Going out with a bang.

A fantastic field of greyhounds will hit the lid tonight in the final of the $50,000 Holiday Sprint Championship at the Wheeling Island racetrack.

Qualifying for the final are Braska Cando (Darren Henry Kennel), 40 points; WW’s Green Apple (Wayne Ward Kennel), 28 points; Mulberry Gus (Majestic Kennel), 27 points; Silver Jones (Charter Kennel), Bella Alexander (Keota Kennel), Super Lee (C And C Kennel) and San Tan Nomemory (Majestic Kennel), 25 points each; and Freya (Ryan Farms Kennel), 24 points.

The stake final will be Race 15 on the New Year’s Eve racing card. The owner of the winning greyhound will pocket $20,000.

Following is a glance at each greyhound in the final from the rail out:

1 — WW’s Green Apple: Wichita shipper qualified for the final with a very impressive rail run victory in the semifinals; has two seconds from the one hole in Grade AA; should get a good trip with the two dog, San Tan Nomemory, going out a little on the first turn; If Mulberry Gus breaks, Green Apple will never get by him on the rail.

2 — San Tan Nomemory: Came back strong in the semifinal after a flat performance in round two; prefers an outside box, but has proved he can go from the inside as well; could be in trouble if kennel-mate Mulberry Gus fires from the three hole because Gus is heading straight to the rail; Nomemory has hit the pay sheet in 24 out of 25 races; won the fall Night of Stars from the 8 hole.

3 — Mulberry Gus: What more can you say about this ageless wonder, just a fantastic year for the “old man” who is third in wins at Wheeling with 26 behind Gable Pimiento (30) and Makin Bakin (29); if he rips the box (which he needs to do), and gets the rail early like in round one, Gus will be headed to the winner’s circle.

4 — Freya: This girl has the ability to hit the lid as in round one (box to wire victory) and in the fall Night of Stars when she came within a head of beating San Tan Nomemory; don’t ignore her, although she may have high odds; has hit the pay sheet in 57 out of 67 career starts.

5 — Silver Jones: The youngest greyhound in the final may be in over his head in this classy field, although he’s performed well against Grade AA company; he needs to be in the top three around the first turn which may be a tall task breaking from the five hole.

6 — Braska Cando: This greyhound is possibly the most versatile athlete racing at Wheeling today with Grade AA victories in all three distances — 5/16, 3/8 and 7/16; dropping down to 5/16 for the holiday stake, Cando has used his strong, powerful closing rush to post two victories and a close second to top all qualifiers for the final; all he needs is room to get loose on the backside; the frontrunners better be multiple lengths in front because he’ll be coming like a runaway freight train.

7 — Bella Alexander: He also has plenty in his tank coming home, but will need to be near the middle of the pack heading down the backside which won’t be easy against this field; has 17 wins on the year and has hit the pay sheet in 44 out of 67 trips.

8 — Super Lee: Came up with a big effort in the semifinals (a second) to make the final eight; although he has not been firing from the box since coming to Wheeling in the fall, he is sitting perfect in the eight box; with no blazing early speed in the race (unless Mulberry Gus pops it), and slow breakers in the six and seven holes, Super Lee should be able to rush to the early lead.

RACE ANALYSIS: Definitely a classy field, but this final lacks a ton of early speed. With no burners going to the turn, Super Lee will use a power rush from the eight box to take the lead by the first turn. Look for WW’s Green Apple to hug the rail and come out of the turn in second as San Tan Nomemory goes wide.

Freya also should be able to duck under and pick up the chase heading down the backstretch. Super Lee will maintain a 3 or 4 length advantage down the backside and around the far turn, but it could get interesting coming home.

Both WW’s Green Apple and Freya will apply pressure and Braska Cando — finally loose — will mount a late charge but each will come up a bit short. In the end, Super Lee will have enough left to prevail by a length.