Multiple stake winner and Southland win leader, Flying Wolf Pack, has been named Captain of the 2017 All-America team, as announced today by the American Greyhound Track Operators Association (AGTOA).

The annual naming of the All-America team dates back to 1963. The program pays tribute to the top eight greyhounds nationally, as voted on by the member tracks of AGTOA.

Others named to this year’s squad are: Real Good Feelin (bestbet Jax), RT’s Bo Jangles (Derby Lane), Janice Dean (Palm Beach), Magnetic Drive (Flagler/Naples), Fire Blitzen (Naples), Tip Top (Palm Beach) and Barts Outofmyway (Wheeling).

This year’s second team is comprised of: Dutch Casey (bestbet Jax), Fraulein Morgan (Palm Beach), Martha Macullum (Naples), TMC’s Zoomba (Southland), WW’s Nextbigthing (bestbet Jax), Craigie Renegade (Southland), WW’s Odessabeach (Derby Lane) and Konomi (Wheeling/Dubuque).

First Team All Americans

Flying Wolf Pack (Flying Lone Wolf – PJ Aces Up), was an obvious choice for All American as well as Captain of the team. He captured the $20,000 Best of the Best Series, the $25,000 Hound Madness Stake and the $200,000 Darby Henry Sprint at Southland. In addition to those wins, he made the finals of the Southland King & Queens, the 2 for the Money Challenge and the Sprint Derby. He put together numerous win streaks along the way including ten in a row at one point, all while racing against the very best in the country! His overall record for 2017 was 61-30-9-7-5. His 30 wins were enough to give him the 2017 win championship at Southland. Owned by Vince Berland and racing for the Lester Raines kennel, the Red and White racing machine is the odds on favorite to pick up the Rural Rube award for 2017.

One of two females on the roster, Jacksonville’s win leader, Real Good Feelin (TMC’s Remedy-Need A Date) joins the 2017 team making it the third year in a row a pup out of the female Need A Date has made the All American team. Half brothers Seldom Told and Need My Moneynow made the team in 2015 and 2016. Owned and raced by Tina Williams, she won the bestbet Sprint Classic and was a finalist in the Patton Silver Cup. In June, she set a new track record at 29.95 while picking up 37 wins along the way to make her track champion at Jacksonville. She has accumulated 97 wins in her career and will most certainly break the 100 win mark before it’s all over.

RT’s Bo Jangles (Kiowa Mon Manny-Penrose Karrie) picks up All American honors after an amazing year at Derby Lane. Owned by Randy Toler and raced by Cal Holland, this speedster won Derby’s Howl-O-Ween and Thanksgiving stakes while cruising to a 71-45-10-4-3 record making him not only track champion but giving him National Win Honors as well! He dominated racing at the St. Pete oval often winning by large margins and putting together win streaks of 3, 4, 5 and 8 in a row.

Janice Dean (Rhythmless-Audra Barkley) owned by Anthony Napolitano Jr. & Brindle Kennel, was the talk of the industry early in the year after winning the He’s My Man Classic and James Paul Derby at Palm Beach, all the while garnering much national attention as the namesake of Fox weather anchor, Janice Dean. She ended up running 4th in the Rooney Stakes missing her chance at Palm Beach’s Triple Crown, but nonetheless had a great year going before being injured in April finishing with 9 wins in 22 starts during 2017. She is one of only two females to make this year’s team.

An emerging Palm Beach star, Tip Top (Barcelona Boss-Kiowa Starz Sage) joins the team for 2017. Tip Top has taken Palm Beach by storm. Breaking his Maiden in July, he quickly climbed the ladder straight to Grade A and ran 2nd in the Gallagher Puppy Stake in just his 11th lifetime start. Following the stake he went on a tear winning 16 of 17 (finishing 2nd in his only loss) including a stretch of 14 wins in a row! He is owned by Just Win Enterprises and raced by Norm Rader. This pup and his littermates have bright futures ahead of them.

Magnetic Drive (Flying Westover-Johara) joins the 2017 team representing Naples. Another White & Red male, he dominated the Naples meet in 2017 winning 27 races. He won the $20,000 Naples Marathon Championship and ran 2nd in the Naples Derby. He ran the fastest times of the meet for 3/8ths and 7/16ths at Naples and reeled off two 6 race wins streaks. Just to show off he also won a couple of 5/16th races at Flagler before moving on to Southland near the end of the year. Magnetic Drive is one of two All Americans on the team owned by Anthony Napolitano, Jr. and raced by the Brindle Kennel in Florida.

