< Back JERRY CRUCE OBITUARY May 14, 2021 Jerry D. Cruce of West Memphis Arkansas passed away at home in the early morning hours of April 26, 2021, surrounded by friends and family Jerry was born June 6th, 1946 in Perry, Florida . Jerry trained greyhounds starting in the mid to late 70’s working for the Don Klink kennel in Miami, Florida & then with the Tom Farrell Kennel in Jacksonville, Florida. He spent the last 18 years of his training career with the Bussmann-Balakas kennel at Southland Greyhound Park in West Memphis Arkansas where he is was affectionately known as Papa Smurf. He loved the greyhounds & enjoyed working with them. He enjoyed, the people he worked with & around in the greyhound business, including the haulers & especially the farmers, who raised the dogs. He met his future wife Mary on a blind date in April of 71. They married on 9-15-84 & were married until his passing. He was predeceased by : his parents, John David Cruce and Christine Watson Cruce; his brother Lewis; and his parents-in-law, Eddie and Maria "Constance" Dicandia. He is survived by : his wife Mary Dicandia Cruce; his sons, Bart Falcone, Phillip Falcone and Quinde Falcone Jr. (Yolanda); his grandchildren, Quinde Falcone III, Kim Falcone, Taylor Falcone and Allison Sosne; his great grandchild Nellie Frey Sosne; his goddaughter Chelsea Whitman; his siblings, Reba Cruce Rogers (Freddie), Joseph William Cruce (Derry) and Richard Harold Cruce (Carol); and his sister-in-law Bessie Cruce. He is also survived by nieces and nephews. A funeral service was held on Saturday, May 1st 2021 at 2:00 PM at the Burns Funeral Home He was laid to rest at the Hendry Cemetery in Shady Grove, Florida Previous Next

< Back LK'S SANTORINI CAPTURES WIN TITLE Jim Gartland Jan 14, 2021 Although racing seasons were shortened as a result of the Covid pandemic, the race for the national win title continued and in the end it was another sprinter from the Lashmet farm, LK's Santorini, who took home the honors. That's back to back titles for John & Jill Lashmet of Colorado. Last year's winner was LK's Crush N It. The battle was closely contested right to the very end. Eight greyhounds were separated by only four wins in the final tally including last year's winner LK's Crush N It. Santorini had fewer starts than many of the other top finishers, but was able to capture 33 victories during the 2020 racing year. All of her victories came at Derby Lane. The runner-up this year was quite impressive too, as Killer Tolstoy earned 31 wins while racing at three different tracks, Naples, Dubuque and Southland. Once again, a handful of Caliente racers were in the mix as they often have many more opportunities for starts than most American racing offers. Santorini’s record for the year was 56-33-11-7-1, all at Derby Lane. She captured a couple of stakes including the Inaugural and the season ending Grand Finale. She snapped off numerous win streaks throughout the year including an impressive run where she went undefeated in eight straight starts from September 26 through October 30. Unfortunately, she suffered a minor injury shortly after that streak and was sidelined for almost all of November, returning for a start on December 9, just in time to finish off the season. Santorini is a home grown product out of Lashmet's own LK's Vespar-LK's Chardonnay, was raised in Eaton Colorado by the Lashmets and raced for the Lashmet Kennel trained by Ken Deacon. Runner-up in the win race, Killer Tolstoy, ran up a 65-31-10-6-3 record for owners Alan Hill & Kirk Harlan. Tolstoy managed to win 16 races at Naples and 15 races at Dubuque before moving on to Southland late in the year to finish second with 31 wins. Tolstoy is a son of Superior Panama-Killer Torina and had yet to get a victory at Southland by year's end. Interestingly enough, another greyhound owned by Kirk Harlan finished third in this year's race by capturing 30 wins racing at Caliente. The female by Flying Wolf Pack-Slatex Diamond accumulated a 60-30-11-7-7 record despite missing the last two months of the year due to an injury. Five greyhounds finished tied for fourth in this year's race, all with 29 wins. That list includes two more Lashmet racers in LK's Effingham and LK's Crush N It, Twilite Kennel's RPG Get You Back, and two other Caliente sprinters, Shopify and Yolo Sky. LK's Effingham and RPG Get You Back both raced at Bestbet Jacksonville, while LK's Crush N It finished his career at Derby Lane. Shopify is owned by Plum Creek and Yolo Sky is one of Jeff Blair's pups. Previous Next

