Search Results

< Back LK'S CRUSH N IT GETS 80TH LIFETIME WIN Jul 27, 2020 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – LK’s Crush N It of Lashmet kennel, a 2019 All-America first-team selection, collected his 80th lifetime victory Friday at Derby Lane. Starting from box 5 in Race 10, the 43-month-old son of LK’s Now R Never and LK’s All In broke sharply and led all the way – clocking the 550-yard Grade A event in 30.54 seconds. He finished 1-1/2 lengths in front of Nova kennel’s Deco Colt Gun. LK’s Crush N It paid $5 as the 3-2 wagering favorite. It was his fourth attempt at reaching the milestone. He has made 122 starts for breeders and kennel owners John and Jill Lashmet of Eaton, Colo. LK’s Crush N It is trained by Ken Deacon. Previous Next

< Back AFTER 95 YEARS, DERBY LANE'S FINAL DAY Dec 28, 2020 hey came. They saw. They wanted more. Except, there would be no more. Derby Lane, the picturesque greyhound track on Florida’s West Coast, provided many parting snapshots for its fans on Sunday – the final day of a racing era that spanned nearly a century. “It’s just really sad that this has come to an end after 95 years of racing, through thick and thin, and wars, and . . . .’’ said Louise Weaver, Derby Lane vice president whose great-grandfather, T.L. Weaver, kicked off the sport in Pinellas County on Jan. 3, 1925. “It’s tough to see the greyhound people lose their livelihoods. I see a subculture leaving.’’ Derby Lane and greyhound racing fans knew this day had been coming since 2018, when state voters approved a constitutional amendment to end the sport by 2021. Richard Winning, track president and chairman of the board, and his staff decided to turn the farewell into a memorable weekend. Two Saturday performances produced a total all-source wagering handle of $929,237 (compared to $645,186 the previous Saturday), and an overflow crowd on Sunday (attendance figures were not available) led to a handle of $685,107 for the 15-race card. The final winner at the historic facility came when LK’s Santorini of Lashmet kennel crossed the finish line at 4:59 p.m. to capture the $30,000 Grand Finale Derby. “It is something I’ll remember forever . . . ever,’’ Lashmet kennel manager and trainer Ken Deacon said. LK’s Santorini paid $5.80 as the second wagering choice. Ironically, it was the identical win price that Caymanacadillac of Tri-Star kennel paid in the final race held at Tampa Greyhound Track on Aug. 18, 2007 – ending that site’s 75-year run with live racing. No future plans have been announced for the Derby Lane property, but the track will continue to offer poker and simulcast wagering like Tampa Greyhound Track is doing. Greyhounds at Derby Lane have either been adopted out or are being transported to out-of-state tracks that continue to race. The final performance came on a pleasant and sunny afternoon. Ninety-minutes before the first race, hundreds of fans stood in line outside the track’s main entrance, each wanting to get one of the 1,000 Derby Lane 95th anniversary caps being given away, and to claim their preferred seats or places to stand. Few, if any, parking spots remained. Long lines formed at the concession stands and at the pari-mutuel windows. A band performed outside for several hours, and patrons took turns swapping their favorite racing stories while taking photographs of the track facilities from every conceivable angle. Prior to the final race, fans lined the track fence to take pictures of the greyhounds and their lead-outs – giving them a thunderous applause – before they headed to the starting box for a final time. Patrons also were treated to the trackside presence of Husker Magic, Derby Lane’s all-time win leader who closed her career with 105 victories (104 at St. Petersburg) during a 167-race career from 2013-16. Handled by Derby Lane kennel operators Jim and Kayruth Abernathy, Husker Magic was a three-time All-America first-team member (2014-16), and 2015 Rural Rube champion as the nation’s top sprinter. For 4-1/2 hours, patrons stayed and played – focused on seeing the final race at Derby Lane. John Lashmet was one who remained until the end. A Derby Lane kennel owner and greyhound breeder from Eaton, Colo., Lashmet flew to Florida with wife Jill to see the track’s farewell performance. Joining them was daughter, Deidra, who took a plane from Houston. They were rewarded with a 1-2 finish in the Grand Finale Derby with their LK’s Santorini defeating kennelmate LK’s Trubulee by three lengths in 30.48 seconds – the fastest time among 119 greyhounds that raced during the afternoon on the 550-yard track. After participating in a lengthy and packed post-race winner’s circle ceremony on the track infield, John Lashmet walked across the racing strip toward the paddock area. Overcome with emotion, Lashmet needed time to himself before speaking to anyone. “I don’t know what to say,’’ he said, finally. “There will be no more (racing).’’ The championship by LK’s Santorini, her second career stakes title, wasn’t the only memory that Lashmet and his family took home. Less than 19 hours earlier on the Saturday evening performance, their LK’s Crush N It recorded his 93rd lifetime victory in his 153rd and final start. The 2019 All-America first-team selection and five-time stakes winner was arguably Derby Lane’s top 550-yard athlete in recent years. LK’s Crush N It, a son of LK’s Now R Never and LK’s All In, was the 2019 national win leader and a two-time Derby Lane meet win champion. “Not many of them run until they’re 4 (years old, his fourth birthday was last week),’’ John Lashmet said. LK’s Santorini, who started the year by winning the $18,000 1925 Inaugural on Jan. 4, also put the finishing touch on her first meet win crown. With 21 victories from 33 starts, she wound up six wins ahead of LK’s Crush N It and Deco Colt Gun of Nova kennel. A 44-month-old female from a litter by LK’s Vespar and LK’s Chardonnay, LK’s Santorini raised her overall win total to 68 from 147 starts. “It’s just an unbelievable ending to two great dogs - between Santorini and Crush N It,’’ Deacon said. “You couldn’t ask for more than that. (LK’s Santorini) is the win champion. . . . She picked up where (LK’s Crush N It) left off. She really came into her own in this final run.’’ For Deacon and the Lashmet kennel, the Grand Finale Derby represented their third consecutive stakes title and fifth in the track’s final seven stakes since Sept. 28, 2019. Another operation that had reason to celebrate was Watson Racing kennel, which claimed its first meet win championship with 260 victories from 1,971 starts. The July-to-December campaign featured 176 performances. Watson Racing finished three wins in front of former champion Lester Raines. Three-time winner Everett Racing was third among 14 kennels at 256 victories followed by Capabal with 243 and Abernathy at 232. Deacon and others in the industry will now begin other chapters in their respective lives. Deacon plans to return to a previous career in the Tampa Bay area as a captain for charters and commercial fishing. A kennel owner said he may accept employment in a golfing pro shop in the Florida Panhandle, while one trainer said she expects to move to Iowa without any employment plans. As patrons began to depart the premises, track announcer Jim Peake, a 25-year Derby Lane employee, provided poignant words in his final time at the microphone. “Good luck, good day, and good bye from St. Petersburg.’’ Previous Next

< Back CET DIRTY DILLY CAPTAINS 2021 ALL STAR TEAM Jim Gartland Mar 1, 2022 West Virginia superstar CET Dirty Dilly has been voted Captain of the 2021 All American team. The annual naming of the All-America team, dates back to 1963. The program pays tribute to the top eight greyhounds nationally. Others named to this year’s squad are: Craigie Delegate (Southland), Arkans Copper (Southland), JS Keephopealive (Southland), WW Got Rhythm (Wheeling/Southland), Killer Tolstoy (IGP/Tri-State), FGF Standin Bear (Southland) and Arkans Mabel (Southland). This year’s second team is comprised of: Teaser's Tickle (Wheeling), Barts Spot On (Southland), Abbi's Gusta Win (Wheeling), AD Black Falcon (Wheeling), JS Slush Fund (Wheeling), Arkans RB Taz (Southland), Casino Boogie (Southland) and KL's Colter (Southland). Heading up this year's team is it's Captain, CET Dirty Dilly (SH Avatar-CET Dirty Nicki) who was the National Win Leader, won multiple stakes and set a track record. Perhaps the most steady and consistent greyhound racing in 2021, Dirty Dilly won 42 races during the year capturing the WVGOBA Sprint and the $100,000 Tri State Challenge along the way. In September, she finished off a ten race win streak by breaking the 5/16 track record. Earlier in the year she had posted a record 16 wins in a row at the Tri State oval. She would finish the year with a 55-42-9-0 record and the well earned reward as Captain of the 2021 AA team. Craigie Delegate (Superior Panama-Craigiecrushnit) Breaking in at Southland in late 2020, Delegate went right up the grade ladder and was winning AA by early February of 2021. In May, he captured the Spring Futurity and followed that up with a victory in the Southland Derby in