each tomato as its growing looks great, has a tiny spot on the end that's like a hardend scratch no softness and then as it turns red the entire bottom goes to rot.

BER normally shows when they are still quite green - there was a photo on this page of it not to long ago - since that is when the damage is done. But if you aren't seeing it on the green fruit, only on ripe fruit, then I have to question if it is really BER rather than a pest or something else. Possible?

Many pests can lay an egg, bore into the fruit and cause rot to develop.

Dave

The key to prevention is evenly moist soil.

Explained in the FAQ
http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/tomato/

Here is a link that might be useful: the FAQ w/ info re BER

as each of them turn red they've got a bad case of bottom rot.
....
has a tiny spot on the end that's like a hardend scratch no softness and then as it turns red the entire bottom goes to rot.
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I think what you are getting is called CRACKING. Once cracks are expose to air/bacteria it will become a rot.

Insect initiating the damage is another possibility. But then Why other 11 varieties are not touched by the critters but this Ace-55 ?

does your tomatoes look like/similar to the ones in the picture shown here ? IF not, can you post one or two pictures?

If on the blossom end and not the stem end, please consider the condition called zippering,link with IMAGES you can click on and several good links as well in the link below,

Carolyn, who notes that zippering can start with a small scratch and then enlarge, but not always.

Here is a link that might be useful: Zippering

dragonfly - I dug up all my notes on Ace for the two years I grew them - not impressed so gave up on them - and I find I noted "Very prone to BER" about them both years.

I was growing them in containers - Earthboxes to be specific - so since BER is so much more common with container plants I tended to lay the blame it primarily on the containers. Are yours in containers or the ground?

As Jean said if it is BER the key is evenly moist, consistent soil moisture.

But I also noted it was a very thick-walled fruit. So I'm now wondering if another factor might be that the thickness better disguises/hides the BER symptoms so that they aren't as obvious early on as with most other fruit.

If you have any green ones showing the blossom end you described - the hardened scratch - could you post one? A pic of one of the ripe tomatoes would also help.

Cracking is a totally different issue and both types of cracking are associated with the stem end, not the blossom end.

Dave