Great Match-Ups and Keys This Weekend

Friday - 9/25/2009


Loads of talent flow thru the top grade races at the Orange Park Kennel Club this weekend. Whether it be over 550 or 660 yards we bunch of the best greyhounds locking up in head to head competition. As always, there is a good mix of young and old, rising stars and cagey veterans, and stakes qualifiers and winners lurking to take home the top spot in their respective races.

What may set this weekend apart from any other is, there are some great keys and match-ups in almost all of the feature races. Some quiniela, trifectas, and even superfectas might be locks if everyone runs like they have in the past. Ready to cash some tickets? Tune in to find out how!

Starting off in the 7th race this field is going to be hard pressed to stop Cjc's Buckshot. This closing monster has his groove on as he has won 2 of his last 3 races since dead heating for show in the finals of the 2009 Sunshine State Silver Cup. Working from an inside post should even help his effort, i.e., look 6 races back where he won from this very same spot in a qualifying round of the stakes. Trying to outdo him on the lead will be a duo of Kiowa Greyhounds. Both are pretty tough on or near the early lead so Tag Along and Samantha will both need to come out in a hurry in this one if they want to take home the top prize. Tag Along is riding high of a win in his last effort from a similar post position and remember that he too won a round in the stakes and just missed the finals. Samantha might not have competed but has a pair of grade a wins showing in her last 5 races and has only missed the pay sheet once during that time span. If either one wants to go to the lead, Buckshot will have to be locked and loaded to get the job done. Another puppy not to forget is Fay's Mcqueen. Sure he might be a little less speedy without the lead, but when he does break he is trouble for any field of greyhounds. He likes the inside and gets a good post here and with 3 wins in 6 starts, including a pair in grade A, he is a threat to win again tonight. It's all about the break for him too, come out close and it's going to be interesting.

Everyone will be watching in the 10th race to see if the streak can continue for La's Anthony. Prior to the stakes he won 4 races in a row, then during the rounds he finished 2nd in 4 races in a row. Making the finals he ran into a load of trouble and finished 6th. Since he has won 3 races in a row, so over his last 12 races he has won 7 times and finished in the quiniela in 11 starts. Tonight from maybe his favorite post, outside of the one box, Anthony breaks fast and adds another number to the streak total. Puppy Wp's Commodore won't let him get away that easy though. Breaking from a very favorable post position tonight, Commodore is just coming into his own as a top notch greyhound and could upset the veteran. With three wins and 6 quinielas in a row, he is running at peak performance, but this is no chump he will be chasing early on tonight. If he wants to take his game to the next level, he will have to really come out in a hurry in this one. Switzler Takeoff is another strong greyhound that has really taken to the racetrack since arriving from Wheeling. He might not have shown the speed so far as the other big boys, but that might all change for her in this effort. Moving up from grade D, she might be a bit overmatched in her very first grade A race here, but if she closes like she has been a spot in the cash shouldn't be a stretch. She has won 3 of her last 5 races and finished in the money in 6 of her 7 trips around the Orange Park oval. Breaking from a good post, expect another strong closing effort tonight. We would always be amiss if we left out T Dizzle, especially when she is in the on cycle. LOL! Ok, so she runs hot and cold at times, but you can't deny the all out raw speed that she has. Here the 5 box is not quite as wide as he last two efforts have been, but all she has to do is get close enough early on to stay interested. With Anthony coming out fast, she follows him to the turn and that should be enough for her to contend again in this one. She is wants to go, she could upset this field.