August. He put together win streaks of 5, 5, 8 and 6 and then picked up the Darby Henry Male Sprint Championship during the Festival of Stakes in October. He was the Southland win leader with 27 wins despite missing the last month of racing. His final stats would read 45-27-6-4. Another Southland star, Arkans Copper (Flying Hydrogen-Arkans Jazzy), makes the team coming off a 14 win season and winning of two Southland stakes; The Darby Henry Female Championship and the Kind & Queen's Stake. A consistent performer, Copper hit the Trifecta in 32 of her 45 starts and was a threat each time she went to post nearly always as a pre race favorite. Her last win came on November 12 but she still managed a 45-14-8-10 record for the year. JS Keephopealive (Superior Panama-CH Keepin Faith) makes the 2021 team as another dominant sprinter from Southland. The red fawn female made the finals of the Southland Derby, Great American Futurity and the Female Sprint Championship and won the Hound Madness Stake. Won five of six rounds each in the Futurity and Hound Madness stakes. She was able to garner 21 wins in 41 starts, good for 2nd most at the West Memphis track. Keephopealive finished the year making the trifecta in 29 starts going 41-21-5-3 on the year. WW Got Rhythm (Superior Panama-WW Oh Baby) broke in at Wheeling in March of last year and quickly moved up the ladder to AA. He was then shipped to Southland and took right to the West Memphis track with two wins and two place finishes in his first four starts. The youngster would compete in Southland Derby qualifying and then go on to a dominant win in the Barry Baldwin Juvenile on Festival of Stakes day. The youngest of this year's team, he recorded 5 wins at Wheeling and 15 at Southland which are included in his overall record of 40-20-7-1. Coming off of a 2020 2nd team All American nod, Killer Tolstoy (Superior Panama-Killer Torina) makes this year's first team after a successful year in which he competed at three different tracks and collected a win in the Iowa Breeder's Cup Championship at Dubuque. His year started off a bit sluggishly at Southland where he managed only a 2nd, 3rd and 4th in seven starts there before heading back to his home turf in Dubuque. He settled right in and only missed the pay sheet in 7 of his 35 starts as well as collecting the big check for the Iowa Breeders Cup. He would move on to Tri State after the IGP season where he would go 10-3-1-2. His overall record for the year was 52-17-11-6. One of two distance stars to make this year's team, FGF Standin Bear (SH Avatar-FGF Jamboree), joins the team off of a stellar 2021. He would make the finals of the Razorback Classic and the Middle distance Consolation on Festival day as well as set a new track record for the 660 yard distance in June, winning by seven lengths in 36.11. A crowd favorite, he went off at odds of more than 3 to 1 in only two of his thirty nine starts. His 14 wins would put him in the top ten at Southland despite missing the last month of the year. His final record was 39-14-3-3. Arkans Mabel (My Bro Fabio-Arkans BD Spring) is another Southland distance star and the second of two for the Darren Henry operation making the 2021 team . Racing almost exclusively at 660 yards, Mabel captured the Middle Distance Championship on Festival day and finished 2nd in the Razorback Classic to her kennelmate Arkans RB Taz. She would reel off six wins in a row and eight of nine at one stretch on her way to a 4th place finish in the win standings at Southland. She finished the year at 44-16-5-8, a 65% in the trifecta percentage. These eight represent the 1st team and will be honored with All-America plaques at the Greyhound Hall Of Fame awards ceremony on Thursday night, Apr. 28, during the NGA Spring Meet in Abilene, KS. Mountaineer Classic Champ, Teaser's Tickle (Bella Infrared-Beautiful Tease) leads the Second Team of All-Americans. She charted a 21-9-2-1 record after breaking in at Wheeling in August including her $100,000 Mountaineer Classic win. Barts Spot O n (KC And All-Barts Imashowoff) makes this year's 2nd team after a fabulous year at Southland continuing where he left off in 2020. He won his first seven starts of the year. He made the finals of the Southland Derby and Male Sprint Championship and finished tied for third in wins at Southland with a 42-18-7-2 record despite missing an entire month of racing due to injury. Abbi's Gusta Win (Superior Panama-Abs Almighty) finished tied for 2nd in wins at Wheeling despite missing almost three months of racing due to various setbacks. He put together win