< Back FF BISCAYNE CAPTURES TEXAS-BRED SPRINT STAKES Stan Pawloski Mar 9, 2020 FF Biscayne is a stakes champion. Late last year, the Wheeling-based greyhound traveled to Gulf Greyhound Park in Texas for the track’s two-month racing season in January/February. On the final night of racing, FF Biscayne captured the $50,000 Diane Whiteley Sprint Stakes. Not only did the sprinter roll to a box-to-wire 3 ½-length victory in the stakes final, but FF Biscayne shined throughout the short meet. In eight starts, she had 6 wins – all but one in Grade AA – and 2 seconds. Owner Joe Fusaro made the trip to La Marque, TX, from Minnesota for the stakes final Feb. 29. “I have been in the greyhound business as an owner since 2004 and this is my first major stakes win. I am super excited, thrilled and so proud of Biscayne,” Fusaro said. “To be there in person to watch the stakes final made it even more special. She was on her game and dominated the Gulf meet.” The stakes final, from the rail out, featured: 1—CTW Hard Bargain, 2—Granger Ghost, 3—Hi Noon Ricochet, 4—Cobi’s Stone Fox, 5—Ponda’s Smokey, 6—Slatex Goff, 7—FF Biscayne, 8—KB’s Safari. At the break, FF Biscayne – just like in the two qualifying round races – rocketed right to the front. At the first turn, she was up by 3 lengths and was never seriously challenged throughout the championship final. “Biscayne hit the lid and went right to the front – she was out and flying. She’s very tough on the lead and not short in the stretch,” Fusaro said. “I was confident when she broke on top, but you never count things until they happen. There were a lot of capable, outstanding greyhounds in the final.” Hi Noon Ricochet took runner up honors while CTW Hard Bargain rounded out the trifecta ticket. Completing the order of finish were Granger Ghost, fourth; Slatex Goff, fifth; KB’s Safari, sixth; Ponda’s Smokey, seventh; and Cobi’s Stone Fox, eighth. FF Biscayne, sent to post as the second favorite to Granger Ghost, paid $5.60 on a $2 win wager. The quiniela returned $46, the exacta $85, trifecta $350 and superfecta $1,682. The stakes event was open to any age Texas-bred greyhound. It was funded and organized by the Texas Greyhound Association in coordination with Gulf Greyhound Park. FF Biscayne raced out of the Libby-Watt Kennel at the Gulf and trained by Jake Ungs. At Wheeling, she competed in the Abrahamson Kennel and handled by Tom Engle. “I can’t say enough about the great job both Jake Ungs did with Biscayne at the Gulf and Tom Engle while she was racing at Wheeling,” Fusaro said. “They deserve a lot of the credit for her success.” Engle is equally thrilled by FF Biscayne’s stake victory. “I am so proud of Biscayne and very happy for Joe (Fusaro),” Engle said. “I thought she would like it at the Gulf.” Her six wins at the Gulf were by a combined 25 lengths – a 4-length average margin of victory. FF Biscayne opened her career at Mardi Gras in Florida in January 2018 – posting 3 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds and 2 fourths in 19 races before moving up to Wheeling in May. She had 6 wins, 3 seconds, 5 thirds and 6 fourths in 29 Wheeling trips in 2018. The sprinter competed at the Gulf Greyhound Park meet in January/February 2019 – posting 2 wins, 1 second and 1 third in eight starts. Upon returning to Wheeling, FF Biscayne finished the year with 12 wins, 5 seconds, 5 thirds and 4 fourths in 44 races. “The first time racing at the Gulf and at Wheeling, Biscayne was a good greyhound. The second time at each track, she was tremendous,” Fusaro noted. “She kept getting better and better and is still improving.” Fusaro mapped the breeding for FF Biscayne, an August 2016 greyhound out of Seldom Told-FF Taffy. “Biscayne was not a greyhound I purchased … I chose the breeding which makes her stakes victory even sweeter. FF Taffy and her brother, FF Code Red, one of the best greyhounds I have ever owned, were out of Sacred Drive,” Fusaro said. “It’s a Tony and Judy Mills dam bloodline which I like and continue to use. It’s been very successful.” Next up for FF Biscayne – Southland Park in West Memphis, Ark. “I was torn between sending her to Southland or back to Wheeling, but I wanted to give her a shot at the toughest track in the country,” Fusaro said. Previous Next

