1st Round 2009 Jacksonville Juvenile

It's the best time of the year, Yep, stakes racing time at the Orange Park Kennel Club and all the fun gets underway this Friday with 8 races chalk full of the best puppy talent at the racetrack.

Sixty-four greyhounds will strap on their muzzles and take aim and winning, and racking up some points, to continue on to the finals on Saturday Evening December 5th here at the Orange Park Kennel Club.

First up in the 5th race will be the very talented upstart, Comedrinkwithme. He has only run in 5 official starts, but he has won 3 of those races and has shown some grade A talent in the process. Besides his parents were MONSTERS and it seems to have passes on to him too. He has a great 8 box to start this race from and it looks like he should be able to take home the 16 points in this effort. Besides he has the DQ crew behind him and they know how to win stakes races. Sugarman Sweet is no slouch though and will provide Drinkwithme a challenge. With 5 wins in 9 starts this puppy has some serious skills and if you don't believe me, just look at his last race. He broke well, rushed hard to the turn, and stopped the clock at an impressive 30.56 second run in his first grade A win. Ok so 5 box might slow him down a bit, but not that much. Here's hoping that they both break and we get to see a big time battle in the first qualifying race on the card. Gs Ashlynn is a super closer that will be coming from nowhere at the end of this race to challenge the leaders at the wire. She has done fairly well so far with 9 of 11 in the money, and posted up 4 wins in the process. The post might not be her friend, but she has run well from the rail in the past, even though she likes to take it to the wide side of the racetrack. If she can get around close enough, she could make it very interesting at the finish line. Pat C Pearl Drop is a greyhound that has been competitive in her last 6 races in a row. Winning 2 of 3 and getting up to grade B, she is on top of her game now, and if she can get out of the box at all, her late speed will come in handy at the finish line. From a favorable almost midtrack post position, she might be a sleeper pick to watch out for tonight.

On to race 7 and another DQ Williams greyhound to keep an eye on. Charmurpantsoff is not only a seasoned grade A winner, he is a race for adoption greyhound that shares his proceeds with Halfway Home Adoption Agency and its president Teddy Palmer. DQ and Sharon have graciously set aside the proceeds of this greyhound for adoption and we all should tip our hats to them for this great gesture. Now back to the qualifications of this tremendous greyhound. He is clearly the one to beat tonight and back on some fresh legs after an extended rest, he is locked and loaded and ready to fire to the front. Once there no one here has the chops to cut him down before the finish line. Out and gone early on for the first round win, the true race will be for place. Never Can Tell is the other grade A greyhound in this field that has some success against the best the racetrack can offer. He has won 2 grade A events in her last 6 starts and in each she was either in front or extremely close at the start of the race, so the break will be critical for her once again in this effort. Why? Because this rail greyhound will have to get there untouched from the 8 box in order to be effective in this effort. So forget the last couple of races and see the Trainer Mike Gerard on the wall. She will break and contend tonight! Gs Olivia has only 5 races under her belt but looks to be the real deal and with the 1 box, you can never count our just what can happen in a race. She has won back to back raced and 3 overall so far in her young career. Now for the important part, she has started from the red blanket twice and in each race she simply won and finished in a grade A time. Here post and confidence are on her side, watch out if she gets loose early on in this effort tonight. Hanks Marsbar has been around the oval a bunch and even though he might not win a ton of races, he competes well in almost every start. He has a solid rush to the turn and is a bit short in the stretch. Most of the time he does hold on in the money though, so it really would not be a big surprise to see him in the superfecta again in this effort. The midtrack post will help, look for an even chase in the money throughout.

Race 9 is interesting as a couple of 660 yard greyhound drop back to 550 for the stakes, but it should be a pair of early speed sprinters that challenge for the win and make the rest of the field work hard in this effort. Where's Lil Tiny has been exploding from the starting box as of late and in turn she has been finishing well at the wire too. In her last 6 races she has been in the top couple of spot at the first turn and that led to her finishing in the quiniela in 4 of her last 6 starts. She did win 2 of those efforts and once came from a similar outside post to the one that she has in this effort tonight. All she has to do is clear and she might just wire this entire field on the front end. Making up earn her keep will be Whatever Works. This talented youngster gets a great inside post positions to start this race from and that truly could be the difference at the finish line. Right now she is firing on all cylinders with 4 efforts in a row in the trifecta, including a win 3 races back in box to wire fashion. If she decides to get out of the box tonight, everyone might just be chasing her throughout this effort. Gs Rae is another closer entry for the Willis Kennel and this guy has what it takes to upset the early footers at the wire tonight. He has finished in the top 4 spots in 8 of his 11 lifetime starts and the middle boxes pose no threat to him either. He likes it here and with the extra room at the break, it just might be enough to get him into stalking position early on in this race. One thing you can count on for sure is that he will be making up ground throughout and in the stretch he will factor with the leaders for the win. Can he upset? We will see, but it is not out of the realm of possibilities just yet. Eds Joy Of Pride is also a highly competitive closer that should be making a move late in this race to challenge the leaders. Besides her last trouble ridden race, she has been competitive in grade B and has just missed in second place in 4 of her last 6 races. She never gives up or never gives in and this race you will see more of the same. If she can get around untouched, she will be in the hunt with the leaders at the wire.