streaks of 5 and 3 and was a betting favorite in nearly every race he ran, rarely going off at more than three to one. His final record was 36-19-7-2. AD Black Falcon (SH Avatar-Hey Hey Mamma) was a distance star at Wheeling in 2021 becoming the win leader at the track with 20 wins, all at 3/8ths of a mile. He started the year off going 9-2-1 in his first 12 starts. He ended the year going 12-6-2-3 prior to being injured in early December. His final tally was 51-20-8-5. Shannon Henry's JS Slush Fund (Superior Panama-JS Speedypebbles) makes the 2nd team as one of the best from Wheeling in 2021. Breaking in late in 2020, Slush Fund moved right up into AA and was consistently one of the best sprinters at the track finishing tied for 2nd in wins with 19. She finished in the trifecta 66% of the time going 50-19-8-6 on the year. Arkans RB Taz (Craigie Whistler-Arkansportabella) owned by Rachelle Henry & Rashad Boyd is the oldest member of the 2nd team and was a super distance runner at Southland winning the Razorback Championship and making the finals of the Middle Distance Championship as part of his 13 win season. He also finished second 12 times and had an overall record of 42-13-12-7. Southland standout Casino Boogie (Djays Octane-Bella Release) was one of the best distance dogs at Southland last year, winning the Ansel Styles Marathon Championship and, in December, broke the track record for 703 yards, a record which had been set by his kennelmate and fellow 2nd team member KL's Colter in August. He was equally tough at 660 yards and ended the year with a record of 42-13-5-11. Completing the 2nd team is the aforementioned KL's Colter (Pat C Clement-KL's Christy). Another star at longer distances, Colter ran mostly marathons while piling up 17 wins in 38 starts and finished 3rd in the Ansel Styles Marathon. He set the track record for the distance in August at 39.07 only to see in broken later by his kennelmate. He finished the year at 41-18-9-4. Previous Next

< Back AD BLACK FALCON CAPTURES 2021 WHEELING WIN LEADER CROWN Stan Pawloski Jan 17, 2022 In late 2020 after making the final of the $100,000 Mountaineer Classic Sprint Stakes, AD Black Falcon moved to the longer 3/8th distance at Wheeling Island. When the Xtrem Hess Racing youngster won two out of his first three 3/8th races by 12 ½ and 11 ½ lengths, it was just a prelude of what was to come in 2021. Fueled by a blazing start from January into April in 2021, AD Black Falcon went on to capture the track win championship with 20 victories. A trio of sprinters – Abbi’s Gusta Win, Oshkosh Heart and JS Slush Fund – all were just a single win behind with 19 apiece. AD Black Falcon’s accomplishments earned him top greyhound honors at Wheeling Island for 2021. Xtrem Hess Racing Kennel operator Jason Hess couldn’t be prouder of his standout. “Black Falcon exceeded all of our expectations and I am so happy and proud of him for what he achieved last year (2021). I never expected him to be among the track’s win leaders,” Hess said. “To be the win leader at Wheeling is a very nice accomplishment. Just a hard-trying greyhound and I’d love to have more like him in the kennel.” A July 2018 greyhound out of SH Avatar-Hey Hey Mamma, AD Black Falcon is the first 3/8th racer to wear the win crown at Wheeling Island since WP’s Cameo in 2010. Distance greyhounds Kiowa Power Pak (2009) and TK Quick Strike (2008) also were tops in victories. Although a sprint stakes finalist in 2020, it was getting tougher for AD Black Falcon to beat top grade sprinters to the first turn, Hess noted. “It was our hope Black Falcon would be able to go to the front in 3/8th and have enough left to hold on in the stretch,” Hess said. “After his first couple starts, he proved to us he could go the distance.” In a stretch of 12 races from mid-January to early April last year, AD Black Falcon had 9 wins, 2 seconds and 1 third. He won four in a row during the hot streak, including victories by 7 ½ and 4 lengths. “Black Falcon was popping the box, he had his timing down,” Hess said. In the summer months AD Black Falcon cooled off a bit, but in late September into October he won five out of eight starts to move into contention for the win championship. “He was a streaky greyhound,” Hess said. “Sometimes his timing was off.” AD Black Falcon’s front-running style was the key to his success in 2021. In his 20 victories, he was first at the escape turn 16 times and went on to win; three times he was second at the escape turn and closed late in the race to win; and once he was fourth at the escape turn before getting up by a