< Back Wheeling Hot Dogs ( as of August 31, all races 5/16 unless otherwise noted ) Stan Pawloski Aug 31, 2020 Blanchard Kennel’s BWC Kreeli has back-to-back Grade AA wins for trainer Sarah Blanchard. Patriot/Taplin Kennel’s CTW Tira Misu has two straight Grade AA victories for trainer Joe Otto. A Ray Kennel’s Fiesta Viazul (TB, TAA 3/8) and AMF Bystander (B, A) have back-to-back wins for trainer Joe Palmer. Kennel-mate AMF Weirdo has three straight victories (D, C, B). Lester Raines Kennel’s Craigie Pirate has two wins and a third in his last three races (A, AA) for trainer Joel Roden. Imark Kennel’s Saber Bennett has back-to-back victories (B, A) for trainer Scott Purdy. Charter Kennel’s VJ Up Too Speed has two wins in a row (B, A) for trainer Jay Falcone. Rangel Kennel’s Pat C Dog Patch has three straight victories (D, C, B) for trainer Alex Hall. Previous Next

< Back RS'S PRIME TIME CAPTURES WVGOBA KEYSTONE STAKES Stan Pawloski Nov 30, 2021 Lester Raines Kennel’s RS’s Prime Time romped to victory Saturday afternoon in the final of the $65,000 West Virginia Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association Keystone Championship at Wheeling Island. Breaking from the seven box, RS’s Prime Time rocketed out to an early lead and was never challenged in winning the 3/8th stake event by 5 lengths in 38.33. CET Dirty Gurly (Steve Sarras) took runner up honors while JA’s Moon Man (Code Red) rounded out the trifecta ticket. Completing the Keystone final finish were Mac’s Choo (A Ray), fourth; Mac’s Zhivago (A Ray), fifth; GLS Fast Food (Jacobs Racing), sixth; Macs Chapman (A Ray), seventh; and RS’s Blue Heaven (Lester Raines), eighth. RS’s Prime Time, sent to post as the overwhelming favorite, is owned by Kelly Jo Salem and trained by Joel Roden. Previous Next

< Back Wheeling Hot Dogs ( as of May 24, all races 5/16 unless otherwise noted ) Stan Pawloski May 24, 2026 Steve Sarras Kennel’s Takeachanceonme has three straight victories (A, AA) for trainer Chuck DiGiovanni. Kennel-mate Neptune has two wins and three seconds in his last five outings (A, AA). Patriot/Taplin Kennel’s BL Community has back-to-back Grade AA victories for trainer Cheyney Kuriata. Kennel-mate JSP Paige Turner has two wins and a second in her last three trips (B, A). Blanchard Kennel’s Arkwild B Grinch has two straight Grade AA victories for trainer Chris Maynard. Xtrem Hess Racing Kennel’s JSP Adios Al has back-to-back wins (A, AA) for trainer Jill Spicer. Jacobs Racing Kennel’s DD’s Utter Chaos has two 3/16 victories in a row (TB, TAA) for trainer Natalie Looper. Previous Next

NGA Endorsed Adoption Groups - MO Back to Adoption Groups MoKan Greyhound Adoption Website Missouri, Kansas Prev Next

< Back 2024 WV BRED OPEN DISTANCE STAKE Jun 1, 2024 Congratulations to CG's Maggi for winning the WV Bred Open Distance Stakes race! Congratulations to owner Janice C. Abrahamson, trainer Todd Johnson, and the farm and kennel families of Abrahamson Kennel, LLC.! Congratulations to all the participants on an amazing stakes! Fantastic Finish! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGacJ2g7RZw Previous Next

< Back FULTON FUTURE STAR HAD A "NOSE" UP IN FUTURITY Shane Bolender Sep 8, 2020 He was the best young star during qualifying, nearly regardless of what metric you were using. Owner Kevin Fulton had a dual brother combination of young stars out of SH AVATAR that came into the 2020 Great American Greyhound Futurity with little history to go off of. FGF MATHIAS sure looked the part though. He was wasting little time climbing the grade ladder at Southland, earning a four race win streak a week or so before qualifying began and reached grade “B”. Once qualifying began, the “new puppy dust” started to wear off quickly and he was establishing himself to be one of the likely favorites to win it all. The first three rounds netted two wins and a second by a solo length behind youngster CTW BLACK FOREST who was one of the hottest greyhounds in those opening qualifying rounds. Those 40 points were easily enough to coast into the second set of three qualifying rounds. However, just like life itself, nobody really cares about what you did yesterday. What are you going to do now? The 76 pound brindle male responded in similar fashion. He won two of the next three rounds as well, finishing