In my opinion, the 10th race is the lockdown play of the entire card! Uss Fine Touch is clearly head and shoulders better than the rest of this field and she is going to prove it! MARK MY WORDS! Why? She is the only early speed greyhound here! She is the only solid grade A greyhound here! She is the best raw speed greyhound here! And she has the most experience against the top competition as anyone here! Watch for her to go straight to the front and never look back in this effort. She is going to ROMP and everyone else and vie for second place at the finish line. Coming on strong late in the race will be Kiowa Trent Tovi. Tovi might have missed for the 1st time in his career in his last effort, but let's just forget about that one. He was in trouble throughout and did the best he could. Before that effort, he has been a machine. He had been closing ultra fast in the stretch and had been running by greyhounds for fun as they thought they had a win on the late lead. The rail post does nothing but help him out tonight, so watch for the blue blur at the wire as he takes home next best credentials at the finish line. Wp's Clinton has shown signs of greatness in the past, but now he has to show them again if he is going to continue on throughout the stakes competition. Breaking used to be his forte, but he has not seen the lead in mighty long time. Too his credit though he has been competing even without early lead, but he has not been winning those races. All he has to do to compete here is to be close early on, but if he wants to win, he is going to have to step it up out of the box and make the early lead in this race. Gs Jaxson is better than his lines show! He has great closing speed and if he could just stay out of his own way, he might have a chance to take home the win in this effort. He is still running like a puppy at times and seems to find trouble even when there isn't any on the racetrack. Wide is where he wants to be, so the 7 box could come in handy in this effort. Look for him to catch up in the stretch and sneak into the money before the finish line.

Race 11 should be fun to watch as a trio of grade A greyhounds get to pick on the rest of the B's and C's entered into this race. Wp's Commodore is the half brother to last year's winner, Count Ivan (Same MOM), and might just have an opportunity to keep the title all in the family. He has a tremendous rush to the 1st turn and once in the lead he is not going to surrender it anytime soon. Just look at his last race. He dominated a grade A field of greyhounds pulled away over the competition all the way to the finish line. He has done that twice in his last 6 races and both of them came from inside posts. With no speed to his left, look for another instant control effort. Fay's Redford might have had a couple of rough starts in a row, but this greyhound can run and will contend here. Ok so she might not be a threat to win, it has been a while, but she can challenge and that is what she is going to do. If she does want to factor though, she is going to have to get out of the box in a hurry tonight. Class is enough to make her dangerous here. Miss Romy has only 12 races under her belt but she has turned in a force in grade A so far at the Orange Park Kennel Club. Ok so she hasn't won in grade A just yet, but that day is coming and it might just be in this race. She has been in the money in 4 of her last 6 races and her last win, which was in grade B, came from a similar post position to the one that she has in this effort. Closing ability is her biggest asset, but what else would you expect from a DQ greyhound? Nothing! Breaking well might be the difference here though if she wants to win this race. If she comes out too late, she might just be making up ground late to run out of room before the finish line. So what happens? We will see. Gm's Dale is the other greyhound that gets a look in this effort. Dale has shown some good early speed and if the rest sit in the box, he might have a chance a the front end in this effort. He has won 4 of his 11 starts and that includes a pair in his last 5 races. Both of those wins did come from the 1 box though, so he is going to have to step it up from the outside tonight. Without the lead, this puppy has been suspect so far, so he better get close early on if he is going to be effective tonight.

