The “Blonde Bombshell” is back on top….

Husker Magic No. 1 in UGR Top 25 Poll

By Michael D. Frino

The Daytona 550 National Champion is obviously not ready to relinquish her crown.  Husker Magic-the winningest female in the country- dominated the Derby Lane oval recording victories in all eight of her starts in this poll period.  Her career win total reached 85, and her 2015 total an impressive 31.  The 69 lb. daughter of Rhythmless and Casino Zada has been a true champion, appearing in all four of this year’s polls and never dropping below the No. 5 ranking.  This marks her second No. 1 ranking this year.

Husker Magic, born April 2012, is assured an invitation to the 2016 Daytona 550, and the opportunity to defend her National Championship.  There are still a few months to go before that race, so let’s hope this history making All-American is ready and able to compete on January 23 at the Daytona Beach Kennel Club.  Magic is trained by Kayruth Abernathy, and runs for the Abernathy Kennel.  Her owner is the I-Mark Kennels.

Boc’s Tony Romo (Flying Penske-Boc’s Slim N Fit) is ranked No. 2 in this poll.  The 71 lb. male, born March of 2013, won 6 of 8 races at Bluffs Run.  He closed out the month of August with six consecutive wins; all accomplished using his come-from-behind style.  He captured the $60,000 Bluffs Run Open in dramatic fashion, breaking last and then rallying to defeat No. 19 ranked Barts Bold Ruler in the homestretch.  The time of the race was a quick 29.82.  Boc’s Tony Romo is owned by Brad Boeckenstedt and Mickey Hasty.

Wheeling Island’s AMF Spamwich moves up from No.10 in our last poll and is now No. 3.  The black female, sired by Kiowa WW Brother and out of the dam AMF Push, won the George Kellas Memorial Stakes, going undefeated in the qualifying rounds.  She is the patented closer, and that was certainly on display in the George Kellas.  Spamwich began to make her move in the backstretch, and then used her powerful late kick to run down Cry Firestar in the late stretch to win by 1 ½ lengths.  AMF Spamwich won 5 of 8 races in the poll period, and recorded a six race win streak that began in late June.  She runs for the A-Ray Kennel and is owned by Tom Ferris.

Crown and Crest (Makeshift-Forever Together) has been one of the steadiest top grade performers at Southland.  The 84 lb. male earned the No 4 ranking with a record that included 5 victories in 10 starts and four consecutive wins.  Crown and Crest is an early speedster, and if he is going to win, he will be seen on top early.  This Southland stalwart is not yet three years old, so one can suspect he is just reaching his peak.  That should bode well for him with the all- important Festival of Stakes and Kings vs. Queens Classic scheduled in November…maybe a trip to Daytona?   Crown and Crest runs for Ryan Farms, and is owned by Frances Darcy.

No. 5 in the poll is Patrick Mc Millon’s Mac’s Westcliff.   The 77 lb. Tri State veteran has over 110 starts in his career, with many of them charted as box-to wire wins.  In this poll period, Westcliff won an impressive 6 out of 8 races, and ripped off 5 consecutive wins.  He is the son of Kiowa Mon Manny and Lady Antebellum, and has been one of the top performers for the talent-laden Mc Millon Kennel.

Oxbow-Trow Kennel’s Red Utopian has been on fire at Flagler, winning five straight races to close out the month of August.  The 66 lb. female was one of the top greyhounds at Naples, and after a short rest, she has exhibited that same talent on the Flagler oval.  Her record for the poll period shows 6 wins in 9 starts, and that earned her the No. 6 ranking.  This 2 and ½ year old early speedster could be one of the favorites in the Group B stakes-the BetAmerica Floridian-to be run at Naples-Fort Myers in December.  Red Utopian(KC and ALL-Sweetest Revenge) is owned by Ann Occhino.

Since breaking his maiden in January, Sovereign Island -ranked No. 7- has managed to win nearly forty per cent of his starts.  He reached AA grade in just six weeks, and has run against the best at Southland.  The son of Trent Lee and Sovereign Echo possesses nice early speed, and runs best on the lead or close to it.  In this poll period, Sovereign Island won 5 of 11, and one of his wins was against the Southland Derby champion- No 12 Flying Fired Up.  The youngster runs for the Ryan Farms Kennel (two greyhounds in the top 10), and owner Christopher D’Arcy.

