Once again all of the fans of the Orange Park Kennel Club got a special treat in Night of Stars XXIII as we had not only one race on the card, we had too. What made it even more exciting is that we ran our first 770 yard race of the year and the sprint event featured our last two 550 yard stakes winners.
The first of the two races from Orange Park was the 13th on the Night of Stars Race Card and took place over the 770 yard course. With no lines over this distance at Orange Park by any greyhound in this field, it really was a wide open affair. Anyone could win. Were the early speeders going to wire the field on the front end, or were the closers going to be able to take them all down before the finish line?
As the box opened up the race was on. Snapping up the early lead was the DQ Williams runner Starla Vintage. No big surprise here as DQ greyhounds can always run a long way and her mom won several over the 770 yard course at Wheeling Downs. Pressing her was Kiowa Trent Tam and it looked like this duo were in for a long battle in this effort. By the early turn, Trent Tam stuck his nose in front, but Starla has having none of that and came right back up the front side to regain command. This pair were changing blows thru the escape, but as they started down the backside, someone else thru their hat into the ring. Kelsos Henchman made a big rush to catch up to the leaders and wedged his way on the rail to challenge for the front end. Starla was not giving up without a fight though. She dug in deep and now it was different two way battle for control. By the 660 yard box they were heads apart, but try as she might, Starla was not going to be able to hold the lead. By the far turn Henchman nudged Starla out of his way as he took over command of this race. Down the stretch he cruised to the finish line for the easy victory. Starla finished a game second as she just kept on trying to get back at the leader before the finish line. Gabe Candice came from way off the pace and put on a great late surge to get up into the trifecta spot at the finish line. Kiowa Trent Tam ran a solid 4th after pushing the early pace in this effort. Completing the field was Miss Minerva in 5th, Lady Gator in 6th, Kiowa Unnat in 7th and Mb See You Later in 8th.
6 Kelsos Henchman 68.5 6 3 4 1 2 1 2.5 43.63 *1.60 2010 NOS Marathon
4 Starla Vintage 57 4 1 1 2 2 2 2.5 43.80 7.50 Early Pacesetter
5 Gabe Candice 59 5 2 5 4 3 5 43.99 9.70 Swift Finish Mdtrk
8 Kiowa Trent Tam 63 8 4 2 3 4 6.5 44.10 2.70 Lost Ground Late
3 Miss Minerva 61 3 6 3 5 5 10 44.34 16.80 Jammed Back Early
7 Lady Gator 60 7 5 6 6 6 16 44.76 9.40 Lacked Racing Room
1 Kiowa Unnat 70 1 7 7 7 7 19.5 44.98 8.50 Crowded At Break
2 Mb See You Later 70 2 8 8 8 8 24 45.30 15.40 Always Last
Lester Raines Kennels Bd M 6/12/2008 KELSOS FUSILEER-KELSOS PICILINO
6 5.20 3.20 2.20 QU (4-6) $17.40 TR (6-4-5) $132.00
4 4.80 3.40 TT (6-4-5) $11032.80 SU (6/8/6 3 of 3) $2947.40
5 3.40 P6 5 of 6 2319.40
Congratulations head out to the Lester Raines Kennel, Owner John Kelly, Trainer Mike Gerard, and everyone else connected with this fantastic greyhound. What a performance he put up in his first effort over the 770 yard course. Any time under 44.00 seconds is a solid trip around the oval here at Orange Park, so his 43.63 was in the neighborhood of what some of the former 770 stakes were won in. He's too Kelsos Henchman and hopefully we will see him in more 770 yard races in the future.
The second of the two races from Orange Park was the 14th on the card for the Night of Stars, and it featured not only the last couple of winners of a sprint stakes were in attendance along with some other very talented greyhounds.
Everyone thought that they knew who was going to be in front at the start of this race. RS Libby Lu. She always breaks, she was going to have room early on, and once in the lead she would be in the one to beat, but it didn't play out that way. When Rusty cleared the turn and the lid popped open it was Gm's Cashman that broke to the early lead. SURPRISE, but he wouldn't stay there for long as Leading Steps outrushed the pack to take command as the passed the finish line the first time around. Close in tow was the leader in points for the JGR Puppy Stakes, Playing Amy Song, Kiowa Shag Along, and multi-stakes winner Rs Libby Lu. As they rounded the corner Leading Steps shot gunned the turn and stretched his lead to 3 lengths as they headed down the backside, and he was going to need all of them if he wanted to hold on and win this race. By the far turn his lead was already shrinking was Gm's Cashman was gaining with each and every stride. As they turned for home it turned into a two greyhound race for the win. Could Gm's Cashman get up in time? Or, was Leading Steps going to hold everyone at bay and steal away the big upset? Closer and closer they came to the finish and closer and closer the two greyhounds were getting to each other. Leading Steps was fading and Cashman was gaining and it was going to be an exciting finish. Each put on one last ditch effort for the victory and at the wire, it was going to take a photo finish to separate them. Both deserved to win, but only one of them could, and it was Gm's Cashman that came out on the victor side of this effort. Leading Steps had to settle for second after an all out battle. Third went to Kiowa Shag Along and rounding out the superfecta was the JGR Puppy Stakes winner Paddy Whacker who closed from way back to get it done. Completing the finish was the race favorite Rs Libby Lu in 5th, Playing Amy Song in 6th, Raiders Bart in 7th, and Bh's Simplylegit in 8th.
4 GM's Cashman 71 4 1 2 2 1 ns 30.90 9.70 2010 NOS Sprint
6 Leading Steps 73 6 4 1 3 1 2 2 ns 30.91 15.70 Lost Stretch Duel
7 Kiowa Shag Along 77.5 7 5 3 3 3 4 31.18 9.10 Rushed Up On Rail
2 Paddy Whacker 76 2 7 6 5 4 6.5 31.36 2.80 Slow Break, Jammed
1 RS Libby Lu 57 1 3 5 4 5 7 31.39 *1.20 Blocked On Rail
3 Playing Amy Song 59 3 2 4 6 6 9 31.54 16.50 Cut To Rail Early
5 Raiders Bart 68 5 8 8 8 7 12.5 31.76 9.30 Jammed 1st Turn
8 BH's Simplylegit 62 8 6 7 7 8 14 31.89 13.60 Squeezed Back 1st
Falcon Kennel F. M 05/10/08 Dodgem By Design-GS Gertie
4 GM's Cashman 21.40 18.60 9.40 Quiniela (4-6) - $131.40
6 Leading Steps 12.20 11.80 Trifecta (4-6-7) - $4,428.40
7 Kiowa Shag Along 7.60 Superfecta (4-6-7-2) - $16,113.00
2 Paddy Whacker Pick 3 (8-6-4) 2 of 3 $80.80
Congratulations head out to the Falcon Kennel for their first every stake victory at the Orange Park Kennel Club. Let's not forget congrats to Kennel Owner, and Greyhound Owner, Gary Willis II and his Wife, and Trainer, Amy Willis for all their hard work for getting Gm's Cashman ready to rock and roll in this final. Even though this was an upset, not a huge surprise here. Cashman has been running tough as of late and has stakes experience under his belt as he was the point leader for the 2009 Jacksonville Juvenile. Big things are in store guy as he looks to keep up the good work in the upcoming James J Patton Silver Cup.
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