Flying Stanley Cruises to Derby Lane Matinee Idol Crown

If Flying Stanley never won another race, he would go down in greyhound racing annals as one of the greatest ever. But he is far from done wreaking havoc in the industry, as his easy triumph in the Derby Lane Matinee Idol Stake proved on January 26, 2008. Flying Stanley decimated as good a sprint field as the old dog track could have thrown against him, and now he will turn his sights on the upcoming Sprint Classic in an attempt to add yet another jewel to his already burgeoning crown.

The Matinee Idol Stakes consisted of the first four dogs over the line in a pair of separate elimination races run earlier in the week. The top sprinters on the grounds from the various outfits kenneled at Derby Lane went at it, with Brady Thomas upsetting Stanley in a stirring thriller in one and Ballet Lady winning the other. In Brady Thomas's victory, the 70th of his proud career, he managed to get the lead and hold it all the way around the St. Petersburg, Florida oval over Stanley, who is the sports all-time money earning champ by a wide margin after all his stakes finals' wins. Following the dueling couple over the line was USS Talladega and Furion, while Ballet Lady defeated Odd Torpedo, Red Dirt Road, and Dermatophyte, all solid sprinters in their own right.

For the Matinee Idol final Stanley drew a tough spot, a 4 hole, with Brady Thomas next to him in the 3 and Ballet Lady out in the 8. Only once when she has made the front has this youngster been caught, by the talented Red Dirt Road, who can close like the wind when he gets things going. But Ballet Lady could not clear the corner in this particular 550 yard affair after coming out of the box like a diva that just had her hair done going out into a thunderstorm. It mattered little anyway, as Flying Stanley had broken on top and established a clean lead, which is never good news for the rest of the contestants.

Brady Thomas, Red Dirt Road, and Furion were all in the mix on the journey to the first bend, but Stanley had rocketed off to a five length lead. That trio didn't bump each other, but none could make a clean break from the pack to mount a serious challenge. Only Red Dirt Road would have been such a threat in reality, as Brady Thomas does his best work on the front, as does Furion. By the time Red Dirt Road had run himself into second place all by his lonesome, Flying Stanley was heading into the far turn with a 10 length lead.

Somebody forgot to tell Red Dirt Road that this one was over, as he started to shift into gears that only a precious few greyhounds in the nation have to begin with. He turned the 10 lengths into 4 by the time the race was over, but Stanley had run an absolutely blistering 30.11, the fastest winning time ever for this event. His greatness had shown through once again, almost like the sun coming out and wiping away any trace of a shower. The Derby Lane patrons at the track and around the country wagering via simulcasting didn't think Brady Thomas's lightning could strike twice, so Stanley, who left the box at 3-5 odds, paid just $3.20 to win. The trifecta of Stanley, Red Dirt Road, and Brady Thomas, a 4-5-3 combo, returned only $33- the superfecta came back for $185 with Odd Torpedo in fourth.

Stanley will be the favorite in the Sprint Classic in a few weeks, but there is a definite threat to him on the horizon. Actually he need not look far for it as it is coming right out of his own kennel in Flying Fabian, another Flying Eagles superstar that is currently on an 8 race winning streak over the sprints and is getting better each time out. The kennelmates could meet in the finals of the Sprint Classic, which would be a treat for the greyhound world to see. Stanley meanwhile will almost certainly have been named the captain of the 2007 All-American team by that time, just one more honor for the 3 year old male whose resume now resembles that of Tiger Woods or Tom Brady.

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