Wild Bill Reeves (Flying Coal City-Kind Kelsey) claims the No 8 spot.  Wild Bill showcases his talent on the 3/8 course at Iowa Greyhound Park, where he tallied 6 wins in 9 starts in July and August.  The 74 pounder had a six race winning streak halted in the qualifying rounds of the $30,000 Dubuque Course Classic, but he easily made the finals scheduled for September 4.  Wild Bill has a powerful backstretch rush, and along with his wide running style, the combination makes him exciting to watch.   He is owned by David Ungs or Billy D. Galbreath, and races for the Copper Kettle Kennel. 

Gulf Greyhound Park’s Kells Diablo has been running in the shadow of the superstars Need My Money Now and Seldom Told.  With both of those greyhounds off for some rest, Kells Diablo took full advantage of his opportunity and went undefeated in the month of August.  Overall, he notched 7 wins in his 11 starts and claims the No. 9 ranking in this poll.  Kells Diablo does his best running in the backstretch, and late in the race. The son of Hi Noon Renegade and Karaoke Cat makes his home in the Lingle Kennel, and is owned by John Dalton. 

Another distance specialist - CTW Leona Brown - completes our top ten for this poll.  The Wheeling Island 3/8 star won 5 of 8 races during the poll period, which included a four race winning streak.  Leona Brown has both speed and power, which allows her to sprint the 3/8 distance course.  Her sire is CTW Base Camp, and her dam CTW Broken Halo, who has been a very nice producer for the Clear The Way Kennel.  CTW Leona Brown is owned by David Peck.

I always like to mention those greyhounds that are making back to back appearances in the Top 25 Poll.  In addition to Husker Magic and AMF Spamwich, No. 11 Boc’s Hank Jr. makes a noteworthy fifth straight appearance.  Flying Universe (No.16), Penrose Lobo (No.4) and O Ya Gunsmoke (No.25) have now appeared in the last two polls. The previous rankings for these greyhounds are shown in the Poll. 

There is just one Top 25 Poll remaining in 2015, and of course, the UGR Final Top 10 rankings for 2015 will also be released at the same time.  Those greyhounds that have been standout performers throughout the year, and have appeared consistently in the polls, will generally comprise the Final Top 10 Poll.  Greyhounds that finish strong in the second half of this year should also place well in the final poll. 

The Daytona 550 National Championship race is not far off…scheduled for January 23 at the Daytona Beach Kennel Club and Poker Room.  Five of the greyhounds invited will be based mainly on the UGR Final Poll rankings.  Two of the invitations will be offered to the winners of the Kings vs. Queens Classic (Nov. 13) and the Floridian (Dec26) to be run at Southland and Naples- Fort Myers respectively.  The remaining invitation will be determined by the UGR selection committee.

 As previously mentioned, Husker Magic has already earned her Daytona 550 invitation.  Boc’s Hank Jr., Need My Moneynow, and AMF Sleekstrangr are next in line.  While Need My Moneynow and Boc’s Hank Jr. both seem to be fairly safe bets to receive an invitation, Sleekstrangr is receiving some competition from kennelmate AMF Spamwich.  It should be an exciting next couple of months, as the first invitations will be extended in November.

How the Poll Works

The UGR Top 25 Poll utilizes two score components plus bonus points/adjustments in three other categories to give each greyhound a final point total or score.  

 One score is derived from the greyhound’s individual ranking at their home track.  It constitutes approximately two-thirds of the final point total.  The rankings are done by poll members representing each of the tracks.  The poll members rank the greyhounds they chose as the top five greyhounds presently running at their track.  The greyhounds receive points depending on their ranking.  The points are weighted according to Track’s Power Rating (TPR) designated by UGR.  The TPR will be adjusted when necessary, as the competition level may change at some of the tracks during the year.

The second major component is derived from the UGR Rating Formula based on top grade win percentage, stakes race performance (first and second place), and consecutive wins.  Points are again weighted depending on the track’s TPR, and also adjusted for the greyhounds that had limited starts.  UGR understands the subjective components of the poll, and plans to tweak the ranking system when necessary to make the poll as fair as possible.

Ten major tracks were included in this poll, resulting in approximately fifty greyhounds receiving a final score.  The greyhounds were evaluated based on their performances from July 2, 2015 through August 29..  Greyhounds not racing in the month of August were not eligible.  Any accolades or records from a prior period were not considered in this poll.