Great Weekend On Tap at the OPKC!

Friday - 9/18/2009
Another great weekend is in store at the Orange Park Kennel Club, as we get mix of just about everything at some point during all of the top grade races for Friday and Saturday evenings.

We got big names, wins streaks, stakes winners, rising stars, stakes finalists, win streaks and a track record holder. What more could you ask for? Nothing!

Getting right into the thick of things in the 7th race, we take a little trip around the oval with Ru Tuff Enuf. The pre-race favorite to make the finals, and probably win, the 2009 Sunshine State Silver Cup, Tuff came up short of both and even though he has not missed the quiniela in 3 starts since, he has not looked as sharp as he has in the past. Time for him to show up and show off in this race. Expect BIG things tonight. Kiowa Kay Wilbur is a great early speed greyhound that should come out running at the start of this race. No doubt he might be able to make the lead, but holding it throughout is the real question. He has only 1 wins in his last 6 races, but he has been in the money in all of those efforts. Look for more of the same in this race. Els Crystal is running above her head and if she keeps breaking, she might just keep on doing it. She has 2 wins in her last 4 races and in each she had the lead at the first turn. She too is short at the end of the race, and stepping up two grades in class, she might even be shorter in the stretch tonight. If she wants to impress in grade A, she will need to steal a ton early on. Where's J Bee gets the best of the rest award in this race. He has enough early speed to get around early on, but how bad does it want to run. If he wants to keep going he could contend for the majority of this effort, but if he decides to quit in the stretch he could fade back out of the money. It's all up to him here.

Puppy power in the 10th race on the card as the newest grade A factor for the DQ Williams Kennel, Charmurpantsoff, gets another chance at a paycheck for adoption. Running for Teddy Palmer's Halfway Home Adoption Agency, Charmurpantsoff has really lined some pockets as of late. Winning 4 of his last 5 races and showing up in the money in his last 7 races in a row, this guy has some veterans skills even though he won't turn 2 until December. Breaking well has been his key to success and look for more of it here, especially since he gets to start off from the 1 box. Kiowa Stan Cay is going to make it interested though as he too has shown that he has what it takes to win impressively in grade A too. In his last 3 races he has won twice and has posted up 30.50 or so times in the process. As long as he is close early on, he has been a major factor in the races that he has run in. Tonight there is no speed around expect for the 1, and if he stalks him to the turn, this could turn into a battle royal. Deerfield Moss is a big time closer that would much rather be on the rail at the start of this effort. Breaking from the outside he is really going to have to work to get to the inside and find a late to charge up into in the stretch. He did compete well in the stakes and even since he has a win a good closing 3rd to his credit. Forget the last race, tonight he finds a way to factor again. Wp's Commander has taken well to the racetrack since arriving from Wheeling Downs and with money finishes in 4 of his last 6 efforts, you cannot discount the talent of this young runner. I know he hasn't won in a while, but he had been stuck inside for far too long. Finally on the outside part of the racetrack again tonight, things could be different at the finish line this time around.

Race 11 is not like the others as it is a bit more wide open and I could see several greyhounds taking home the top prize at the finish line in this one. So who to go with? More puppy power! Fay's Fonda draws a good inside post position I look for him to hit the lid and be off to the races early on in this effort. What he lacks in experience he makes up for in talent, and so far on the front end he has proving about as tough as anyone to catch. Recent success plays a role here too as he has posted up 3 wins in his last 5 efforts. Breaking clearly and driving home late, he pulls off the mini upset in this effort. Kiowa Smedley took to the racetrack good enough for him to be entered into the Sunshine State Silver Cup and make it all the way to the semi-finals after a first round win. Working for him is the post position! I know you might not see it but 4 of his 7 wins here have come from this post position. He can break well on occasion and even without the lead he has enough left late to make up for it in the stretch. He is a complete greyhound and if he wants to run tonight, this race will be his too loose. Now for the DQ entry and might just be the favorite at post time. Dirty Picture has really stepped back up his game as of late with 6 efforts in a row in the money in grade A, including 5 quinielas and 2 winning efforts. Outside is where he wants to be and the 6 box should be a prime location to start from. In his last effort from here he came from 6th at the far turn to win. If he closes like that again, the sky will be the limit. Where's Playpen used to be an exceptional breaker, but the consistency of those efforts has long left her behind. Sure every now that then she can beat the box and normally that returns her into the money at the finish line. Case in point, her last race where she wired the field on the front end for the win. Don't get me wrong as of late she has been running better, but against these she will need give a repeat of her last effort if she wants to contend. Can she do it? Sure, but will she?

Capping off the evening we move to the 660 yard course and go once again with the 2008 Patton Marathon winner Racheal Lee. This monster closer can run down anyone at anytime in a race and if she is close early on, it is OVER! Tonight she starts out from the most outside post and even though she likes to race on the rail, she will be able to get there sometime in this effort. I don't care who is in front early, this race is hers too loose and besides, she's due! It's been 4 since she won, time to get off the snide. Speaking of early leads, Kiowa Deli Dee should be the one on the engine tonight. This greyhound has been in front in 4 of her last 5 races, winning 3 and finishing in the quiniela in the other, Deli Dee is a force once she sees the lead. Tonight the wide runner starts off from a favorable post position in the 7 box and if it all goes her way early on, it is not out the realm of possibilities that she could wire the field for the win. Need A Date might be Racheal Lee's littermate, but their running style couldn't be further apart. Don't get me wrong Need A Date can last for 660 yards and win at the top grade over this distance, just like she did in her last effort, but she is all about hitting the lid and trying to hold on late for the victory. No closing speed here like her sister, but just as dangerous in any grade A affair. She doesn't care about the post just the break. Coming out fast tonight will guarantee her a spot in the money tonight. Se's We Goin Too has really matured into a quality 660 yard greyhound and even though she is going to win a ton of races over here, she is going to be a force throughout in each and every one that she runs in. She is a steady plugger with a big of a close on occasion over 660 and that is just what you are going to get again in this effort. With 5 finishes in the superfecta in her last 6 races, you know she had the chops to get it done, tonight she just proves it once again.

