands 1t looked as if it
might be dead heat. although
the stewards wasted little time
putting up No. 4, Bally Aches
number.
The 24606 fans who watched
;he race in 80-degree weather
saw Belly Ache run the mile
and one-eighth in a brisk
l:4735, four-fifths of a second
slower than the record for the
race set by Gen. Duke in 1857.
Winner Pays S4.2O
Backed down to even money,
despite having been beaten
twice this season by two of
today's rivals. Bally Ache paid
$4.20, $3.50 and 1920. Venetian
Way, who went off at a little
more than 5-l, finished three
driving lengths ahead of Vic
toria Park in this test of eight
3-year-olds. He returned S4.7O
and $3.50. The Canadian
owned Victoria Park. second
choice at about under Manuel
Ycaza, So, was $3.50 to show.
There wasn't an outs der
close because Eagle Admiral,
who had Just licked Ballv Ache
on March % in the Fountain
OF Youth, was the third choice
at less than Al and he fn-
ished fourth. Venetian Way
was fourth choice with the
sporting gentry.
The others in the field -
Stephen. Johns Bolero, Road
House and Estival - strictly
were for the moonsnooters and
none got anywhere close. fin-
ishng in that order. And Johns
Bolern'S owner had paid a
$4,000 supplementary fee. too.
Earnings Pass Half Million
With his last, surging effort,
Ballv Ache made up for some
Of these five photo finishes he
lost as a 2-year-old in 1859. all
in races of at least 100000
added value. Still and all. Bally
Ache now he's earned S5l2.027,
which would seem to represent
pretty good investment for
Leonard Fruchtman. steel man.
ufacturer from Toledo. Ohio,
who bought the colt as a year.
ling for approximately 2.5e0.
Todav'S victory was worth
$79. 500.
USSery was properly elated at
his mounts victory, squeaker
that it was.
He ran great race" Bobby
said in the Jocks room. He
=, really showed his stamina to-
day. Venetian Way hooked me
at the f1ve-eighths pole and
from then on it was a rouser.
He even headed me near the
18th pole, but my horse wasn't
giving his all then, and when
dug into him pretty good, he
made it."
Hartack, the Peck's Bad Boy
OF racing. who won the Florida
Derby last year with Easy Spur,
with Tim Tam in 1858 and with
Gen. Duke in 1857, took his
defeat in terse stride. mo ex-
cuses," he commented. we
just got beat"
Willie Shoemaker. who won
this race in 1854 with Corre-
latlon, delivered a longer post
race speech. His mount. Eagle
Admiral. laid back so long that
it looked as If he were waiting
for the ninth race on the card.
He just couldn't get running
soon enough" Shoemaker veri.
fled. Il thought he closed well.
once he started to run, but it
See BALLY ACHE, PAGE CT