Ten Years Ago This Month

On the cover of the June 1998 Greyhound Review were littermates Ex Line and Fighting Fantasy (Beckam Pay Day x Primrose Girl), $39,000 and $26,000 purchases, respectively, at the Spring Meet. In all, 143 pups sold for $925,000 for an average of $6,474.

Gary Guccione’s "Footnotes" column featured a description of the NGA’s new DNA program. All sires were required to be DNA-tested beginning in 1999 and all broods starting in 2000. Guccione described it as the "biggest registry innovation since the tattoo program was implemented in 1963."

The "Track Talk" feature noted that the National Greyhound Night of Stars generated $1,183,262 in handle and one fan hit the Pick-six to the tune of $35,130. Kip Keefer hosted assisted by Frank Ashman and Kenny Wright. Among the winners were CC Farr Mary at Wonderland, Kiowa Bet Dutch at Hollywood, LA Rolls Royce at Palm Beach, Amy Landry at Jacksonville, FM’s Spanky at Derby Lane, Betty N Ed at Southland, Prince Elijah at Dairyland, Feelings at Multnomah, Nodak Marvin at Cloverleaf, and Wigwam Hoss at Phoenix.

At Derby Lane, Snow Bow picked up Circus Esther at the wire to win the Gold Trophy Juvenile. Greys Seneca ran third.

The Bob Balfe/Molyneux Cup Puppy Stake at Palm Beach was won by Seegold Excell over Conchy Girl and Shogun Rowdy. It was only the beginning for him as he went on to win 57 races in a long and distinguished career.

At Bluffs Run, My Mr Peabody won his 100th career race which put him in very rare company. A month earlier, Pat C Yetter had won his 100th at Bluffs after a long stint at Geneva Lakes.

At Multnomah, System Sybil won the 66th running of the Inaugural. A length and a half back was Kiowa Xerox followed by Feelings who had come to Multnomah by way of Sarasota.

In his "From Overseas" column, Alan Lennox reported that the great Larkhill Jo had won the Scottish Derby at Shawfield "in grand style." The son of top sire Staplers Jo and the fabulous brood Westmead Flight missed his break, but outrushed the field to the turn and never looked back. Larkhill Jo was unbeaten in the qualifying rounds. He was the first dog in history to run under 28 seconds over 525 yards when he stopped the clock at Monmore in 27.95 in 1997. Larkhill Jo went on to a legendary career at stud following in the footsteps of his sire.

The first quarter 1998 Sire Standings showed Wigwam Wag on top with 180 wins, followed by EJ’s Douglas, 140; Oshkosh Racey, 133; P’s Raising Cain, 97; and the late HB’s Commander with 95.

The June Greyhounds of the month were Snow Bow and Gulf King & Queen Stake winner DV’s Luke. Honorable mention went to brothers Seegold Excell and Seegold Big Red.

Jack Archer

I just received notice that the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame is in receipt of Jack Archer's nomination and documentation and it will be forwarded to the nomination committee for review on Monday, June 16th. I don't expect to hear anything further for a while. He is being nominated for the class of 2009 and the inductees are not announced until spring.