second this time to eventual fellow finalist AMOS DECKER, despite running into trouble early. Mathias nearly went last to first in such a style that you wondered just how fast and good is this young budding star?? His “little” brother (he is 3 pounds lighter), FGF BRANCH didn’t quite seem to have the talent his bigger brother did. In fact, the first three rounds were a bit shaky as he only earned 15 points with two third place finishes and a seventh. He survived the cut to the field and enjoyed the reset of the points to zero where he made the most of the second opportunity. We went undefeated in the final three rounds, being the only greyhound in the field to do so. Well, he hadn’t faced his brother in any of those three races, but he did beat fellow finalists SNL VIPER and AMOS DECKER. Plus he got a bonus in drawing the one box for the championship too. ELIZA FRASER (Gloria Dorsey Kennel) could be best summed up by saying she got stronger each and every race in qualifying. She was one of two females to make the championship field, but quickly dismissed any doubters about her skillset when she waxed a semi-finals field by just over seven lengths. The inside runner also drew a nice blue blanket for her run to the championship race, which would be her third straight start from the inside. The previous two attempts resulted in that big victory and a close second place effort. JS PRETTY FLY (Lester Raines Kennel) was one of two entries in the championship by trainer Monte Hoopes. Her racing style was a bit different from most in the field in the fact that she relied on a good break and even better rush to the first turn to do her damage. She never finished worse than 3rd in any of the six qualifying rounds and although she claimed two wins in those six starts, she had the lead in four of those six. SNL VIPER was the other Monte Hoopes trained entry in the championship and the 69 pound brindle male was boxed just to the outside of his kennelmate. And just like his kennelmate, this SH AVATAR sired youngster relied on his early speed as well. The more concerning part was that although he had the lead in five of his six qualifying rounds, he only held on for one win, which was in the opening round. AMOS DECKER was the second entry for trainer Natalie Looper who had the second most experience in the field with 23 starts (only kennelmate Eliza Fraser had more with 33). Unlike his kennelmate, he had the polar opposite of running styles. While Eliza Fraser liked the inside, Amos Decker loved the outside part of the track. Where Eliza relied on early speed for success, Amos more than not came off the pace. They both got their one win when it mattered the most though (last qualifying round) and all you need to do is have a seat at the table in stakes championships to have a shot. AB HUCK (Charter Kennel) was the third entry into the championship for trainer Stephen Ulrich. This 73 pound red male was probably the least talked about of the three entries thanks to the overwhelming success Branch and Mathias were having during qualifying. Although he won two of his six rounds, it was that last place finish in round 5 that almost sealed his fate out of the championship race. He had to win a tiebreaker against two other greyhounds, and the sole saving grace for him was a second place finish in the fourth round. This midtrack runner also drew on some more luck by drawing a six post for the championship race. SALUD BLACKJACK (Northshore Kennel) seemed destined for the championship race. In the opening round, he fell and finished last. The second round wasn’t much better when he finished fifth. His third place effort in round three earned him a total of 10 qualifying points after three rounds. He just missed not moving on at all. Fourth round action ended up with a seventh place finish, putting this 76 pounder in serious threat of not even making the consolation race. Then a fire struck inside him as he ran a very impressive 2nd to FGF Mathias in round five and then he obliterated a field by 6 ½ lengths that contained the likes of KB’S ROCKYBALBOA and CTW BLACK FOREST. This wide runner also drew the far outside post 8 for the championship. He was as hot as any coming into the finale. And what a finale it would be. When the box opened for the 2020 Great American Greyhound Futurity, nearly all the early speed came flying out of the box that