The best dogs at Derby Lane, one of the country’s best dog tracks, began its 82nd season of operation, all running at Tampa this past summer and fall. Tampa and Derby Lane run alternate meetings, with Tampa ending in December and most of the hares moving to Derby Lane six months later. Derby Lane is one of the nation’s oldest greyhound racing, and always features some of the top racers in the entire country. Derby Lane runs one of the nation’s richest races, offering a million dollar purse in February to the best American runners in the Game of Thrones. Here are the best half-dozen hare runners who will compete at Derby Lane this season.
Country Boy is perhaps Derby Lane’s fastest dog in pure speed. An April 2004 red brindle male, this 76 pound stallion set a new track record over the 5/16 mile distance in his last start at Tampa before transferring to the Wool Derby. His 30.01 clocking in the New New Years Eve beat him by nine lengths before he cruised to victory. Derby Lane, and in his first start there he won by three feet in 30.90. Country Boy is another dog on a lead, rarely caught, although it can be done. He won four races at Tampa after finishing his first meeting at Derby Lane in impressive style, bringing back nine of his eleven starts in June 2006, in seven Grade A starts. Country Boy from Boy Stan Vola and Touche Baby is owned by Randy Floyd.
One of the few dogs that has shown that he can catch the Hometown Boy is the red-haired male Dum U Waita, who has been on fire since his first year. In Tampa, this 74-pound flyer has done quite well, but he has won two of his first three starts at Derby Lane in the New Year, leading both times, a place not usually found early in the race. Still running 5/16, While U Wait should be tried over 3/8 of a mile quickly at Derby Lane as he has tons of footwork that can be handled out of the yard. Under the initiative of the owners of LaRosa, Dum U Expecta will be three in February; so that if he was going to go longer, it would be better soon.
By the time you read this, Snap Flying In will be two years old, and this 62 pound red female is ready for the big 2007 at Derby Lane. She’s already got two starts there, a third in the first round, and she’s getting valuable experience out of the box every time. In Tampa, Flying Snap Day took eighteen starts to reach the top ranks but didn’t miss the top when . A big slow closer, she’s sure to be tested over a longer distance at Derby Lane too, and she’s almost as sure to love the added length of her runs!
Brady Thomas is a lot like his brother, the Hometown Boy, in that he almost never loses the lead and goes out in a big match in Tampa. Brady won 18 times, all in Grade A, and only ran worse than third once. But he is 78lbs heavier than his brother, and if his recent victory from the latter is any indication of things to come, he will be at Derby Lane all winter and spring.
Winner of the 2007 Inaugural and defending Distance Classic champion since last February, Extruding Dream is expected to be named to the 2006 All-American team when it is announced soon. From the Impossible Dream-Iwanthattrophy, Extruding Dream Derby Lane 3/8ths last winter at 36.87 record, won the Classic, and then went to shorter strokes for the consolation Million Dollar Classic Sprint, which the versatile performer won in 29.77 seconds. Another three-year-old came in February, Dream, who weighed 71 pounds and is a black and sleek male. He was installed in the inaugural 82nd Derby Lane by five on January 6th, and then returned to his usual distance of 1,980 feet by 3/8ths. the next start, holding on for another win as the big favorite. There’s no doubt that he’s going to be a big dog in running with his legs as he tries to defend his title next month.
Flying Rugby could tell in the matter of this 66 pound black male that it won’t be until May two, only ten official starts under his belt, but he’s already established himself as a solid 3/8/8 pound threat. After running four times in his 5/16-mile career, his handlers at Tampa placed him in a longer race, and Flying Rugby responded with a second test over the distance. At Derby Lane he has three wins and two starts, and is still worse than third in any class, although he has been in a few. But Derby Lane had better watch out, as this pup will only get better and better with experience. Flying Penske is the speedy father of Guy, and his flying mother is Jezebel.
