Jacksonville, Florida: Orange Park Kennel Club's Top Dogs Vie for First Coast Classic Crown

The opening round of the 2007 $50,000 First Coast Classic was held Friday night, August 17th at Orange Park Kennel Club in Jacksonville, Florida, with a pair of greyhound s making statements that they will be heard from in this stakes event. Afleet Alex and FTH Jive Talker were two of the winners in the seven elimination races held, running by far the two fastest times of the performance over the 550 yard sprint course. Meanwhile, betting picks such as Deco Deano, Kay V Tatoo Tony, Stake your Claim, and Kiowa Wild Boy all ran second, with the red-hot Tulin Kim also winning her qualifying heat. Perhaps most surprising was the effort given by a puppy that came into this series with just five official races under her belt, one that must now be watched closely in the coming heats.

The First Coast Classic will have four elimination rounds, culminating with the September 1st finale, so it is not un heard of to perform poorly in the early stages of the competition and still go on to make the big race. However it is always well advised to get off on a good foot, or four in this case, and in the very first heat Gil's Lampasas did just that, at odds of 4-1. Deco Deano was the big favorite in this contest, but Lampasas, who hadn't won in nearly two months, cleared the turn in third and picked up a pair of tiring early speed greyhounds, while Deano made it around fourth and closed for second.

Stake Your Claim has been a very tough customer on the Jacksonville racing scene for some time now, and in the seventh he went off at 2-1 from the eight hole. CTW Gossip News had the one, and used it to her advantage by breaking on top and rushing into position to use her fine late speed. PTL Junebug led, and when Stake Your Claim had trouble passing her, Gossip News came up the rail from third and pulled out the victory, with Claim eventually getting by for second. Notable in his absence from the ticket was Deco Daron Heart, an up-and-coming youngster who had little room to run early and wound up seventh.

Kiowa Lipps Bobi in the tenth had a reputation for being able to come from way back, but Im's the Show grabbed the rail early, held off a challenge from Greys Big Show, and then pulled away late for the win. Bobi made a big stretch move, but a poor start doomed him to fourth, as he tries to get back to the First Coast Classic final, in which he ran second last year. The eleventh featured Kiowa Wild Boy, Kiowa Wish Frank, and FTH Jive Talker, the latter the author of some of the fastest sprint times at Orange Park Kennel Club this season. When he bolted to the front from the three hole, the race was for second, and Wild Boy easily won that by seven over Frank. However, he found himself four lengths in arrears of Jive Talker, who motored around the oval to the tune of a 30.31 clocking, the best time of his life.

Tulin Kim has now won four of her last five after holding off the hard trying Starz Margie in the twelfth. Kim broke her Maiden back in March and the two-year-old has developed into a very solid early speed type of runner, able to grab the lead and then cling to victory late. None of her last quartet of wins has been by more than two and a half lengths, and in this one she took a one length decision over Margie, who always seems to be around in the latter stages of her races. Kay V Tatoo Tony, the Jacksonville circuit All-American from 2006, returned to action on August 11th after a ten week layoff to pick up the 70th win of his wonderful career. Tony, who lacks only a stakes title to validate his place in Jacksonville racing lore, had a five hole for his first round affair and found that he was chasing the wrong dog in the youngster Platinum Perfect, who rushed to the lead and never looked back. Tony had all he could do to keep Perfect within hailing distance, finishing five lengths behind the winner, who ran the 550 yards in thirty-one seconds flat.

The last race of the night and of the first set of First Coast Classic prelims contained the $140,000 Mardi Gras Challenge champion Afleet Alex and the great To Well With It, another All-American who is back this year to defend his 2006 title in this event. To Well With It has never been caught on the front in 122 starts coming into this tilt, with 55 wins in those efforts. But Afleet Alex is no slouch, and he blazed to the front over the January 2006 neophyte Kiowa Pincay, making just her sixth career start. Alex won handily in 30.30, the fastest of the stakes elimination clockings, but Pincay didn't give anyone the impression that she was in over her head, staying within two lengths of the fine sprinter. To Well With It managed a third, nine back, and he and some of the other fine racers at Orange Park Kennel Club will have to pick up the pace if they expect to be around when the First Coast Classic goes to post on September 1st.