you would expect. JS Pretty Fly, SNL Viper and FGF Branch had a three way duel going into the first turn with Salud Blackjack having all the room he wanted to rush up on the outside. Viper hugged the rail smartly to take control of the race through that first turn as well did Eliza Fraser. Blackjack had an incredibly clean trip around the turn and was closing on the leaders fast. FGF Branch got stepped on some from behind which broke his stride and ended his championship hopes. One greyhound everyone was looking for in the backstretch though was Mathias. And they found him, laying fifth but easily still within striking distance with half the race to go. And he needed 49.99% of it too. By the time the far turn came up, Blackjack had finally worn down Viper and Eliza Fraser couldn’t match his speed either. The one greyhound that could match that late kick was coming fast and quickly and that was Mathias. It would come down to those two in an epic stretch run. Blackjack swung toward the middle of track coming to the finish line, which had Mathias been a rail runner, could have resulted in an easier victory or path. Mathias swung a bit further outside in the stretch run which made the victory even tougher to come by considering the valuable ground he gave up in order to go to that part of the track. In one late last burst, Mathias pulled nearly even with Blackjack when the bright photo finish lights came up. It took a little while to know the results. The photo finish says it all. One greyhound is in extended gait crossing the finish line. The other, in contraction. The difference in a hundredth of a second and those two positions in their running strides resulted in a “win by a head” and a championship by FGF Mathias. If the race was just a hair longer than 583 yards, maybe a photo wouldn’t have even been needed. But then again, for us racing fans, we would have been stripped of this great finish if it would have happened any other way. FGF Mathias not only earned a championship, but showed the heart of a champion in the process. If this turns out to the be the last Great American Greyhound Futurity run, what a heck of a way to go out. Congratulations to all the connections for FGF Mathias, including the entire Fulton family, trainer Stephen Ulrich and kennel owner Rodney Cooley. HISTORICAL WINNERS – GREAT AMERICAN GREYHOUND FUTURITY · 1994 – DESIGN TIME (Bob Bradshaw) · 1995 – BEE LITE (Ron Beckner) · 1996 – BOMB THREAT (Bernie Colette) · 1997 – STAT US SKIPPER (J. Taylor & R. Sifferman) · 1998 – WW TIME WARP (Wayne Ward) · 1999 – HOTSHOT SALESMAN (Charles & Judith Moore) · 2000 – HAPPY VOYAGE (C. Don Godby) · 2001 – TOM S GREEN MILE (Tom Sugihara) · 2002 – WHIP LASH WINK (Jason Haynes & John Henry) · 2003 – SYSTEM MC ASICS (Jimmy King) · 2004 – ATASCOCITA LEROY (Atascocita Racing) · 2005 – ATASCOCIATE SMOKE (Atascocita Racing) · 2006 – FLYING BRITT (Flying Eagles Kennel) · 2007 – USS SAN JUAN (Ron Wiltse) · 2008 – FLYING TANADAK (Vince Berland) · 2011 – TIGER UP A TREE (Vince Berland)* · 2016 – ATASCOCITA SIG (George Ulmer)** · 2017 – KONOMI (Robert Hardison)** · 2018 – FIESTA MOUNTAIN (Jeff Blair) *** · 2019 – SALUD APOLLO (Jeff Blair & Michael Montoya)*** · 2020 – FGF MATHIAS (Kevin Fulton) *** 1994-2008 races run at The Woodlands * run at Victoryland ** run at Wheeling Island *** run at Southland August 29, 2020 – Evening (Great American Greyhound Futurity Championship) · Race: 3 Grade: SAA Distance: 583 Condition: F Fgf Mathias 7 7 5 4 1-ns 31.99 .80 SAA G.A.G.F. Champion Salud Blackjack 8 6 2 1-1 2-ns 32.00 7.30 SC Outdueled Late Wd Eliza Fraser 2 3 3 3 3-6 32.42 7.20 SAA Bmpd Str Turn Ins Fgf Branch 1 2 6 6 4-6.5 32.46 3.10 SAA Bmpd 1st Turn Mt Ab Huck 6 8 4 5 5-7 32.49 36.80 SAA Blckd Str Turn Ins SNL Viper 4 4 1-1.5 2 6-7.5 32.53 12.30 SA Bmpd Str Turn Rl Amos Decker 5 5 8 8 7-8.5 32.60 36.50 SA Bmpd 1st Turn Wd Js Pretty Fly 3 1 7 7 8-13 32.90 7.10 SAA Bmpd 1st Turn In s Previous Next

