Ten Years Ago This Month

The cover of the March 1998 Greyhound Review featured Colorado star Beams Full Moon, winner of the 1998 Interstate Winter Sprint and Cloverleaf Inaugural. He was named captain of the 1997 All-Mile High Team after a year highlighted by capturing the $100,000 Colorado Classic. Other team members included Guys & Dolls champ Galilee, Timberline winner Granny, Mile High Inaugural winner Lord Dempsey, Interstate Juvenile champ Leggonized, as well as Full Of Spirit, Pat C Catcall, and Pat C Caste.

ML Taffy Crunch upset ML Dusty Trail and Seegold Excell in the He's My Man Royal Palm Classic at Palm Beach. Dusty Trail ran into all kinds of trouble and finished last and Taffy Crunch held gamely to beat Seegold Excell by a nose. Excell was a $9,000 1997 NGA Fall Meet purchase.

The great Bomb Threat won the Derby Lane All-Star Kennel Preview. Running out of the Greyameadow Kennel and trained by Mick D'Arcy, he ran past favorite Oshkosh Slammer for the title.

MDM Phantom Lite was dominating Southland in early 1998 winning seven-straight. Jet Set Jerry set a Southland track record over the 660-yard course at 36.54.

The 1997 final Sire Standings were announced. The late HB's Commander topped the list, followed by Oshkosh Racey, Mi Designer, Wigwam Wag, Trouper Zeke, Bara Buzz, EJ's Douglas, Hey Vern, Flying Train and Tipp Lad*. The Dam Standings were topped by Steves Stones, followed by Panama Pee Wee, ML Hello Dolly, Rema Bellmard, Riley's Marymary, Dakota Penny, RL Dalley, Yellow Rose, Mi Tate, and Sparkling Babe.

Lincoln topped all U.S. tracks in 1997 for average purses per performance with $22,553. Multnomah was second with $20,966; Derby Lane third at $16,536; Wheeling fourth, $14,761; Bluffs Run fifth, $13,650; Hollywood sixth, 13,629; Raynham seventh, $13,337; Tampa 8th, $13,179; Southland 9th, $12,764; and Phoenix tenth, $12,613.

Gable Dodge, ML Taffy Crunch, and 1997 American Derby winner Phoebe Ann were Gary Guccione's Greyhounds of the Month. Gable Dodge had won 29 of his last 46 starts, often going off at odds of ten cents to the dollar.

P's Raising Cain was by far the most popular stud in the country with 27 breedings. Wigwam Wag was a distant second with 12, followed by Trojan Episode with 11, Dungaree and Greys Statesman with nine, and Oshkosh Racey with eight. A young super-sire in the making, Molotov, managed only four breedings.