50th Anniversary: Memorable stake finales revisited

50th Anniversary: Memorable stake finales revisited

By Stan Pawloski

                Down through the years, Wheeling Downs/Island has had a rich tradition in stakes competition.

                Since the racetrack opened in August 1976, fans have been blessed with the chance to see some of the all-time greats in some of the track’s most memorable moments.

                The first open stakes races were held in 1977 and have been part of the track’s landscape in all but 10 of the 50 racing seasons. Some years several stakes events were offered, while in others, only one or two.

                As a fan of greyhound racing since the late 1970s and then for 20 years covering and reporting on the sport with racing columns first in a local newspaper and then in the daily Wheeling racing program, this writer always looked forward to stakes events and finals to see the best go against the best.

                Although the highlights are endless, stake events in two years in particular – 2004 and 2009 – stand out as well as a few others from different racing seasons.

                Digging back into my archives of hundreds of stories, following are brief takes as written years ago of some of those stakes finals.

2004 Couch Potato Stakes

Lonesome Cry goes box-to-wire in final

                The old man still has it.

                Lonesome Cry proved it to Wheeling racing fans as well as a national audience in early November in the $50,000 Couch Potato Stake at Wheeling Downs. It was part of the Night of Stars program featuring top-grade races from 17 tracks across the country.

                The Charter Kennel sprinter – at 3 1/2 years old and by far the oldest dog in the field – showed he still has plenty in his tank as he posted an impressive box-to-wire victory in the final. Arivada-Plum Creek Kennel’s Lewis And Wax and A Ray Kennel’s Greys Royalcrown rounded out the trifecta ticket.

                The 5/16th stake final shaped up as a speed race to the first turn, but it never really materialized. Lonesome fired right to the rail and left the other early speed merchants behind.

                Lewis And Wax’s last rush came up 2 lengths short.

2004 Keystone Classic

Longshot CTW Doc Tanner shocks field

                House call.

                “The Doctor” is in and he’s making house calls.

                C And C Kennel’s CTW Doc Tanner “took it to the house” as he exploded down the stretch to nip Robert Thorne Kennel’s Honeybee Episode at the wire to capture the $50,000 Keystone Classic at Wheeling Downs Nov. 26. Doc’s kennel-mate Whistler’s Sound was third in the 3/8th test.

                It was one of the tightest stake race finals in Wheeling Downs history as all eight Greyhounds finished within 5 lengths of each other. The fifth-place finisher was only 2 lengths behind Doc Tanner.

                While Honeybee Episode and Rooftop Gizmo were sent to post as the favorites, a case could be made for nearly every greyhound in the final. CTW Doc Tanner was a longshot at 12-1 odds.

2004 Independence Day Classic

Greys Royalcrown romps in sprint final

                Run for fun.

                A Sunday stroll in the park.

                A Ray Kennel’s Greys Royalcrown made it look easy.

                As soon as the 2-year-old sprinter stepped out of the box in the $35,000 Independence Day Classic July 4th at Wheeling Downs, the race was history.

                Once on top, Greys Royalcrown never looked back as he romped to an 11-length victory in a quick 29.53 over the 5/16th sprint course. Steubenville Kennel’s Hallo Exchange, the race favorite, and Ryan Farms Kennel’s Famous rounded out the trifecta ticket.

2002 Spring Classic

Craigie M Roy surprises field in stakes final 

                After Soul Cipher raced to victory in Night of Stars IX at Wheeling Downs, the Lester Raines camp set their sights on the $35,000 Spring Classic in late May.

                Cipher had just hiked his winning streak to 12 straight and was regarded by many as one of the top sprinters in the country.

                On the night of the Spring Classic final, Soul Cipher was sent to post as the overwhelming favorite. Just like the 2001 Spring Classic when Fortified Rush gave the kennel the hardware, Raines and company were back in the winner’s circle again.

                Not with Soul Cipher, but with 7-1 long shot Craigie M Roy.

                Overshadowed by his kennel-mate, Craigie M Roy roared to the front early before holding off Wayne Ward Kennel’s Luckydeals Honor by a length at the wire. ZEZ Kennel’s Prima Montecarlo completed the trifecta ticket.

2009 Firecracker Classic

Good luck on BD’s Grayson’s side

                Unfortunate incidents and bad luck have plagued BD's Grayson throughout his stakes career at Wheeling Island.

                Despite being one of the track's top sprinters the past 1 1/2 years, Grayson has only made the final of one stake race – finishing fifth in the 2008 Panhandle Sprint.

                All the disappointment was washed away July 4 when Grayson came from behind and then held off Hi Noon Hero to capture the Firecracker Sprint at the Wheeling oval.

                Rounding out the trifecta ticket behind Green-Maupin Kennel’s BD’s Grayson and Wayne Strong Kennel’s Hi Noon Hero (Wayne Strong Kennel) was Darren Henry Kennel’s BD's Herby.

2009 George Kellas Memorial Cup

Hero wins stakes with closing rush

                In the Superstar Challenge at Wheeling Island in March, Hi Noon Hero finished runner up to Kiowa WW Brother in a photo finish.

                In July, Hero lost another photo finish to BD's Grayson in the final of the Firecracker Sprint.

                On Labor Day, the disappointment of two close 5/16th stake finishes was erased when Hero staged a dramatic stretch drive to edge USS Cool Luke and capture the $10,000 George Kellas Memorial Cup in yet another photo finish. Wayne Ward Kennel’s WW’s Star Diego finished third.

2009 Mountaineer Classic

TK Quick Strike repeats as Mountaineer champ

                Never underestimate the heart of a champion.

                TK Quick Strike proved he has that heart on Memorial Day at Wheeling Island.

