'DJANGO' BUSTAMANTE WINS 2012 DERBY CITY CLASSIC FATBOY CHALLENGE; POCKETS $12,000

Philippine billiard icon Francisco "Django" Bustamante is once again at the top of the world as he emerged as the winner of the 2012 Derby City Classic Fatboy 10-Ball Challenge held at the Horseshoe Casino and Hotel in Elizabeth, Indiana, USA late Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

Bustamante, one of the top player of Puyat Sports, defeated American Steve Moore with a lopsided, 15-5, victory.

Sportsman/Businessman Aristeo “Putch” Puyat hailed the victory of Bustamante.

“Once again our flag has been raised in this foreign land after knowing that our Filipino kababayan (Francisco) Bustamante successfully won the  2012 Derby City Classic Fat Boy 10-Ball Challenge  in Indiana, USA,” he said.

Bustamante held an early 2-0 lead and only a scratch on the 10-ball in rack three kept him from a 3-0 lead. Moore came back to tie the score at 2-2 and was close at 3-4 down before Bustamante found the zone and rolled off nine straight games for an insurmountable 13-3 lead. 

Moore took a break at 13-3 down when Bustamante broke dry, which seemed to take Bustamante out of the zone more than it helped Moore get into the zone. The players swapped racks until the score was 14-5 Bustamante, and Moore threw in the towel after a scratch on the break in the 20th rack. 

Bustamante bested 2012 Derby City Classic Bank Division champion John Morra of Canada, 15-5, in the semi-final round to arrange a titular showdown with Moore who brought downed Alex Pagulayan of the Philippines, 15-12.

He went home with the top prize of US$ 12,000, Moore settled for a runner-up prize of US$ 7,000 while Pagulayan and Morra made good with US$ 3,500 each for reaching the final four. Marlon Bernardino