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Don't look for Gable Buckbeak on the win leaderboard.
Since coming to Wheeling in February 2007 from Corpus Christi, the middle distance racer has only tasted victory 11 times in his 60 starts and just four times in his 34 Grade AA trips.
However, in the eyes of Gable Kennel trainer Wayne Piquette and kennel operator-owner Harlyn Goebel, Buckbeak is a winner.
A May 2004 greyhound out of Gable Oscar-Good Life, Buckbeak has consistently hit the board since arriving at Wheeling Island from Texas a year ago. In his 60 Wheeling 3/8 starts, he has 11 wins, 13 seconds, 17 thirds and 7 fourths -- an 80 percent mark on the pay sheet.
"I'm ecstatic with the way Buckbeak has raced at Wheeling. He was like the underdog or a minor leaguer coming up from Corpus Christi," Piquette said. "He's one of my favorites because I picked him to come to Wheeling to run 3/8. I'm really proud of him."
Goebel also has high praise for Buckbeak.
"He's got a ton of heart and he's going to give 110 percent each time he goes to the box," Goebel said. "Buckbeak may not win a lot of races, but he hits the ticket a lot. He is the kind of dog you really appreciate."
For racing fans who like a come-from-behind artist, Buckbeak fits the bill. Never among the frontrunners early in a race, he still finds a way to weave his way through the field and land a spot on the ticket more often than not.
Only seven times in his 60 starts did he not break from the box seventh or eighth. In a majority of his races, he was no better than sixth at the escape.
"He walks out of the box and immediately looks for the rail. Sometimes that's a good thing because he'll duck under
other dogs," Piquette said. "Every once in awhile he'll come out in the pack. If he's fourth or fifth early in a race, his chances of winning increase.''
Although Goebel "knew the whole litter had distance in them," Buckbeak spent the first year of his career at Corpus Christi running 5/16 races because of a lack of 3/8 races at the Texas racetrack.
"Buckbeak started out really slow, but that is the case with a lot of Oscar pups. They are late developers," Goebel noted. "We've also found that many Oscar distance dogs get into their races late and they continue to run at an older age."
In 64 starts at Corpus Christi, Buckbeak had 17 wins, 9 seconds, 11 thirds and 12 fourths. Overall, he has 28 wins, 22 seconds, 28 thirds and 19 fourths in 124 career starts -- a 78 percent mark on the pay sheet.
Two littermates also topped 100 starts during their careers. Gable Hedwig had 117 starts at Gulf Greyhound Park and Wheeling Island while Gable Butterbeer had 115 trips at Corpus Christi and the Gulf.
Buckbeak did have five 3/8 races at Corpus Christi prior to heading North, winning three along with a second and a third. After one sprint schooling race at Wheeling, he was entered in 3/8.
"I knew from the beginning where he was going," Piquette said. "He was brought up to Wheeling to run 3/8."
Although Buckbeak was Grade AA at Corpus Christi, he started in Grade B at Wheeling. He hit the ticket in his first nine races as he climbed the ladder to Grade AA.
In his first Grade AA start, Buckbeak won by a nose with a huge homestretch drive.
"He was third coming home and I remember thinking he either had to go inside of the leaders or around on the outside. He ended up going right between them," Piquette recalled. "Buckbeak's very determined and has a lot of heart. He'll go through a hole a lot of other dogs won't … he'll push his way through."
Bouncing back and worth between Grades A and AA in his first year at Wheeling, Buckbeak has several impressive races on his resume. He has victories by 7, 5, 4 1/2 and 4 lengths.
In four of Buckbeak's victories, he was fifth at the escape and in another he rushed home from sixth.
"If Buckbeak gets some room, he'll be moving," Piquette said. "I don't expect him to win a lot, but he has the will to win."
IN THE HOMESTRETCH:
STAKES SCHEDULE: A full menu of stakes races returns to Wheeling Island for the 2008 racing season, according to Racing Director Ben Travis.
Highlighting the schedule is the $100,000 Wheeling Island Invitational in October. The stake is the only open event on this year's schedule.
Although details for the Wheeling Island Invitational have not been ironed out, Travis hopes to have a field of 40 greyhounds with half of the field coming in from racetracks across the country by invitation only.
The complete stakes schedule, approved by the state racing commission, includes:
March 29: $10,000 Wheeling Island Superstar Challenge.
April 26: $35,000 West Virginia Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association Juvenile.
May 26: $10,000 Mountaineer Classic.
June 14: $65,000 West Virginia Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association Distance.
July 4: $10,000 Firecracker Sprint Championship.
August 9: $5,000 Wheeling Island Winners Challenge.
September 1: $10,000 Panhandle Sprint Championship.
October 18: $100,000 Wheeling Island Invitational.
November 28: $10,000 Buckeye Cup.
December 31: $10,000 Holiday Sprint Championship.
Two Night of Stars races also will be held during the year.
HOT DOGS: Darren Henry Kennel's Legend Of Zorro has raced to three straight Grade AA victories for trainer Donna Wilcox.
Flying Eagles-Miner Kennel's Flying Real Hot has three wins in a row (B, A, AA) for trainer Ashley McMillen.
A Ray Kennel's Pak Black Baron has three straight marathon victories (D, C, B) for trainer Joe Palmer. Kennel-mate AMF Underground has back-to-back wins (B, A).
Ryan Farms Kennel's BOW Workaround has won three out of her last four 3/8 races (A, AA) for trainer Terry Green.
Wayne Ward Kennel's Its Quenna has won three out of her last four outings (M, C, B) for trainer Ron Otto.
C And C Kennel's Laura's Charm (B, A) and Jon Tee (B, A) have back-to-back victories for trainer Patrick Bever.
Arivada-Plum Creek Kennel's Aerosmith has two 3/8 wins in a row (B, A) for trainer Donna Bumbaugh.
Charter Kennel's Bay Oaks Wind (C, B 3/8) and Silver Geico (C, B) have two straight wins for trainer Rodney Cooley.
Thorne-Abrahamson Kennel's Jax Calvin has two wins in a row (C, B) for trainer Tom Engle.