Fire Blitzen (Dragon Fire-Cry Heather) makes the 2017 All American roster coming off a great year in South Florida. Starting off the year in sprints, he captured the $30,000 Naples Sprint in January. He immediately switched over to 3/8ths and rolled on to a victory in the $50,000 Naples Derby in the midst of a nine race win streak at the distance. His 2017 record was 36-18-7-3-3 between Naples and Flagler. Records need to be checked, but Fire Blitzen may be the only, blue greyhound to make All American. He is owned by Sharon Williams and races for the D.Q. Williams Kennel.

Last but not least on the first team of All Americans is the only Wheeling representative on the team, Barts Outofmyway (KC And All-Seadon Enchanted). The big red male, was one of the best sprinters at Wheeling winning 21 races. He dropped out of AA only once (and only for that one start) through all of his 47 starts in 2017. Unfortunately, there was no stake money to run after in Wheeling, but this greyhound is deserved after compiling a 47-21-4-3-7 against tough Wheeling competition day in and day out. He is owned by Rick Bartley and runs for the Lester Raines Kennel.

These eight will be honored with All-America plaques in ceremonies at the Greyhound Hall Of Fame Thursday night, Apr. 19, during the NGA Spring Meet in Abilene, Ks.

The Second Team

Orange Park Derby Champ, Dutch Casey (Djays Octane-Djays Im A Star) leads the Second Team of All-Americans. He charted a 73-11-18-11-9 record at the track, while also finishing 2ndd in the Marathon Challenge and 3rd in the Holiday Marathon. He is owned by Jo Ann Koerner and races for the Ocala Kennel.

Fraulein Morgan (Kiowa Mon Manny-Fraulein Kaci), owned by Jacobs Racing and raced by Crystal Carroll, won the $50,000 Arthur Rooney Stakes and ran 2nd in the James Paul Derby. She finished an abbreviated year with a 24-13-6-2-0 record. She retired in June after sustaining an injury.

Martha Maccullum (Flying Westover-Johara) A returnee from last year’s second team, Martha started out the year running 5th in the Daytona 550. She then returned to Naples and won 14 of her next 15 starts (finishing 2nd in her only defeat). Owned by Anthony Napolitano, Jr. and raced by the Brindle Kennel, she compiled a 22-15-1-2-0 record while missing 6 months of racing in 2017.

TMC’s Zoomba (Craigie Whistler-TMC’s Moneymaker) owned by Eddie McDonald and raced by Darren Henry won the Two for the Money Championship (beating Flying Wolf Pack among others) and was 2nd in the Barry Baldwin Juvenile at Southland. Her career only started in May, but she finished the year with a 41-17-6-2-1 record racing against the best at Southland.

WW’s Nextbigthing (Bella Infrared-WWK Big Money) won the Orange Park Puppy Stake, was 2nd in the Patton Silver Cup and a finalist in the Orange Park Battle of the Sexes. Adept at either 5/16 or 3/8, she racked up 15 wins at Orange Park before moving to Southland in July. Her overall record for the year was 70-19-12-3-5. She is owned by Julie Ward.

Craigie Renegade (KC And All-Toni Works) owned by James Zawisa and raced by Steve Sarras, may be the best super sprinter in the country. He captured the Crittendon Super Sprint at Southland and won 50% of his starts for the year. He had an amazing streak of races between April and October where he finished worse than 3rd just three times in 28 starts. He finished the year at 40-20-6-6-3.

WW’s Odessabeach (Djays Octane-WW’s Gucci) was the winner of the $20,000 Derby Lane Holiday Distance Championship. Racing both 5/16 and 3/8 this greyhound competed against Derby’s best all year finishing with a 38-15-4-2-2 record. He is owned by Julie Ward and raced for the Patriot Kennel at Derby Lane.

Rounding out this year’s 2nd team is Bob Hardison’s Konomi (SH Avatar-Money Maid). Racing at four different tracks in 2017, Konomi was the winner of the $100,000 Wheeling Island National and runner up in Dubuque’s King and Queens and Iowa Breeder’s Cup races. He broke in at Melbourne, moved on to Wheeling, had a lot of success at Dubuque and is currently racing at Southland. Overall he was 44-31-7-1-1 for the year.

Congratulations to these great greyhounds and all their connections!