2016 BetAmerica Daytona550 Participant #4 - Flying Fired Up
Flying Fired Up (Rhythmless- Flying Ablaze)
Owner: Vince Berland
Kennel: Lester Raines
Trainer: Ken Lesperance
Track: Southland Park Gaming & Racing
Race Record (through November): (50) 20-11-6-6
The #6 rated greyhound in the national UGR poll from Southland has settled into an impressive campaign in the second half of 2015. Racing in top grade only since March of this year, a rare feat few can declare at Southland. He has claimed two stakes victories at America's toughest oval.
Not for one for win streaks (just two three-peats) the big rail running son of Rhythmless has consistently won when it counted and has been a career 64% Exacta finisher. Fired Up captured the Southland Derby in July at odds of 12-1, edging out the tenacious CBJ Butterfinger. The betting public has since not let him go to post at less than 3-1 in 20 subsequent starts.
After the taking the historic Derby, Fired Up began his ascent up the UGR poll with 17 of 20 in the money finishes entering December with an astonishing 15 first or second place finishes. He nearly made it three stakes victories in America's richest open stakes event, The Darby Henry Sprint, but was nosed out by fellow UGR Top 10 hound, Chasmo's Dutch. A win for Fired Up would surely have made him a contender for the #1 honors.
Owned and bred by Vince Berland of the famed Flying Eagles Kennel, Flying Fired Up is the newest and hottest shortstop of the greyhound racing's version the New York Yankees. Berland teamed with the Lester Raines kennel to campaign this Kansas bred star and smartly so as Raines has won racing titles in all of the major racing jurisdictions. Ken Lesperance handles the conditioning and has long been one of the most recognized trainers in the business, most notable for his Derby Lane success. He has since carried the winning ways to West Memphis. At the ripe age of 2 1/2 years, he could be finding his best strides at the right time and seems that way heading into 2016.
Flying Fired Up is a son of Rhythmless who is one of the top five studs in the United States for the past several years. The Jimbo Scotty son was a popular choice for many breeders as he was one of the few sires to offer a bloodline free of HB's Commander, Oshkosh Racey (or Flying Penske) and Wigwam Wag (or Gable Dodge).
The dam, Flying Ablaze had a short career yet showed plenty of potential. She has proven invaluable as a brood bitch. She is also the mother of Flyin Supergiant, who is closing in on 50 wins at Southland, most in top grade. Flying Ablaze's 4th dam is Representation, a corner stone of many American breeder's bloodlines.