More speed vs. closers in race 12 on the card. Gs Ocean Blue loves the rail and gets the one box in this effort. He is of the early speed variety and even though he might have had some trouble in his last couple of efforts, he should be able to get out ahead of this bunch. No one around him has any early foot at all and that should give him a clear path to the front end. The only question for him in this effort is, can he hold on at the finish line. Trying to run him down will be What A Charmer. Charmer is a superb closer that has the same mother as All-American Penny Candy! This greyhound will probably be suited for 660 in the near future, but now in the puppy stakes he will show off just what he can do over 550 yards. In an example? Look at his last start! He came from nowhere to get up at the finish line for the win. Ok so it might not happen on a regular basis, but you know he is going to be coming at everyone in the stretch. Can he get there before the finish line, or will it be another just missed opportunity? Kiowa Fly Remi is the only other early speed greyhound in this race and starting from the outside, she might have trouble heading off Ocean Blue to the turn. If she can get her nose in front she might last longer, but I don't even know if she could hold on for the win in this effort. She is too short in the stretch and the closers chasing her are plentiful in this race. To her credit, she does know how to finish in the money though. In her last 6 starts she has taken home a paycheck in 5 of those efforts, two of which were close second place finishes. If she were going to upset tonight, she would need to make the lead and hope for some help behind her in this effort. Kiowa Usuy is also a strong closer that should be making up ground late too in this effort. He is one of only a couple of grade A greyhounds in this race, and has competed against the best in more races in a row than anyone else in this field. Here he gets to start out from a good starting box and if he can stay out of early trouble, he has enough late to overcome a little traffic at the end of the race. Winning might be a bit of a stretch for this greyhound, but running in the money is not. Play him under on your cards and watch out if he decides he wants to run.

In the 14th race the question of the race is can anyone catch the big time early speeder, Wp's Rosewood and if they do, which one of them will get it done. I'll take the 1 dog, Track Action. This greyhound loves the rail and that will be the difference maker in this effort. Action has been in the money in 5 of his last 6 races and only one of those starts have come from inside of the 5 box. Here the rail greyhound gets the rail post and that is going to help him out in a great way. His closing ability is what will win him this race, but getting close out of the box might secure it for him for sure. He is going to have to run a big race to get it done tonight, but he is up to the challenge, especially from this post position. Lady Avery is another strong closer that has to be considered a threat to win too. She has rallied in each of her last 5 races in a row and has finished in the trifecta in each and every start. She won 2 of those starts and they came from the post positions right next door to the ones that she has at the start of this race. No lead is safe if she gets around and don't be surprised too much if she decides to win this race tonight. Now for the aforementioned Wp's Rosewood. No other greyhound in this race holds a candle to her as far as early speed goes, but I just don't know if she can hold off everyone for the win. The others have way faster times than she has put up, and she has been run down some from behind in the past. She has won 3 of her last 4 races tough and takes off tonight from a great post position. The wide runner has everything going for her, let's see if it is enough for her to win this qualifying race. Kiowa Trent Tam is the sister to TOVI, in race 10, and posses the same great closing ability as her sibling. She can come from way downtown to challenge for the win late in a race and that is just what you are going to get in this effort. She doesn't mind the post and even though she has not been in grade A as of yet, she has been running against many grade A caliber greyhounds over her last 6 starts. She knows what it takes to compete and you are going to get all she has in this effort. Forget the last start. She ran into trouble and rallied too late for anything. Tonight It's back on track time. Time to get back into the superfecta at the wire and score some points.

Capping off the evening in the 15th and final race on the card is On The Fly. This greyhound is moving back to 550 for the stakes and even though he gets no warm up race, he has proven in the past that he can win races against some tough competition over 550 yards. Just look back at his effort before jumped to 660. He drove from way back to take home an easy win. I know it was in grade C, but since he has been competitive in almost all of his efforts. If he can shake loose early on, this race could get UGLY tonight. Not so fast my friend, calls out Fay's Fonda from the outside part of the racetrack. She is a solid grade A greyhound that has been making others work for the wins throughout her last 6 efforts. In those starts she has finished in the trifecta 4 times, and shows no signs of slowing down at all in this race. Breaking from the outside tonight, she will get room to the turn and if she decides to get to the lead, no one will be able to get to her before the finish line. Remember she is faster than any other greyhound in this field, 30.41. She has the most experience against grade A sprinters, and the goods to get it done again tonight. It's all up to her tonight. Bad For Ya is another closer for the DQ Williams Kennel that will be flying up in the deep stretch to challenge the leaders for the win. He came from 5th to 2nd in his last start, and more of the same should sum up his experience in this effort. The post might throw him a curveball though. He likes the rail to inside spots and will have to do from the middle 5 box in this effort. If he can get room early on and if he wants to run, this field could be in trouble tonight. Wp's Commander is the greyhound you just don't know what to do with. This guy could just decided that he wants to win this race and take down everyone in his way. He has the speed to make the lead tonight, and once in front, he has proved tough in the past to take down before the wire. The rail is a mile away from him in the 8 box, but we have seen in the past that rail greyhounds that break do well from the outside too. If he can steal away the front end, you never know, else just look for him to follow the pace throughout and find a spot in the money somehow, somewhere at the finish line