Last December, USS Race By left The Woodlands in Kansas for Tri-state Greyhound Park in West Virginia.

She never got there.

While stopping in Wheeling on her way to Charleston, Lester Raines Kennel trainer Joel Roden checked out the sprinter’s lines and was immediately impressed. A couple phone calls later and Race By was in Roden’s Wheeling Island kennel.

“Looking at her lines from The Woodlands, I could see she was rail and an early burner – a match for Wheeling,” Roden said. “What I also really liked about her was her consistency. She looked like a dog who tries every time she goes to the box.”

At The Woodlands, Race By’s numbers were exceptional – 7 wins, 5 seconds, 2 thirds and 1 fourth in 17 races, an 88 percent mark on the pay sheet.

A January 2005 greyhound out of USS Raceway-Greys Acrobat, Race By had a rude awakening, however, when she launched her Wheeling career earlier this year. In her first nine Grade AA races, she had only a win, a third and a fourth.

“It was a big adjustment for her, getting accustomed to the competition and a different track. At first, she wasn’t breaking consistently and when she did break she was coming up short,” Roden said. “She was only 2 years old when she broke in at Wheeling in Grade AA so it took her some time to adjust.”

By the end of March, Race By had turned the corner.

In her last 20 Grade AA starts, Race By has 6 wins, 4 seconds, 4 thirds and 2 fourths – an 80 percent mark on the pay sheet. Now, she’s one of the top dogs in the Raines Kennel.

“Race By has really stepped it up the last few months,” Roden said. “The big key is she’s consistently hitting the lid. She needs to clear the early traffic.”

Roden said Race By has also matured and gotten stronger since she first started racing at the Wheeling Island oval in January.

In four out of her last six victories, Race By popped on top early and extended her margin by the time she hit the wire. She closed from second in the stretch in her other two wins.

“At first I thought she needed a big lead to have any chance of winning. Now all she needs is the lead,” Roden noted. “She’s pretty tough on top. It’s going to take a pretty big closer to run her down.”

Owner Ron Wiltse of Kansas, who bred and raised Race By, is thrilled with the sprinter’s success.

“She’s starting to look pretty comfortable on the Wheeling track. I like her early rush which has given her a better shot at winning more races,” Wiltse said. “I’m not surprised Race By has gotten stronger because her mom ran 3/8 at Wheeling.”

Littermate USS Race Car ran in the 2007 Great American Greyhound Futurity at The Woodlands, a stake Wiltse did not enter Race By.

“I thought Race Car was a better dog, but it looks like Race By has turned into the better one,” Wiltse said. “You just never know until they get to the racetrack.”

In one stretch in April, Race By had 2 wins, 2 seconds and 1 third in five trips. She’s had 3 wins and 2 seconds in her last seven top grade races.

Race By’s speed has surprised Roden. She has eclipsed the 30-second mark six times – 29.68, 29.77, 29.84, 29.85, 29.88 and 29.92.

“I really didn’t think she was this fast. She’s surprised me,” Roden said. “She’s thrown down some real fast times.”

In addition to Race By, Wiltse said USS Raceway has put some early speed in several other of his offspring, including USS Ricochet who shined at Wichita before coming to Wheeling.

Although Race By prefers the rail, she has posted victories from the one, two, three, six, seven and eight holes.

Roden feels Race By is just coming into her own.

“I think the rest of this year will be the prime of her career,” Roden related. “When she gets some more starts, she should only get better.”

Wiltse couldn’t be any happier.

“Race By’s all business on the track,” Wiltse said. “I am real proud of her.”

Roden also is pleased with the early performances of several youngsters in the kennel, including OKGO Box To Wire, Solar Splendor, Pasampsi, Kelsos Pennylane and Kiowa Girlrumble.

OKGO Box To Wire, a June 2006 greyhound out of Dominator-Struttin Dolly, has 3 wins, including one in Grade AA, 1 second and 1 fourth in her first eight Wheeling starts. At Valley Greyhound Park, she had 8 wins, 7 seconds, 1 third and 2 fourths in 27 starts.

“She’s been a nice surprise,” Roden said. “I thought she might have trouble getting the front, but then she won Grade A and Grade AA back-to-back.”

Solar Splendor, a November 2006 greyhound out of Dodgem By Design-CTW Miss Kelly, has a ton of early speed. She has a pair of wins and seconds in her first four trips.

“She’s young, but I like her a lot,” Roden said. “She has a lot of early foot.”

Roden said Pasampsi, a November 2006 greyhound out of Gable Dodge-Fast Elmo, also possesses a lot of pure speed. She has a win, a third and a fourth in three starts.

Kelsos Pennylane, a May 2006 greyhound out Flying Penske-Post Picture, came to Wheeling from Orange Park in late May. She has 2 wins, 2 seconds and 3 fourths in eight races.

Pennylane, who lacked early speed but plenty of close in 5/16, was moved to 3/8 after four sprint starts.

“She’s pretty gutsy, and keeps on coming,” Roden said.

Kiowa Girlrumble, a November 2006 greyhound out of Maryville Rumble-Kiowa Glamorgirl, shipped up to Wheeling from Tri-state in June. She has 5 seconds and 1 fourth in eight outings.

Girlrumble also was moved to 3/8 after a fourth in three sprint races. She has displayed a lot of early speed in her five straight seconds on the backside.

IN THE HOMESTRETCH:

HOT DOGS: Charter Kennel’s TK Quick Strike has raced to five straight Grade AA 3/8 victories for trainer Rodney Cooley.

Wayne Ward Kennel’s JG’s Korean War has won three out of her last four races (A, AA) for trainer Ron Otto. Kennel-mates Sol Duncan (B, A) and WW’s Garnet (C, B) have back-to-back wins.

Flying Eagles-Miner Kennel’s CTW Bridezilla has won four out of her last five starts (M, D, C, B) for trainer Ricardo Pacheco.

Darren Henry Kennel’s Huska Oasis has won three out of her last four outings (C, B, A) for trainer Donna Wilcox.

Steubenville Kennel’s Kiowa Stan Gus has back-to-back wins (A, AA) for trainer Debbie Schweizer. Kennel-mate Cloud Thunder has two wins and a second in his last three starts.

A Ray Kennel’s Pak Black Baron has back-to-back marathon wins (C, B) for trainer Joe Palmer.

Steve Sarras Kennel’s Sendahl Frazier has two straight wins (C, B) for trainer Barbara Long.

Pawloski can be reached at sjpawloski@yahoo.com