length at the wire. “Black Falcon really must have been feeling good the day he closed from fourth,” Hess said. “To be successful, he needed to be near the front early in his races.” Hess credited trainer Jill Spicer and her crew for playing a huge role in AD Black Falcon’s special season. “They did a great job with Black Falcon and deserve all the credit. I know he was one of Jill’s (Spicer) favorite greyhounds in the kennel and she was really happy he was the track win champion,” Hess said. AD Black Falcon, owned by Allan Ertl and Dennis Curry, was retired in December. He has been adopted by a family in North Carolina. In 84 career Wheeling races, AD Black Falcon had 30 wins, 13 seconds, 11 thirds and 4 fourths – a 70 percent mark on the pay sheet. “What stands out is the 50 percent mark on the quiniela ticket,” Hess said. “That’s hard to beat.” While AD Black Falcon topped the leader board with 20 victories, 17 other greyhounds won at least 13 races in 2021 at Wheeling Island. The 2021 Wheeling Island win leaderboard and kennel follows: 20 – AD Black Falcon (Xtrem Hess Racing) 19 – Abbi’s Gusta Win (Jacobs Racing), Oshkosh Heart (Charter), JS Slush Fund (Lester Raines) 17 – Frappe (Blanchard) 16 – Abbi’s Frontman (Jacobs Racing) 14 – O Ya Trisha (Lester Raines), RS Big D (Lester Raines), RS’s Dark Night (Lester Raines), JS In The Money (Rangel), JS Saltythursday (Lester Raines), CTW Black Forest (Steve Sarras), KB’s Copy Kat (Charter) 13 – Kells Xterra (Steve Sarras), JS Rob Stone (Blanchard), Mega Felipe (A Ray), Bart Superbowl (Charter), Craigie Deuce (Lester Raines). Xtrem Hess Racing Kennel’s AD Black Falcon was the track win champion at Wheeling Island in 2021 with 20 victories. The middle distance racer is held by Rhea LaCuesta. (Photo by Stan Pawloski) Previous Next

< Back $18,000 1925 HISTORICAL INAUGURAL CHAMPIONSHIP Jan 6, 2020 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. That saying used to be attached to LK’s Santorini . . . until Saturday night. The 33-month-old daughter of LK’s Vespar and LK’s Chardonnay, who often has taken a back seat to standout Lashmet kennelmate LK’s Crush N It, had the stage all to herself in the $18,000 1925 Historical Inaugural at Derby Lane. LK’s Santorini stormed out of the starting box on a breezy night in the track’s oldest stakes race, and scored a box-to-wire, two-length victory for her first career title. The Inaugural, the first of 12 stakes races scheduled in 2020 at Derby Lane, paid $7,700 to the winner. “I’m happy,’’ Lashmet kennel manager and trainer Ken Deacon said. “She can run, but she’s always played second fiddle to the big dog (LK’s Crush N It). “When she beat the 2 (LK’s Crush N It) down to the turn, that’s probably the first time in her life that she’s ever beaten him. . . . I’m sure they’ve schooled together before.’’ LK’s Santorini, bred by Derby Lane kennel owners John and Jill Lashmet of Eaton, Colo., drew box 3. Inside of her were LK’s Crush N It and Shoot The Breeze, the Floyd kennel greyhound who had won his past four races. When the starting box opened, LK’s Santorini sped ahead of LK’s Crush N It into the first turn. She opened up a four-length lead after the first race call, and wasn’t challenged as LK’s Crush N It gave way on the final turn to a surging FGF Pass You By of Watson Racing kennel. LK’s Santorini, the fourth wagering choice at 6-1, clocked the 550-yard course in 30.57 seconds. She paid $14.40 to win and raised her lifetime earnings to more than $32,000. FGF Pass You By, the longest shot at 43-1, overcame a last-place start to take second – three lengths in front of Shoot The Breeze. LK’s Crush N It, the defending Inaugural champion and 8-5 race favorite, faded to fourth. The remainder order of finish: Where U Want Me (Bartley Corporation), Rich N Famous (Farmer Racing), Flying Zigzag (Everett Racing) and BD Wells (Everett Racing). LK’s Crush N It earned $1,540 with his fourth-place showing, raising his career earnings above the $100,000 plateau. “That’s great,’’ Deacon said. “He’s the best dog I’ve ever had.’’ LK’s Santorini, who advanced to the 95-year-old Inaugural championship event with a second-place finish in qualifying, entered the finale on a nine-race losing streak – the longest of her 88-race career – despite finishing in the money eight times with a top-four finish. The Inaugural represented LK’s Santorini’s seventh stakes appearance, and fifth consecutive time of reaching the title race. Her previous best stakes finish was a fourth in the $50,000 Husker Magic Fall Sprint on Sept. 28. “She’s been in several other (stakes finals) and always broke bad,’’ Deacon said. “(Saturday), she flew out of the box. She beat the big dog (LK’s Crush N It) to the turn, and I said, ‘Oh, yeah!’ “I thought they were going to tie up together (on the turn) and get in trouble. But as it turned out, she ran a heck of a race.’’ It was the 35th lifetime victory for LK’s Santorini, who has led at every race call in 29 of her wins. Her clocking was the fastest among 207 greyhounds that competed in 26 races on the 550-course track throughout the day’s matinee-evening doubleheader. “I knew (the surface) was fast, because of the rain we had (earlier in the day),’’ Deacon said. “Usually in these races, the dog that goes to the lead wins 95 percent of the time. “I really liked the 1 dog (Shoot The Breeze). He’s going to be a monster pup, and he ran Crush N It down the last time out (in the qualifier). He had a little bit of trouble, and still ran a good race.’’ Randy Floyd, whose kennel handles Shoot The Breeze, said, “I guess it wasn’t meant to be.’’ Sparked by FGF Pass You By’s second-place finish at high odds, the $2 trifecta of 3-7-1 paid $1,300.40, and the $1 superfecta of 3-7-1-4 returned $2,665.50. Derby Lane’s next stakes race is the $64,000 Sprint Classic on Feb. 15-29. Previous Next

< Back Wheeling Hot Dogs ( as of August 28, all races 5/16 unless otherwise noted ) Stan Pawloski Aug 28, 2023 Charter Kennel’s FGF Duke has won five straight Grade AA races for trainer James Campbell. Kennel-mates JSP Money Maker (AA) and LK’s Konatz (B, A) have two wins and a second in their last three starts while Oshkosh Edward has back-to-back Grade AA victories. Steve Sarras Kennel’s Good As It Gets has three Grade AA wins in a row for trainer Mike Holguin. Kennel-mate Florentine has two victories and two seconds in her last four Grade AA trips. Lester Raines Kennel’s JS Xtra Fancy has back-to-back Grade TAA 3/8 wins for trainer Joel Roden. A Ray Kennel’s AMF Gotworktodo has two straight Grade AA victories for trainer Joe Palmer. Code Red Kennel’s Arroyo Ruger has two wins and a second in his last three Grade TAA 3/16 races for trainer Tom Engle. Imark Kennel’s Imark Ava (C, B, A) and Imark Boris (M, D, C) have won three out of their last four outings for trainer DiAnn Derr. Wayne Ward Kennel’s General Petersen has back-to-back victories (B, A) for trainer Ron Otto. Previous Next

< Back Wheeling Hot Dogs ( as of May 29, all races 5/16 unless otherwise noted ) Stan Pawloski May 29, 2023 Charter Kennel’s JSP Zippen Good has three straight Grade AA wins for trainer James Campbell. Kennel-mate Barts Aviator has back-to-back Grade AA victories. Xtrem Hess Racing Kennel’s Xtrem Begonia (TAA 3/16) and KT’s Fruit Loops (B, A) have two wins in a row for trainer Jill Spicer. Blanchard Kennel’s Artex Tornado has won three out of her last four outings (B, A, AA) for trainer Chris Maynard. Kennel-mates BNC R Rooney (A, AA) and Artex Kusapin (A, AA) have back-to-back victories. Steve Sarras Kennel’s WW Noble Antonio has two wins and two seconds in his last four trips (B, A) for trainer Mike Holguin. Previous Next

< Back CET DIRTY DILLY AND ARKANS MABEL SELECTED FOR TOP NGA AWARDS FOR 2021 Jim Gartland Mar 23, 2022 A West Virginia speedster and a Southland distance star have been chosen as recipient's of the NGA’s annual Awards; CET Dirty Dilly winning the 51st Annual NGA Rural Rube Award as the nation’s top sprinter for 2021, and Arkans Mabel capturing the Flashy Sir Award as the best distance greyhound in the land. Dirty Dilly edged out Craigie Delegate in voting for this year's Rural Rube, while the Flashy Sir was much closer with Mabel nosing out kennelmate Arkans RB Taz by a single vote to grab the award. A 2018 daughter of SH Avatar-CET Dirty Nicki , CET Dirty Dilly is a West Virginia bred who lit up the Tri State oval over the course of the year, setting records and winning stakes. She ended up leading the nation in wins with a total of 42 for the year. She captured the West Virginia Owners and Breeder's Sprint as well as the $100,000 Tri State Challenge and, along the way, set the 550 yard track record Tri State running a blistering 29.23 back in September. She was also voted Captain of the All American team by the NGA. CET Dirty Dilly Owned and raced by Carl Tomblin II, Dilly was the most consistent sprinter in the land over the entire year. She won her first start in January and from there would win 41 more times including finishing off a ten race win streak by breaking the 5/16 track record. Earlier in the year she had posted a record 16 wins in a row at the Tri State oval. Incredibly, from