Evening star., 1960-02-21
Two Marks
Set in Day
At HiuIeuh
By CHARLES NJ. EGAN
Sports Editor Of The Star

MIAMI, FEB. 20. - The
stretch running Bald Eagle
won the 23d Widener Handicap
at Hialeah Park this afternoon
but Harry Guggenheim's WASH
ington, D. c., international vie
tor, had to smash the track
record by rs seconds to hold
of Calumet Farms On -and-On
in whipping, driving finish
that had the big crowd OF 35,-
OLA fans on the edge of hysteria.
Bald Eagle. the favorite at
slightly less than Us, won by
three quarters of a length un-
der a well-judged ride by Man
uel Ycaza. On-and-On, the
third choice at about To also
closed well under Steve Brooks
and was 2l2 lengths ahead OF
Talent Show. a 25-l outsider
who finished third. Noble
Sci. another longshot. finished
fourth.
Sword Dancer Seventh
Sword Dancer. 1885 horse
Of the year, was bet down to
9-5 despite recent defeat
here, and finished next to last
in the field of eight. The only
horse Sword Dancer managed
to beat was his Brookmeade
Stable running-mate, Oligarchy.
who flattened out after leading
for most of the first six fur
longs. Eddie Arcaro said later
that he couldn't get a bit Of
run out of Sword Dancer.
Bald Eagle, who moved fast
after being we'll back for a mile
or so, ran the mile and one
quarter IN 1895, breaking the
record of 2:0l set in the l94s
Widener by El Mono, a made
over Sprinter.
Former President Harry S.
Truman and Mrs. Truman were
among the big crowd, second
largest in Widener history. Only
the turnout of more than AZ. 900
that saw Nashua win in 1855
was larger than the crowd that
packed Hialeah this balmy,
sunny afternoon.
Winner Pays $40
Bald Eagle, who finished q
neck behind On-and-On in the
recent McLennan Handicap,
paid $40. $3.50 and S2.40. On
and-On returned $3.50 and So,
while Talent Show, ridden by
Bobby Ussery, was $3.50 to show.
AS thrilling as Bald Eagles
record-Smashing victory was, it
wasn't any more so than one
OF the earlier races on the card
"a prep for the Flamingo in
which Bally Ache. the Flamingo
favorite, was badly beaten at
3-5. Bally Ache, who finished a
close second in five Sl0O 900
races last year. was beaten 2l7
lengths today by Victoria Park.
the Canadian champion, who
broke the track record by Il.
seconds, dashing a mile and
one-sixteenth in 1;403s.
Arcaro. who rode the un-
placed Greek Page, was largely
responsible for the amazing
time-as well as for Ballv
Aches defeat. Eddie sent Greek
Page right to the front at the
break, and Ussery, who was on
the front-running Bally Ache.
had no choice but to go right
with him. The two speedballs
ran the first quarter in 2l9,
and at the halfway mark were
eight lengths ahead of Victoria
Park.
] Canadian Gradually Closes
The two leaders ran as team
to the far turn. with the Cana
dian colt closing in gradually
under YcaZa, who had a thor
oughly satisfying day. Greek
Page was through before the
turn into the homestretch,
while Victoria Park had the
exhausted Bally Ache collared
before the furlong pole. The
Canadian colt, a son of Chop
Chop, pulled away easily, helped
by a weight advantage Of six
pounds. Cuvier Relic was an
other eight lengths back in
third place.
In the Sl0O.0OO-added Fla
mingo, each colt will carry 122
pounds. Today's prep race was
called the Seminole and car
ried a purse Of only $4,000. But
it may have brought about a
new Flamingo favorite as Vic
See WIDENER, Page C-s