Three greyhounds are unbeaten after two rounds of the $95,000 Wheeling Island National Stakes.
Posting their second consecutive victory Thursday afternoon in the futurity-style stakes event were Barts Im Joekool (Charter Kennel), Barts Send It (Charter Kennel) and BGR Dustybottoms (Brad Boeckenstedt Kennel). Each has accumulated 32 points.
Two other Charter Kennel greyhounds – Kenny Lofton and Barts Wynn – captured second round qualifying races along with Brad Boeckenstedt Kennel’s Superior Calder.
The third preliminary qualifier will be Sunday afternoon, May 14, when the field will be cut to 32 entries and the point totals will start over for the remaining two rounds of qualifying.
The fourth round is scheduled for Friday afternoon, May 19, and the fifth round on Wednesday afternoon, May 24. The top eight point earners from these two rounds advance to the championship final with the next eight moving on to the consolation final on Monday, May 29 (Memorial Day).
The stakes is for pups whelped (born) between July 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2015.
Capsule reviews of the second round races follow:
Favorite Barts Im Joekool rushed out to an early 2-length advantage before holding off a fast-closing Starinthemaking by half a length in 30.16. BS Spice Me Up finished third, just a length back.
Barts Send It, another race favorite, posted a box-to-wire 3 ½-length victory in 30.00. Carly Pearce and SG’s Bob Uecker rounded out the trifecta ticket.
Favorite BGR Dustybottoms, a 12-length winner in the first round, broke sharp again and rolled to a 3 ½-length box-to-wire win in 30.05. Cashontheline was second followed by Tim Raines.
Kenny Lofton posted a box-to-wire victory – holding off WW Jimmythe Geek by half a length at the wire in 30.38. PJ Whattheywant closed in the stretch for third.
Barts Wynn drove to the early lead and never looked back in pocketing a 5 ½-length victory in 30.07. LB’s Tam Toby was second followed by JW Kit Kat.
Superior Calder went box-to-wire, but barely held off a late kick by Konomi to win by a nose in 29.99. Rex Ryan was third, only 1 ½ lengths back.
The point totals after the second round follow:
Barts Im Joekool (Charter), 32 points
Barts Send It (Charter) 32 points
GR Dustybottoms (Brad Boeckenstedt), 32 points
Carly Pearce (Steve Sarras), 24 points
Superior Calder (Brad Boeckenstedt), 24 points
Rex Ryan (Steve Sarras), 22 points
SG’s Bob Uecker (Jacobs Racing), 22 points
Barts Wynn (Charter), 18 points
Kenny Lofton (Charter), 17 points
Konomi (A Ray), 16 points
Cashontheline (Lester Raines), 14 points
LB’s Tam Toby (Jacobs Racing), 14 points
WW Jimmythe Geek (Wayne Ward), 14 points
Superior Cannon (Brad Boeckenstedt), 12 points
Dont Let Me Down (Charter), 10 points
JW Kit Kat (Patriot/Taplin), 10 points
WW Vespa (Wayne Ward), 10 points
Artex Vernon (Abrahamson), 9 points
Celebrity Status (Jacobs Racing), 9 points
PJ Whattheywant (Steve Sarras), 9 points
Starinthemaking (Jacobs Racing), 9 points
Tim Raines (Charter), 9 points
SG’s Arnie Army (Jacobs Racing), 8 points
BS Spice Me Up (Brad Boeckenstedt), 8 points
Ban Chini (Steve Sarras), 7 points
Beautiful Tease (Lester Raines), 7 points
SE’s Web Wacker (Lester Raines), 7 points
WW Jethro Gibbs (Wayne Ward), 7 points
WW Pascal (Wayne Ward), 7 points
WW Pool Side (Wayne Ward), 7 points
FF Warrior (Abrahamson), 6 points
Nina Myers (Steve Sarras) 6 points
Top Line (Clear The Way), 6 points
David Palmer (Steve Sarras), 5 points
Jason Martini (Steve Sarras), 5 points
Brock N Roll (Clear The Way), 4 points
Kinda Dont Care (Steve Sarras), 4 points
Maren Morris (Steve Sarras), 4 points
Barts Justenuff (Steve Sarras), 3 points
Christina Perri (Steve Sarras), 3 points
Kanji (A Ray), 3 points
JS Kamikazi (Patriot/Taplin), 2 points
Wannabe Thatsong (Charter), 2 points
Alicia Sacramone (Steve Sarras), 1 point