Arroyo Amanda gives Cerino first WVGOBA stakes crown

By Stan Pawloski

            West Virginia breeder Gus Cerino purchased his first greyhound in 2016.

            In his 10 years in the greyhound industry, Cerino has had several racers in West Virginia Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association stake finals but never made it to the winner’s circle.

            Not until the final of the $65,000 WVGOBA Panhandle Sprint Championship at Wheeling Island on Saturday, Nov. 22, when the Cerino-owned favorite Arroyo Amanda broke to an early lead and never looked back in capturing the stakes crown by 3 ½ lengths in a swift 29.64. The Code Red Kennel sprinter was dominant throughout the qualifying rounds with a pair of victories and a second in her three preliminary races.

            The soft-spoken Cerino was thrilled to finally capture his first stakes championship.

            “I honestly don’t know what to say, I’m so excited. No doubt, it’s special and it’s a great feeling to win your first stakes title. I am so proud of (Arroyo) Amanda and what she accomplished,” Cerino said. “It’s so tough to string wins and stay on top of your game start after start. I was just hoping Amanda had one more in her after she raced so well in the early rounds.”

            Not only did Cerino take home his first stakes winning blanket, but another of his greyhounds in the final – Arroyo Braxton (Code Red Kennel) – took runner up honors. Rounding out the trifecta ticket was GLS Lucky Lass (Jacobs Racing Kennel).

            “Braxton was a last-minute entry and what a pleasant surprise. He’d never raced above Grade B in his career,” Cerino said. “Braxton had been racing well before the stakes event, so we gave him a shot.”

            Completing the final order of finish were Snoqualmie Falls (Steve Sarras Kennel), fourth; CET Vera (Imark Kennel), fifth; Neptune (Steve Sarras Kennel), sixth; Arroyo Falcon (Xtrem Hess Racing Kennel), seventh; and Wild Money Honey (Xtrem Hess Racing Kennel), eighth.

            Code Red Kennel trainer Tom Engle was equally excited with Arroyo Amanda’s victory.

            “It’s always special to win a stakes championship. I’m so happy for Gus (Cerino) getting his first one,” Engle said. “Arroyo Amanda has been a solid Grade A/AA greyhound for us the entire year.”

            Post positions for the championship, from the rail out, follow: 1—Arroyo Braxton, 2—Snoqualmie Falls, 3—Arroyo Amanda, 4—GLS Lucky Lass, 5—Neptune, 6—CET Vera, 7—Arroyo Falcon, 8—Wild Money Honey.

            While Arroyo Amanda has had some impressive top-grade efforts from outside posts, Cerino was not too concerned with her inside post position in the final.

            “She had to come right out of the box,” Cerino said. “I didn’t want her to get in the middle of traffic.”

            Arroyo Amanda made sure that was not going to happen.

            At the break, Arroyo Amanda popped out a close second to Arroyo Braxton but within a few strides easily outrushed the field to the first turn. Heading down the backstretch, Arroyo Amanda had opened a 5-length lead on Arroyo Braxton with GLS Lucky Lass third.

            “Once Amanda broke to the front, I knew she was in good position and I liked her chances. She did what she needed to do,” Cerino said. “She can be caught at times, but there weren’t any big closers in the race.”

            Arroyo Amanda maintained her 5-length cushion heading home and was never seriously challenged in the stretch. Arroyo Braxton finished 3 ½ lengths back while GLS Lucky Lass was 6 lengths behind.

            A March 2023 greyhound out of LK’s Crush N It-Loco And All, Arroyo Amanda returned $5.80 on a $2 win wager. The 1-3 quiniela paid $29.60, the 3-1 perfecta returned $32.20, the 3-1-4 trifecta paid $205 and the 3-1-4-2 superfecta returned $715.20.

            Arroyo Amanda broke in at Wheeling Island in October 2024, reaching Grade AA in early 2025. In her first 72 career starts, she had 17 wins, 7 seconds, 8 thirds and 8 fourths.

            Cerino was quick to credit and thank all those who had a hand in Arroyo’s victory.

            “I’d like to thank Joe Fusaro and the Code Red Kennel for racing Amanda, trainer Tom Engle and all his staff in the kennel and the crew on the farm,” Cerino said. “It was a total team effort.”

STAKES TIDBITS:

            -The quiniela finish by Arroyo Amanda and Arroyo Braxton is the first time since 2014 that two greyhounds with the same owner came in first and second in the final of a WVGOBA Panhandle Championship at Wheeling Island. In 2014, the Patrick McMillon-owned Mac’s Bonita, Mac’s Louisa and Mac’s Westcliff swept the top three spots in the final.

-Several kennels/owners took the top two spots in WVGOBA Juvenile finals at Wheeling – GF Street Song and GF Zelda in 2016; CG’s Sneaker and CG’s Penny Shoe in 2019; CET Barracuda and CET Tiger Boy in 2022; and CG’s Honesty and CG’s Sun Storm in 2023.

-Wild Money Honey was a finalist in both the 2024 and 2025 WVGOBA Panhandle Sprint.

- The Arroyo prefix used by Cerino comes from part of the name of the street where he resides.

            -From 2016 to a part of 2019, Cerino’s greyhounds were raised on the Neil Abrahamson farm outside of Wheeling. In 2019, Cerino purchased the Ricardo Pacheco farm where they’re currently raised.

Arroyo Amanda flies through the air during the running of the WVGOBA Panhandle Sprint at Wheeling Island Saturday, Nov. 22. (Photo by Steve Schiferl)

Arroyo Amanda holds a comfortable lead heading home enroute to victory in the WVGOBA Panhandle Sprint at Wheeling Island Saturday, Nov. 22. (Photo by Steve Schiferl)

Code Red Kennel’s Arroyo Amanda captured the $65,000 West Virginia Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association Panhandle Sprint Championship Saturday, Nov. 22, at Wheeling Island. Arroyo Amanda’s owner, Gus Cerino, holds the trophy in the winner’s circle. To the right of lead out David Lance is trainer Tom Engle. (Photo by Steve Schiferl)