< Back Wheeling Hot Dogs ( as of January 31, all races 5/16 unless otherwise noted ) Stan Pawloski Jan 31, 2022 Lester Raines Kennel’s RS Big D has won 12 out of his last 13 Grade TAA 3/8 races, including seven in a row, for trainer Joel Roden. Kennel-mates O Ya Simon Sez has captured four out of his last five outings (D, C, B, A) while JS Makeitsnappy has won three out of her last four trips (TB 3/8, A, AA). Brad Boeckenstedt Kennel’s BGR Jaded has captured five out of her last six Grade AA starts for trainer Frank Pellittere. Charter Kennel’s Oshkosh Heart has back-to-back Grade AA wins for trainer James Campbell. Code Red Kennel’s Hashtag Refrain has won three out of her last four races (B, A, AA) for trainer Tom Engle. Blanchard Kennel’s CW Ernesto has back-to-back victories (B, A) for trainer Sarah Blanchard. A Ray Kennel’s AMF Weirdo has two straight wins (B, A) for trainer Joe Palmer. Rangel Kennel’s VJ Sipnonpatron has captured three out of his last four trips (D, C, B) for trainer Robert Allen. Previous Next

< Back $100,000 MOUNTAINEER CLASSIC FINAL PREVIEW, RACE ANALYSIS Oct 22, 2021 Blanchard Kennel’s Penrose Boss heads up a solid field for the Saturday afternoon final of the $100,000 Mountaineer Classic at Wheeling Island. The 3-year-old sprinter had two victories and two seconds in the four qualifying round races to accumulate a leading 50 points. Penrose Boss finished fourth in the 2020 Mountaineer Classic championship final. Three kennels – Blanchard, Lester Raines and Jacobs Racing – each have two greyhounds in the final while the Imark and Steve Sarras kennels have one finalist. Completing this year’s championship final field are Teaser’s Tickle (Lester Raines Kennel), 46 points; Frappe (Blanchard Kennel), 45 points; Abbi’s Eagle (Jacobs Racing Kennel), Ding Dong Ditch (Imark Kennel) and CTW Black Forest (Steve Sarras Kennel), 37 points each; Abbi’s Frontman (Jacobs Racing Kennel) and RS’s Dark Night (Lester Raines Kennel), 34 points each. Abbi’s Eagle and Abbi’s Frontman are littermates. Post positions for the final, from the rail out, follow: 1—Teaser’s Tickle, 2—CTW Black Forest, 3—Abbi’s Eagle, 4—RS’s Dark Night, 5—Penrose Boss, 6—Ding Dong Ditch, 7—Frappe, 8—Abbi’s Frontman. The winning greyhound in the championship final will earn $42,000. The complete purse breakdown is second, $18,000; third, $13,000; fourth, $10,000; fifth and sixth, $5,500 each; and seventh and eighth, $3,000 each. The stakes final will be Race 12 on the Saturday matinee race card. Following are capsule looks at the finalists: 1—TEASER’S TICKLE (Lester Raines Kennel, trainer Joel Roden) – had three straight impressive victories by a combined 23 lengths in the qualifiers after a seventh in the first round; one of the youngest greyhounds in the final, the pup broke his Maiden in August and has won eight out of his 13 career races. 2—CTW BLACK FOREST (Steve Sarras Kennel, trainer Barb Long) – had two wins, a third and an eighth in the early rounds; the frontrunner went to the lead in three out of his four qualifying races, all from inside posts; made the final after returning to racing in September after being off for three months with an injury. 3—ABBI’S EAGLE (Jacobs Racing Kennel, trainer Louise Strong) – had two wins, a fourth and a sixth in the qualifying round races; while more of a closer from just off the pace, has gone to the front on occasion; also off for three months in the summer rehabbing an injury before coming back in September. 4—RS’S DARK NIGHT (Lester Raines Kennel, trainer Joel Roden) – had a win, a second, a third and a sixth in the qualifying races; captured the West Virginia-bred Juvenile championship last month; not a ton of box speed, but possesses a power rush to the first turn and finishing speed; prefers to race on the outside. 5—PENROSE BOSS (Blanchard Kennel, trainer Sarah Blanchard) – had two victories and two seconds in the qualifiers to top all the finalists with 50 points; needs to find room early in the race, does have some closing speed; has been a mark of consistency, hitting the pay sheet (top four) in 14 out of his last 15 trips. 6—DING DONG DITCH (Imark Kennel, trainer DiAnn Derr) – had a win, two seconds and a sixth in the preliminary round races; probably the biggest surprise to earn a spot in the stakes final; raced from all inside posts in the qualifiers, so the midtrack hole will be a challenge; will need to pop the box to have a shot. 7—FRAPPE (Blanchard Kennel, trainer Sarah Blanchard) – had two wins, a second and a fourth in the early rounds; multi-dimensional – has the ability to go to the front or come from behind; prefers an inside post, but had two nice efforts from the five hole in the early rounds; needs to outbreak the rail crashing eight. 