On to the speed matchup of the evening in the 11th race as Thats Amore Foxy takes on Hanks Diana in what could turn into a battle royal for the lead, and the win, tonight. Both greyhounds can really get out of the box well and both have but short in the past. They also have held on late to win races too, so it's all about the attitude that they will bring to this race tonight. Foxy has been more successful as of late and frankly she has been running against a bit steeper competition in the process. With 5 of 6 races in the front she should be the one to catch, but don't count out Diana so fast. She has a better post position and had won 3 in a row and 5 of 6 over the last month or so. She knows how to get it done and I expect this to turn into a donnybrook. Either way you like them, this should be a solid quiniela play tonight. Trying to take them both down will be the other big time early speeder here, Deerfield Can. Can has won his share of grade A races too, but those normally come from the rail or the one box. Tonight he will have to make due from the 4, which might not be all that bad. He will have extra room early on and the last time he had this post, or the other one with a box open next to it, the 5, he won both efforts. If he can follow Foxy to the turn, the 2 way battle might turn into a 3 way slugfest. Now when you think you are done, let's throw in another greyhound into the early speed mix. Cayenne Carmagea might not have all the name power or shiny resume as the others, but results at the wire are what counts anyways. Here she gets an ideal post with the 2 box and it should go a long way to helping her out in this effort. She has been in the month in 4 of her last 5 races and that does include a win 4 races back in grade B. If she decides to follow the speed to the turn and gets close enough early on, she might be upset minded in this effort tonight.

No better way to cap off the evening than a top grade 660 yard affair. Speed will play a role in this race as well, but can they steal enough to keep the stakes winner at bay? NO! Racheal Lee is way, way, way overdue for a victory and sooner or later the light bulb is going to come on. Breaking from the outside might not be a good place to start from, but she is so slow early on that it really doesn't matter all the much. She just needs a lane to get to the rail in and with all the early speed rushing out clear of her, she should be unabated to where she wants to be on the racetrack. Late in this race, no one will be better as the speed tires themselves out on the front end, and Racheal is there to pick up the mess at the wire. Leading the way for the majority of this race should be Kiowa Deli Dee. This greyhound has really come into her own as of late and has posted up wins in 4 of her last 6 races in grade A. She can be short on occasion and in the two races that she didn't win, she was run down from behind in the stretch. Here she will be pressed throughout and will need to give it her all if she wants to win again. If she can steal enough early, it wouldn't be a surprise to see her continue to impress with another win tonight. Making her work for it will be Hobo Dan. Dan is a big time breaker and early speed greyhound over 660 yard and as long as he is close early on, he is tough. I know he can falter late and once he is passed he doesn't have the same heart as he does on the lead, but who cares. If he goes to the front, he can outrun almost anyone at the racetrack over 660 yards. Just look at his last couple of races over 660. In the money in all 4 of them, including wins in his last 2 starts in grade A over 660 yards. Breaking from a good post, Dan is upset minded once again in this effort. Now for the sort of long shot, Never Relinquish. This greyhound has won back to back races by 5 lengths or more. Ready for the next level, I think so, but moving further away from the rail might affect her in this one. She did break extremely well in both of those starts and getting the lead here will not be as easy as it was against those fields. She is going to have to work hard, but remember that she is more than a one dimensional greyhound. She can close from off the pace too and that is what is going to get her into the money in this effort.

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Saturday - 9/26/2009

No time to slow down on Saturday as the 7th race gets another heated battle on the front end. The race for adoption greyhound, Charmurpantsoff, is looking for a little revenge over Bl Punch N Judy in this effort. These two greyhounds matched up last time out and Judy got the best of him in that effort. Judy has been breaking extremely well and in the process she has been winning races. With 2 in a row and 3 in her last 4 starts she must be considered a threat to win again, but the 6 box is a long way from the rail and the last 6 box she had, she fell down trying to get there. Advantage Charmurpantsoff. He gets to start out near the rail in the 2 box and that will play into his effort tonight, besides he has won 3 of his last 6 races too and has enough speed to take down Judy with, or without, the early lead in this race. Both are running at peak performance and this too could turn into quite a race to watch. Can Judy steal enough early to hold on? Or will she get her Pants pulled OFF at the finish line? Trying to keep the duo honest will be the veteran Gs Dallas. Dallas might not be quite as quick as he used to be, but from the outside post position he has always been a dangerous threat. He loves it out here and even though he is short late in his races, he usually does give some early speeders some fits on the way to the first turn. I don't think he can keep up the pace throughout for the win, but he should find the money again for the 6th time in his last 7 efforts. Now on to the closing portion of our event and the very posted up 1 greyhound, Cayenne Ferrari. All revved up and ready to go, Ferrari gets the pole position and could be lurking around way to close for the early speeders comfort at the start of this effort. I know he is not as consistent as the others, but when the mood suits him, WATCH OUT! Just look back 2 races where he demolished a field by 5 lengths and posted up a very speedy 30.66 second clocking in the process. Still winning might be a stretch, but hitting the gas late and stealing away a spot for another top 4 finish is not out of the question.