March 17 to December 30, she ran worse than 2nd only one time (4th). Dilly would finish the year with a 55-42-9-0-1 record, missing the pay sheet only three times the entire year! A much deserved award for this fabulous sprinter. Congratulations to Carl Tomblin and all the connections of CET Dirty Dilly . Runner-up in the Rural Rube voting was Lester Raines and John Draper's Craigie Delegate . This son of Superior Panama-Craigiecrushinit picked up three stake victories in 2021 and finished the year with 27 wins against the best at Southland. He captured the Southland Juvenile, Darby Henry Male Sprint and the Southland Derby while also grabbing the win title at the West Memphis track. Delegate was raised in Abilene on the Steven Boyd farm. Others receiving notable votes were Suzanne Blair's Teaser's Tickle and Shannon Henry's JS Keephopealive . Voting was much closer for the top spot in the Flashy Sir contest. Only three greyhounds received double digit votes and were separated by a total of two votes total between them. Arkans Mabel won out by one vote over Arkans RB Taz with Goddessofthehunt in third just another vote behind. Arkans Mabel is a brindle son of My Bro Fabio-Arkans BD Spring and was a Southland distance star for the Darren Henry operation. Racing almost exclusively at 660 yards, Mabel captured the Middle Distance Championship on Festival day and finished 2nd in the Razorback Classic to her kennelmate Arkans RB Taz . She would reel off six wins in a row and eight of nine at one stretch on her way to a 4th place finish in the win standings at Southland. She finished the year at 44-16-5-8, a 65% in the trifecta percentage. She is the epitome of a distance star as she ran only one official race less than 660 yards in 2021. Arkans Mabel Mabel , who was also named to the 2021 All American team, is owned by Darren & Rachele Henry and raced for them at Southland. Congratulations to all her connections! The 51st Annual NGA Rural Rube and Flashy Sir awards will be presented at the awards ceremonies program at the Greyhound Hall of Fame on Thursday night, April 28, during the NGA's Spring Meet. Previous Next

< Back $64,000 SPRINT CLASSIC PREVIEW Feb 13, 2020 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – No 550-yard stakes series at Derby Lane is more lucrative than the $64,000 Sprint Classic. With $25,000 going to the champion, the stakes will be high Saturday when one of the track’s premier events gets underway. Since Montague Maze of Moses-Crawford kennel prevailed in the inaugural series in 1976, 44 greyhounds have won the Sprint Classic. No dog has won it twice. That could change if defending champion LK’s Crush N It has his way again in the 45th edition. “I think he can do it if he gets right and starts breaking again,’’ Lashmet kennel manager and trainer Ken Deacon said. “He’s had almost 100 races against the best. “I gave him a little bit of time off. He’s back, and if he gets back to his sharp form, he has a chance of winning it again . . . without a doubt.’’ Thirty-two greyhounds have been entered in Races 4 (8:10 p.m.), 6 (8:39), 8 (9:13) and 10 (9:47). The field will be cut in half after Wednesday’s second round. Two final qualifiers will determine the eight-dog championship field on Feb. 29. Points are accumulated in each race by order of finish on a 16-10-8-6-3-2-1-0 scale. LK’s Crush N It was fabulous in 2019. His Sprint Classic title was the highlight in a season that featured four stakes championships, a national win title with 50 victories, and a pair of Derby Lane top-dog crowns. The 38-month-old male from a litter by LK’s Now R Never and LK’s All In captured the Sprint Classic with an unblemished record – winning all five races, including four qualifiers – to become the second dog in series history to claim the title in unbeaten fashion. The first greyhound to pull off the feat was 2007 winner Hometown Boy of Floyd & Porter kennel. LK’s Crush N It’s clocking of 30.24 seconds in the title race was the fourth fastest in a Sprint Classic finale. Lego Andrew, winner of the 2016 event for Floyd kennel, owns the best time of 30.06 seconds. A lifetime winner of 69 races and more than $103,000 in career earnings from 98 starts, LK’s Crush N It prepped for the Sprint Classic on Monday with a box-to-wire, 7-length victory in 30.44 seconds. LK’s Crush N It drew into Race 8 and starts from box 3. His kennelmate, LK’s Santorini, winner of the $18,000 Inaugural on Jan. 4, is another solid contender in Race 6 and begins from post 6. She is a 34-month-old daughter of LK’s Vespar and LK’s Chardonnay. Both greyhounds are owned by kennel operators and breeders John and Jill Lashmet of Eaton, Colo. “(LK’s Santorini) is running better than the big dog (LK’s Crush N It) is right now,’’ Deacon said. “She’s won six of her last nine races and has only been out of the money once in 10 starts (either first or second). I give her just as much as a chance (as LK’s Crush N It).’’ Lashmet, which ranked in third place in wins among the 14 kennels through Thursday, can become the first operation in 10 years to repeat as a Sprint Classic champion. Only four kennels have won at least two titles consecutively, the last being McAllister in 2009-10. Greymeadow (1998-2000) won the title three years in a row, while E.J. Alderson (1988-89) and Darby Henry (1983-84) were back-to-back champions. Deacon likes his chances to repeat, but he also has an eye on Shoot The Breeze of Floyd kennel. Shoot The Breeze, which has won his past three starts by a total of 24-1/2 lengths, has clocked the meet’s four quickest times on the 550-yard course, including 30.05 seconds on Feb. 3. The 28-month-old son of Derby Lane track record holder Trent Lee and Danicas Go Daddy is owned by kennel operators Randy and Pat Floyd. He drew box 8 in Race 10. “Shoot The Breeze is the best dog here at the track at the moment,’’ Deacon said. “He’s running hard. Everybody’s saying (there’s) a new sheriff in town. “But they run the races and things happen. He’s definitely the main challenger.’’ Deacon says getting off to a good start – both out of the starting box and in the series – is the recipe to success. “The break is 95 percent of it,’’ he said. “If you break, you get away and get around the trouble. Once you get a lead on a good Grade A dog, it’s tough to catch it. The post position plays a big part here. “I always want to win the first couple of races (in qualifying). If you win one of the first two (rounds), it almost guarantees you (to advance) with 16 points.’’ Previous Next

< Back Wheeling Hot Dogs ( as of June 5, all races 5/16 unless otherwise noted ) Stan Pawloski Jun 5, 2023 Xtrem Hess Racing Kennel’s Xtrem Bogonia has three straight Grade TAA 3/16 wins for trainer Jill Spicer. Blanchard Kennel’s Artex Kusapin has two victories and a second in his last three outings (A, AA) for trainer Chris Maynard. Imark Kennel’s GF St Kitts has back-to-back 3/16 wins (TA, TAA) for trainer DiAnn Derr. Patriot/Taplin Kennel’s Arkans TT Flash has two victories and two seconds in his last four races (B, A) for trainer Chey Kuriata. Code Red Kennel’s FF Lynx has two wins and a second in her last three trips (C, B, A) for trainer Tom Engle. Charter Kennel’s JSP Invest In Me has back-to-back victories (B, A) for trainer James Campbell. Kennel-mate JSP Funny Money has won three out of her last four starts (D, C, B). Previous Next

< Back Wheeling Hot Dogs ( as of December 6, all races 5/16 unless otherwise noted ) Stan Pawloski Dec 20, 2021 Imark Kennel’s Chico Man has won four out of his last five Grade TAA 3/16 races for trainer DiAnn Derr. Kennel-mates Tickle Ur Fancy has catured three out of her last four outings (A, AA) while Imark Daria has back-to-back wins (A, AA). Code Red Kennel’s Mr Einstein has won three out of his last four Grade AA trips for trainer Tom Engle. Patriot/Taplin Kennel’s FGF Georgejetson has two victories and three seconds in his last five 3/8 starts (TA, TAA) for trainer Joe Otto. Brad Boeckenstedt Kennel’s BGR Bottoms Up has back-to-back wins (A, AA) for trainer Frank Pellittere. Blanchard Kennel’s Loyal Alps has three straight 3/8 victories (TC, B, TA) for trainer Sarah Blanchard. Previous Next

< Back Wheeling Hot Dogs ( as of February 3, all races 5/16 unless otherwise noted ) Stan Pawloski Feb 1, 2020 Jacobs Racing Kennel’s JSK Roulette has five wins, three seconds and a third in her last nine Grade AA starts for trainer Louise Strong. Kennel-mates Firey High Cot has three straight victories (M, D, C) while Mega Muxia has back-to-back 3/16 wins (TB, TA). Lester Raines Kennel’s JS Drinkmepretty has won four out of her last five Grade AA races for trainer Joel Roden. Kennel-mate ZB Tremonti has two victories and three seconds in his last five Grade AA trips. Blanchard Kennel’s L’s Luv It has three wins and three seconds in her last six Grade AA outings for trainer Sarah Blanchard. Kennel-mate CTW Lucky Leo has back-to-back Grade AA victories. Patriot/Taplin Kennel’s TNT Free Falling has two straight Grade AA wins for trainer Joe Otto. Brad Boeckenstedt Kennel’s BGR Da Crazy One has back-to-back Grade TAA 3/8 victories for trainer Chris Brill. Previous Next