                The Charter Kennel distance dandy defended his Mountaineer Classic 3/8th crown with a dramatic stretch drive to overtake Steubenville Kennel's Kiowa Power Pak just before the wire. Ryan Farms Kennel's Miranda rounded out the trifecta ticket.

                TK Quick Strike also rallied in the stretch to capture the Mountaineer Classic last year.

2009 Holiday Sprint

Braska Omni spreads holiday joy

                Deja vu.

                For the second time in a four-month period, Braska Omni rallied from eighth to win a 5/16th sprint stake final at Wheeling Island.

                On New Year's Eve, the Darren Henry Kennel star overcame a slow start with an electrifying first turn move to capture the Holiday Sprint by 6 ½ lengths. Wayne Ward Kennel's Kiowa WW Brother took runner up honors while Charter Kennel's Makin Bakin finished third.

In September, Omni rallied to win the Panhandle Sprint.

2008 Wheeling Invitational

Kiowa WW Brother dominates sprint stakes

                Kiowa WW Brother turned it up a notch at the right time.

                In August, Wayne Ward Kennel operator Julia Ward called trainer Ron Otto and asked him if he thought they had a greyhound who could win the $100,000 Wheeling Invitational in October.

                "At the time, I told Julia flat out I didn't think we had a dog who could win it," Otto recalled.

                A lot can change in 2 1/2 months.

                In October, Kiowa WW Brother romped to a 7-length victory in the 5/16th final of the Wheeling Invitational.

                Kiowa WW Brother grabbed the early lead and never looked back. Wayne Strong Kennel's Kansas Buzzer was second while Wayne Ward Kennel’s Seldomscenetears finished third.

2015 George Kellas Memorial Sprint

AMF Spamwich makes history in finale

                It’s not easy to go through the qualifying rounds of a stakes race undefeated and then capture the championship final.

                In the history of Wheeling Island racing, only three greyhounds – Beau Boogie (1979), Greys Beaver (1992) and SMA’s Murphy (1998) – won all of their preliminary round races and then the final in non-West Virginia bred sprint stakes.

                Make it four.

                AMF Spamwich, a 3 ½-year-old A Ray Kennel greyhound, displayed her come-from-behind closing rush to capture the $25,000 George Kellas Memorial Sprint Stakes at Wheeling Island on the 5/16th course over July the Fourth holiday weekend. Cry Firestar (Clear The Way Kennel) took runner up honors while PJ Pure Gold (A Ray Kennel) rounded out the trifecta ticket.

                Racing fifth down the backstretch in the final, AMF Spamwich gradually made up ground before taking command in the homestretch – winning by 1 ½ lengths in 29.52. PJ Pure Gold was another length back, edging out Varoom Esme for third.

2016 Wheeling Island National Stakes

Atascocita Sig dominates sprint futurity

                One of the favorites going into the $140,000 Wheeling Island National Stakes was Atascocita Sig.

                He did not disappoint.

                The Lester Raines Kennel sprint star dominated Wheeling’s first ever futurity-type stake by winning five out of his six qualifying round races and then romping to a 4 ½-length victory in the 5/16th championship final in a sizzling 29.14. Brad Boeckenstedt Kennel’s JD Indendence took runner up honors while SE’s Solid Cash, another Lester Raines Kennel pup, got up for third.

                As far as Lester Raines Kennel trainer Joel Roden was concerned, all his speed merchant had to do was hit the lid.

                Atascocita Sig did just that.

                The youngster hit it like a rocket and rushed to the early lead. He opened up by 2 lengths down the backstretch before pulling away by 4 ½ lengths at the wire.

2018 Mountaineer Classic

L’s Griz wins sprint final in fantastic finish

                Blanchard Kennel’s L’s Griz almost didn’t make the final of the $100,000 Mountaineer Classic at Wheeling Island in late October.

                After the semifinal round, L’s Griz was tied with three other greyhounds for the final spot in the 5/16th championship. On the strength of two wins in the early rounds, L’s Griz won the tie-breaker and a chance for a stakes crown.

                L’s Griz did not waste the opportunity.

                Despite a light rain throughout the day, the racetrack’s featured stakes event for 2018 turned into a classic – one of the most electrifying finishes in Wheeling Island stakes history. L’s Griz exploded home from fourth in the stretch to edge AMF Loose End (A Ray Kennel) by a nose at the wire while L’s Luv It (Blanchard Kennel) was third, only 1 ½ lengths back.

                Waiting for the right moment, L’s Griz moved to the outside at the top of the homestretch – fourth and still about 4 lengths behind the leader.

                A few yards before the finish line, AMF Loose End appeared to have the stakes crown in her grasp until a final burst from L’s Griz on the inside was enough to nip the leader by a nose at the wire in a photo finish.

2015 Mountaineer Marathon Stakes

Ted Cruz makes history in romp

                In May, Ted Cruz cruised to a 4 ½-length victory in the $25,000 John Dallas Memorial 3/8th Stakes at Wheeling Island.

                Three months later, the Clear The Way Kennel distance dandy was even more dominant as he captured the $10,000 Mountaineer Marathon Stakes in late August by a whopping 10 lengths.

                In the history of Wheeling Island racing, five greyhounds previously won two stakes races in the same year but Ted Cruz is the first to accomplish the feat over two different distances. The other two-time stake winners – Greys Beaver (1992), Greys Royalcrown (2004), Iruska Crème Pie (2005), Braska Omni (2008) and Hi Noon Hero (2009) – all won their stakes races in 5/16th.

                Ted Cruz broke on top early in the Mountaineer Marathon Stakes, opening up 5 lengths before putting it on cruise control.