8—ABBI’S FRONTMAN (Jacobs Racing Kennel, trainer Louise Strong) – had two wins and two sixths in the preliminary round races; earned his spot in the final with a win from a favorable one box in the semifinals; two sixth place finishes in the qualifiers were from the outside, so post position not too kind. RACE ANALYSIS: One thing is certain about this year’s Mountaineer Classic final – it’s wide open as many of the greyhounds have drawn less than favorable posts for their running styles. One greyhound, however – CTW Black Forest – has drawn a preferred inside post position and should break sharp from the box, move to the rail and rush to the early lead. Greyhounds on each side of CTW Black Forest – Teaser’s Tickle and Abbi’s Eagle – are in line to get trips behind the frontrunner. One of those two could claim the championship as CTW Black Forest has shown a tendency to be a tad short in the homestretch but still looms as a ticket play. Don’t count out Frappe, although she would prefer an inside hole. In four out of her last five races, Frappe has been first or second at the first turn with three of those races from the difficult five box. If she hits it from the seven post, things will get interesting. All of these greyhounds are talented or they wouldn’t be in the final, but each will need a little luck on their side as well. Congrats to all the finalists and connections and good luck in the championship. Previous Next

< Back SH AVATAR SLATED FOR INDUCTION INTO HALL OF FAME Jim Gartland Jul 22, 2021 Superstar sprinter, money earner, and stud, SH Avatar, was the lone nominee to receive enough votes for induction into the 2021 class of the Greyhound Hall of Fame. SH Avatar was whelped May 13, 2010, and is owned by Tom Sugihara Jr. and Robert Hardison. He was whelped and raised on Hardison's farm in Iowa and later moved to Tom Sugihara's farm in Colorado to finish out his training. He is out of Kiowa Mon Manny-Tom S Caterwaul and is recognized mostly for being the highest money-winning greyhound in the history of the sport in North America. It is very unlikely that his record of $740,328 in earnings (which does not include his supplemental Iowa-bred award monies) will ever be eclipsed. That feat alone would validate his enshrinement, but there is much more to Avatar than just the money. Avatar began his career in 2012, breaking in at Melbourne, where he notched a near-perfect 10-1-0 record in 11 starts. Two of those victories were in track record times. From there, it was time to "move up" and head to Bluffs Run where he would finish out his career competing for the Hardison Kennel. He would capture the 2012 $500,000 Iowa Breeders Classic and his year end record at the Bluffs would be 24-7-5-5 in 49 starts. Extra honors included being named Greyhound Of The Year at Bluffs, as well as earning a spot on the 2012 All-America team. 2013 would prove to be an even better year. He finished third in the $60,000 Bluffs Run Open, third in the $60,000 Secretary’s Choice, and once again captured the $500,000 Iowa Breeders Classic. He was track champion at Bluffs with a record of 33-7-9-2 in 55 starts. He became the first and only greyhound to repeat outright as Greyhound Of The Year at Bluffs—this time by a unanimous vote (the only greyhound in Bluffs history to do so). He was also named to his second All-America team. Avatar retired late in 2013 after suffering a shoulder injury with a career record of 115- 67-15-14-7. He managed to hit the pay sheet in an incredible 89% of his starts and won nearly 60% of all his races. Taking into account his career earnings record, every time Avatar broke from a starting box, his average paycheck-per-start was $6,491! Probably another industry record. While his stellar racing career and purse earnings are the primary reasons Avatar was submitted for selection, his sire career makes his nomination all the more impressive. Avatar has produced many outstanding offspring—so many, in fact, that he captured the 2020 Sire Standings Championship. And he did it by his offspring garnering nearly twice as many wins as his second place rival (which was last year’s inductee Djays Octane). He is currently on top of the 2021 standings as well. These days, Avatar is living the life of a king—on the retirement couch of his former trainer Darren Flahive in Shawnee, KS. Congratulations to Bob, Tom and everyone involved with SH Avatar on this great honor! Previous Next