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Saturday - 9/19/2009

Race 7 features an interesting match-up between the new, the proven, and the maybe. Any of the three could steal away with a win in this effort, but it really depends on who wants it most. It's tough to pick against the greyhound that holds the track record, and I won't, but Kiowa Swizzle is the MAYBE in this race. He is as faster than anyone ever at the racetrack, but he has to be close early on in order to want to run and be effective. Breaking from his favorite 8 box, it is going to be tough to beat him, but if can't see the early lead or at least be near it, he can get beat in this effort. Hot off a monster win by almost 9 lengths, Swizzle is ready to fire for the front and back to back wins tonight. Trying to steal away the lead and the victory is the NEW, as in newcomer, in the equation, Thats Amore Foxy. Foxy has done well since arriving from Daytona Beach and if she keeps breaking like she has been, she is going to be just fine in the long haul. She has won 2 of her last 3 races and has been either first or second to the turn in her last 6 efforts in a row. All rail all the time, Foxy gets a double bonus with the 1 box in this effort. Her drawback, like more big time early speed greyhounds, she can be short in the stretch on occasion. If she wants to upset this field tonight, she needs a huge break and rush to get it done. Now for the PROVEN greyhound, CJC's Buckshot. Buckshot won 3 rounds of the Sunshine State Silver Cup and in the finals he ran a big race after trouble to dead heat for third. He has a tremendous heart and never, ever gives up in a race. Closing is his best attribute and he can do it from so many places on the racetrack. Inside would have been a better starting spot for him, but he has had success from here in the past. If he wants this race, no one may be able to keep him out of the winner's circle tonight. Fth Fiyacracker might have had a quick exit from the stakes rounds, but she was just coming back off a rest and really wasn't on top of her game. Since she has broke a bit better and even though she has not won a race as of yet, she did factor well in 2 of those 4 races. Early speed has been her best friend in the past and she has not come out on top in a long time. If she is going to make the leaders earn their victory tonight, she will need to channel that inner ankle burner in this effort.

The biggest mover and shaker this week is up in the 11th race. Wp's Clinton, story on the front page about him, has really come into his own over the last month or so. He has won 4 of his last 6 races including a 10 1/2 length romp in his last effort. Like he needs the help, Clinton gets the rail again in this effort and this rail hugger may just put up back to back romps in this race. It's all sitting there for him to take, pass the bib! Jeans Winningboy is not going to let him just belly up to the buffet without some competition though. Winningboy was an early exiter of the stakes rounds as well, but since he has been back on top of his game. He has won 3 of 5 starts and finished in the trifecta in the other two. If they were posted up next to each other this could turn into quite a race, but from the 5 box, Winningboy will have to work extra hard in order to get up late for the victory. If he wants to show up the other rising star tonight, he will need to come out running in this effort. Blaze N Ray is a super closer that likes to race from the rail and gets to start there in this effort. Ray hung around throughout the qualifying rounds of the stakes, but without any wins he had no chance to make the finals. Coming from last all the time does that to you and coming from last in this effort will get him more of the same, third place finishes a few lengths off of the winners. And if he runs into trouble, well it's an out of the money finish. That is the story of his last 6 races in a nutshell, 3 wins, 3 out of the money finishes. Here the post will help out, but the outcome is really up to him. He will close strong late, but will it be enough to threaten the leaders? Time will tell. Let's not forget the old standby in this race, T Dizzle. You know the I'm going to win for fun or not show up at all greyhound. Just kidding, somewhat. This greyhound is always a contender from the outside and gets a fairly outside post here in the 6 box. I know it's not the 8 and this is grade A but you have to respect the just in case factor, especially since she has won 2 of her last 5 races and both of those came from outside starting boxes. If she does get loose early on, you might just see an old familiar face on top in the photo at the finish line.

Can the streak continue in the 15th and final race on the card as La's Anthony is looking for his 3rd win in a row over a very talented field of greyhounds. Anthony had 4 in a row heading into the stakes and finished 2nd in all 4 rounds before finished out of the money in the finals. Since he has won 2 in a row and looks to be back on top of his game. Clearly he is the one to beat but he is going to have his hands full throughout in this effort. Upstart Fay's McQueen is posted up well on the rail and with 4 wins in her last 6 races, including running down the stakes winner in the stretch in his last effort, he looks ready to contend again against anyone tonight. Let's not forget the cagey veteran Where's Playtime either. Her all out early speed is enough for even the mighty Anthony to worry as they go to the turn. I know she is short in the stretch, but a rail runner in a rail post might just stretch out that lead a little more in the early stages of this effort. She has been in the money in 3 of her last 6 races and that includes a close 2nd place finish 2 starts ago from this post position. It would take all she had and some help behind to win tonight, but it could happen. Hanks Diana was a winning machine last month with wins in 5 of her 6 starts, including a run of 3 wins in a row. Since she has not been breaking as sharply as he had in the past and that has been the difference maker for her. Granted she is learning a bit how to run without the lead, but she has not challenged late in race for a while now. If she doesn't come out running in this effort, the post could be a hindrance to her as well. She has had trouble from this post before in the past and it might come back at her again tonight. If she wants to challenge with the leaders tonight, she will need to break her best in this race.