Cross Lanes, West Virginia: Tri-State Greyhound's Best Racers Don't Disappoint

Tri-State Greyhound Park in Cross Lanes, West Virginia has some very tough greyhounds running for the lucrative purses that the facility's slot machines provide, and the best of the best were on parade this past weekend. Myokie Floyd, Lucky Wookie, Undefended, and Coach Hogan all went to post looking for the lion's share of the pie, and they all got the job done. Floyd rebounded from an embarrassing defeat, Wookie continued her winning ways, Undefended defeated another very talented route star, and Hogan reached double-digit wins after failing to do so a trio of times.

Myokie Floyd had been red-hot going into the start prior to this last one, and then went out and ran a clunker of a race, coming in a badly beaten eighth. The fawn brindle male saw his win streak snapped, one in which he had never trailed and completely and thoroughly annihilated everyone in his path. Looking for redemption coming off his last place effort, Floyd drew a seven hole on Friday, August 3rd, with the tough Mac's Greg in the one. Once the starting box was sprung, Floyd jumped out to the lead, and when that happens, the result is very predictable lately. A one length lead at the corner in the 1,650 foot sprint became four by the time Floyd crossed the line, and he had his thirteenth win of the year in the bag as the even money favorite.

Lucky Wookie's considerable speed was available for all to see the next day in the eleventh race of the matinee card. Coming off a performance in which she had run the fastest time of her life, a 29.96 over the Tri-State sprint course, Lucky Wookie had a bad spot to overcome, the six hole, against such stalwarts as Kay V North East and USS Dicaprio. Looking for her fourteenth win in thirty-one starts this meet, Wookie went into the far turn stalking Charcoal, and after a little trouble while passing, managed to finally get by and win going away by three lengths over Dicaprio, who gave a titanic effort. Lucky Wookie is a December 2004 daughter of super stud Kiowa Sweet Trey, who has fabulous offspring running wild anywhere in the country that features greyhound racing.

The finale of the Tri-State nightcap on Saturday matched up two old pros over the 677 yard route distance. Sol Koala has been on a tear lately, winning four of her last five over this course, while Undefended, a December 2003 son of Token Prince, was a twenty race winner in 2006, and had seven so far this meet. MRL Electra in the four box, a ten time winner this season herself, went to the early lead, with Undefended and Sol Koala in hot pursuit. Undefended managed to run underneath Koala through the curtain turn and then was off and away, tracking down Electra and winning by four and a half over Koala, who also caught the fading leader. The winning time was 38.24, the wily veteran's quickest effort in some time.

Coach Hogan had been trying to put her tenth win of the year in the books for the last three outings, but she had failed each time, running third, seventh, and then second in her previous start. On Sunday, the 5th, the black Sweet Trey bitch went to post in the last race and finally garnered that elusive victory, going box to wire in a no-doubt decision, an eight length romp in 30.47 over Sweetest. Hogan was never in danger in this one, completing the strong weekend of racing that the top dog's at Tri-State Greyhound Park gave to the betting public.