ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SPRING MEET

The 2nd edition of the Sunflower State Sprint was run during the 2023 spring meet. The race was open to meet eligible pups who had paid up an initial entry fee last January and then made final nomination and entry fee payments the Thursday prior to the meet. All in all 19 greyhounds went to post for first round qualifying. First round winners then went head to head in the stake final on Thursday while 2nd and 3rd place finishers from Monday made up the Flite I and Flite II of the second and final round.

Jaws Racing placed a trio in the Sprint final including WW Payday, WW Mad Jack and WW No Romeo. The three were pitted against pre-race favorite, David Strong's Booker Dano. Dano grabbed the early lead jumping to a two length lead WW Mad Jack cleared in second, while WW Payday and WW No Romeo chased in 3rd and 4th. WW Mad Jack steadily closed ground on the leader, took over the lead by the stretch turn and pulled away to a four length win in a speedy 29.55, the meet's fastest time. Booker Dano maintained the place spot running 29.85. Payday and Romeo finished third and fourth respectively in 30.13 and 30.15.

David Strong came right back grabbing the win in the Flite I with a littermate to Booker Dano. Hell Bent shot out to a big early lead and held on by a half length to secure the victory in 30.15 seconds. Jaws Racing's WW Ike closed for the place while Steve Sarras' Kebo Kelce and Carl Tomblin's CET Topaz rounded out the finish. Lester Raines sent littermates Nostalgia and Flamma into the Flite II against Shannon Henry & Steven Boyd's SS Rollin Up and Carl Tomblin's CET Mist. In the end Raines' pair would finish one-two with Nostalgia rolling to a 10 length win in a quick 29.90.

Another stake event will be offered at the Fall meet. That stake will be the 2nd edition of the Abilene Shootout and will follow along the same format with meet age pups being eligible and the $500 nomination fee being due by July 15, 2022.

Jaws Racing (Julia Ward) brought their now recognizable auction format of selling full and part interest in pups back to the spring meet. Entering 40 pups in the sale, Ward sold 50% interest in 20 (one scratched) and full shares of 18 pups (one scratched) for a total of $245,750.

The top selling greyhound was Jaws Racing's WW Steely Dan who went to Steve Sarras & Norm Rader for a cool $24,000. Mizzen The Point, raced and owned by David Strong sold for $20,000 and went to Paul Bitterman as the 2nd highest sale of the meet. Half interest in Sunflower State Sprint winner WW Mad Jack went to Nikolas Sarras for $9,000.

2023 NGA Spring Auction Stats

Pups Consigned:62

Sold: 52

Buyers: 24

Total: $330,250

Avg: $6,350.96

Online purchases totaled $51,500