Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1961-02-26
3-5Fdvorite
Head Victor
OverCrozier
BY FRANCIS STANN
star staff Writer

HALIFAX, Fla. Feb. 25-
Florida-hred Garry Back, q
long legged, long-tailed 3-year-
old ridden by Johnny Sellers.
came pounding down the Hia-
leah stretch today to collar
Crozier in the final 10 yards
and win the $129,S0O F1armingo
Stakes by . head. His Kentucky
Derby stock took an immediate
jump.
A crowd OF 1924. which bet
$2,655,492 on the nine-race
program, saw the crafty Sellers
show why he is the leading
jockey Of the meeting. In this
first important test Of the year
for Kentucky Derby-age colts,
Sellers allowed Your Bill and
Fred w. Hooper's Crozier to set
the pace while laying back as
far as fourth after a half-mile.
He then moved Jack A. Prices
3-to-5 favorite into contention
rounding the final turn into
the stretch. At the time Sellers
made his move. Your Bill and
Crozier were almost Tapped on
one another in a bid for the
lead.
CrOzier COIIared -
Then Sellers let. out on the
son Of Saggy and he responded !
to catch Crozier about 20 yards
from the finish and outlast
him in q thrilling photo finish.
Your Bill was third and Ja-.
cob Sher's Sherlock fourth in
the small. seven-horse field.
Garry Back returned $3.50, $3.50
and $3.50, Crozier $3.50 and %,
and Your Bill $3.50 to show.
The others in order Of finish
were Try Cash, HERDS In and
Kings Song. All carried Ia
pounds.
Immediately after the race,
Helioduro Cuisines. aboard
Your Bill, claimed foul against
Crozier and Jockey Chris Rogs
ers for allegedly crossing over
on his mount an eighth Of q
mile from the wire. but the
stewards disallowed It.
Garry Back ran the mile ana
an eighth in l:5O3s, which was
in shocking contrast to. Bold
Rulers track record Of lat. 3
Sellers Praises Mount 4
Sellers had nothing except
praise for his mount and the
tough, hard-losing runnerup.
Crozier. Hes Q real game
horse" Johnny said, referring
to Carry Back. Both Of them
are game horses. It was q long,
hard drive to catch Crozier. I
didn't know whether we were
going to make 1t or not because
he Rogers) had a strong hold
on Crozier. We brushed him
slightly at the 10th pole"
The 18th pole Is exactly one
sixteenth Of o mile from the
finish line, and the two horses
sometimes appeared to blend
into one in the thrilling duel
down the stretch. Garry Back
carried it off but 1t remained
the sloweSt Flamingo since
1851.
However, it was q worthwhile
triumph. financially, for Price,
owner Of the Dorchester Stable"
The value to the winner was
$84,370 and for Sellers It was
a good week, too, because he
had won the equally rich Wild
ener just seven days earlier
aboard Calumet Farms Yorky.
ArcarO's Comment
Eddie Arcaro, no less, was
aboard Kings Song, having
flown in from Santa Anita, and
said Of his colts last-place
finish. HE simply didn't like
the Hialeah track" II
Beau Prince, the pride of
Calumet Farm, won the sixth
race at Z furlongs, called the
Coral Gables, in which seven
Flamingo eligibles who skipped
the big one appeared.
With Arcaro up, Beau Prince
won by a half length over Har-
Dor View Farms Garwol. Beau
Prince was the lightweight Of
the field with ia pounds and
paid $3.50.
Jimmy Jones, trainer of Beau
See FLAMINGO, Page C-6