Croweing Loud in the Finals of the Orange Park Derby

Another Orange Park Derby is in the books but the 2010 edition will be something to be remembered for quite a while for many here at the Orange Park Kennel Club.

Eds Budby put on an impressive display in the finals for the win, but that is not what is going to be remembered so much. The main focus would be which kennel Budby resides in and who owns him.

Budby is from the Crowe Kennel and is owned by trainer Mike Crowe. No one in the compound works harder than Mike and sometimes it feels really good to see the good guy finish first.

Mike has had several stakes finalists over the last 15 years that I have worked here, but he has never won any of those races. Here in the finals of the Orange Park Derby the tide turned in the right direction and he finally won a stakes race.

At the break tonight Rays Scout flew to the early lead and was clean sailing in the open air up front as there was trouble behind him in the early turn. Sneaking thru it was Eds Budby, Uss Fine Touch and Holly Noelle. Up the front stretch the lead pack continued to chase the leader. Three lengths clear of the competition, Rays Scout, felt good, but his problem was the Eds Budby was already in second and he was not slowing up at all. By the start of the backside the lead had shrunk to almost nothing and by the end of the toteboard Budby was in the lead. Frankly from that point on, this race just got ugly. Budby left the rest in his wake as he drew away for fun and demolished this stakes caliber field by 9 lengths at the finish line as he stopped the clock at a speedy 37.38 second clocking. Second was the only returning finalist Xtra Style. The only real closer in the field, came from WAY back to get up for place in the photo over early leader Rays Scout. Uss Fine Tough finished in the money in his second stakes final in a row as he completed the superfecta. Rounding out the field was Bad For Ya in 5th, Holly Noelle in 6th, Gs Ashlynn in 7th, and race favorite La's Lucy in 8th.

Congratulation head out to Eds Budby, Kennel Owner and Greyhound Owner Mike Crowe, Breeder Tracy Chase, and the first owner of this greyhound Ed Litogot, Jr. He raced several greyhound on our circuit and it is sad that he is no longer with us, and he didn't get to see his named greyhound win a stakes title.

Continued success for this fantastic distance greyhound from everyone here on the Jacksonville Racing Circuit.