More heat in the 11th race as upstart Fay's Fonda takes on the winner of the 2009 Sunshine State Silver Cup, Rs Libby Lu. Libby has been continuing to break well in her races since winning the stakes, but she is not holding on late to win them. It's not like she has been running poorly, come on, with 4 quinielas in a row she has been in the hunt all the way to the wire, but short is short and that is where Fonda comes in. This greyhound is not short and at the end of his races he has been driving home, besides he has a solid break too and might even take the early lead away from Libby in this effort. Both greyhounds start out in good posts and it could be another great race to watch. Both have the ability to win, but I like Fonda on top. Where's Playpen has to get a look here too. Shorter than either of the other two mentioned greyhounds, Playpen will have to get out to the lead early on if she wants a shot at the top spot at the wire. She gets the bonus of the 1 box here and that might be enough to keep her stalking throughout once again in this effort. Tough to count her out as she has not missed the money in her last 6 efforts in a row, including a close 2nd place finish in her last race from this starting box. Look for her to keep it close from the box to the wire and find a way into the money once again tonight. Kiowa Stan Cay is no slouch himself and he too has been a top grade competitor in 6 efforts in a row. He has a good rush to the turn and if he is close early on, he is tough to kick out of the top four positions before the finish line. Starting out from where he wants to be on the racetrack, midtrack, he should be in the thick of things throughout once again in this effort. If he does decide to break here, he has enough speed for the upset. Watch out for him in this effort tonight.

What better way to end the evening then with a 2 times stakes winner in the 1 box? Time to cash some tickets! Count Ivan might have fallen in the finals of the 2009 Sunshine State Silver Cup after winning 3 of the rounds, and even though he had a couple of rough races after that, he has righted the ship and is ready to get back to being the man. Don't believe me? Look at his last 2 races! A won by 8 and then a strong second to Ru Tuff Enuf, no worries there, and tonight this is the one box and I'm the one to beat. Also working for me is the 2 greyhound, Msd Rhonda. She is going to move wide and at the break and give me all kinds of room to rush the turn in. Look for me to take over early and as they say, this could get UGLY! Kiowa Smedley likes it outside and gets an advantageous post position in this race with the 8 box. Coming from Mardi Gras, this puppy has really taken to the racetrack and let's not forget that he won in the 1st round of qualifying for the stakes. I know he missed the final, but he only has 27 career starts. He is still finding his way in grade A, but he has already won his share of races at the top level too. Normally a strong closer, he will not have the luxury against Ivan in this race. If he wants to win, he must break and run the race of his career tonight. Dirty Picture is another late runner that will be coming on strong at the end of this race. Forget his last effort, he was not close early on and had nowhere to go. Previously he had been in the money in 5 straight and had won 2 of those effort from similar post positions. I don't know if he can keep pace early, but in the stretch he will do what needs to be done to get up into the money scene at the wire. Now for the stretch! Msd Rhonda might like to race wide, but front the inside posts she breaks a whole lot better. Here she is going to need every advantage that she can get and if she comes out with Ivan. She might just be able to hang around thru the early stages of this race. Late she will be no match for the big guys powers, but it could turn into a solid in the money finish for her tonight. Just look at her lines! Her best two efforts in her last 6 races have come from inside post positions. Enough said!