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Mighty Gemstone may become the next fan favorite at Wheeling Island.
Big closers in distance races and fantastic finishes have a knack of drawing the attention of racing fans.
Velocious Dash had it. So did Fanatic Jasmine and DC Homey Drive. Dogs you can never count out of a race even when all looks lost.
Since moving to the backside in mid-August, Mighty Gemstone has produced several scintillating come-from-behind efforts that have fans asking when does she race again.
“I absolutely love to watch Gemstone run. I think she’ll be a fan favorite if she’s not already,” Thorne-Abrahamson Kennel trainer Tom Engle said. “Unless she gets beat around a good bit, it’s tough to keep her off the ticket. She’s always coming after you.”
In Gemstone’s last seven 3/8 races, she has 3 wins, including one in Grade AA, and 4 thirds. Overall, she has 4 wins, 2 seconds, 4 thirds and 2 fourths in 15 Wheeling starts.
Owner Walter Ray of Georgia is thrilled by Gemstone’s success at Wheeling.
“We’re real proud of her. We’re tickled to death,” Ray said. “We follow her races on the Internet and it’s been really exciting. She’s fun to watch.”
A November 2005 greyhound out of Dodgem By Design-Greys Gemstone, Mighty Gemstone opened her career at Southland in May 2007 before moving to Orange Park in October 2007. She arrived in Wheeling in March 2008, but was sidelined from April to late July with a shoulder ailment.
“We took our time bringing her back. We wanted to make sure she was sound,” Engle noted. “I knew how good she was so I didn’t want to rush her back.”
After two sprint starts upon her return to the track, Engle moved Mighty Gemstone to the backside. Her first two 3/8 trips were nothing special as she finished third and fifth in Grade B.
Apparently, Gemstone was just warming up.
Her next Grade B outing was one of beauty, excitement and disbelief. For racing fans, the replay is a must-see.
“An unbelievable race,” Engle said. “You have to see it to believe it.”
Gemstone broke sixth from the six hole and quickly found her favorite spot on the rail. At the escape, she was still sixth and so far behind she wasn’t even in the picture on racetrack monitors.
“She had to be a good 15 to 20 lengths behind the leader,” Engle said.
Heading down the backstretch, Gemstone began to make her move. By the time she reached the far turn, she was fourth and within striking distance.
“She’s got the meanest backside from the middle of the toteboard to the homestretch,” Engle said. “She’s as fast as any 3/8 dog I’ve ever seen on that part of the racetrack.”
Down the homestretch, Gemstone wouldn’t be denied as she moved to the outside and rocketed by the leaders to win by 3 lengths.
“Gemstone was pulling away as she crossed the wire,” Engle said. “She had plenty left which makes me believe she can go longer.”
Don’t be surprised to see Gemstone moving to the marathon distance in the near future. In November, Wheeling hosts the $10,000 Buckeye Cup over the 7/16 course.
Following a pair of thirds in her first two Grade A 3/8 races with big closing efforts, Gemstone turned in another gem.
Gemstone broke third from the four hole but drifted back to fifth as she once again sought out the rail. Still fifth at the escape, Gemstone started to work her magic as she made her way through the field.
“She has a lot of track smarts. When she sees a hole, she knows when to go inside and when to go outside,” Engle said. “Her intelligence has played a big part in her success.”
By the far turn, Gemstone was second and had her sights set on the frontrunner. It was no contest coming home as she grabbed the lead with a powerful stretch rush on the rail and pulled away to a 4 1/2-length victory.
“She’s usually fifth or sixth out of the box, but hopefully as she gets older she’ll break better,” Engle said. “Once she hits the backside, she puts it in another gear.”
Drawing the one hole in her first Grade AA trip, Gemstone got out of the box second to Huska Oasis. She stalked the frontrunner until the final turn where Gemstone shot to the front and won by 3 1/2 lengths in a sizzling 37.60.
“Back in March before she was hurt, Gemstone also had a victory from the one hole and she got out of the box second,” Engle related. “It looks like she’ll break better from inside holes.”
Gemstone ran third from the one hole Wednesday afternoon as Huska Oasis won the rematch. She broke decent, fell back to fifth at the escape and then kicked it in down the stretches.
Only four other greyhounds have clocked faster 3/8 times than Gemstone this year at Wheeling – TK Quick Strike (six times) with a low of 37.20, Hellion with a 37.51, Rico’s Sylvia with a 37.55 and Flying Wellsburg with a 37.56.
“I think the last five or six races she’s gotten her rhythm back after being off for a few months,” Ray said. “Tom (Engle) and his staff did a real good job of bringing her back from the injury. He deserves a lot of the credit.”
At Southland, Gemstone had 4 wins, 5 seconds, 5 thirds and 6 fourths in 23 starts while at Orange Park she had 2 wins, 2 seconds, 5 thirds and 4 fourths in 22 trips.
“I just don’t think she took to the Florida track very well,” Engle said. “She sure has taken to Wheeling.”
Overall, Gemstone has 10 wins, 9 seconds, 14 thirds and 12 fourths in 60 career starts – a 74 percent mark on the pay sheet.
IN THE HOMESTRETCH:
WVGOBA STAKE: The final of the $35,000 West Virginia Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association Fall Puppy Stakes will be held Saturday evening at Tri-state Greyhound Park.
The unofficial finalists are Mac’s Dr Cameron, Onward Ozzie, Peppermint Star, Bet It All Betsy, Stakes, Bonita Star, Macs Dr Foreman and WV’s Rawl.
HOT DOGS: Wayne Ward Kennel’s Kiowa WW Brother has raced to three straight Grade AA wins for trainer Ron Otto. Kennel-mates WW’s Uh Huh (AA) and WW Land Of Lakes (C, B 3/8) have back-to-back victories.
Steubenville Kennel’s Kiowa Stan Gus has three straight Grade AA wins for trainer Debbie Schweizer. Kennel-mate Kiowa Myth has won three out of his last four starts (M, C, B).
A Ray Kennel’s Primco Midway has three wins in a row (M, C, B) for trainer Joe Palmer.
Lester Raines Kennel’s USS Ricochet has three victories and a second in his last four Grade AA trips for trainer Joel Roden.
Flying Eagles-Miner Kennel’s Flying Wellsburg has back-to-back Grade AA 3/8 wins for trainer Pamela Webb.
C And C Kennel’s Van Do (AA) and Bid Me Ten (C, B) have two straight Grade AA victories for trainer Patrick Bever.
Gable Kennel’s Gable Twinkie has two wins in a row (A, AA) for trainer Wayne Piquette.
Douglas Kennel’s D’s Lee Daredevil (A, AA), Tom Tom (B, A) and Western Kye (C, B) have back-to-back wins for trainer James Roche.
Charter Kennel’s Fire Foreman (B, A), KB’s Postman (C, B) and PJ’s Pasadena (C, B 3/8) have two straight victories for trainer Rodney Cooley.
Pawloski can be reached at sjpawloski@yahoo.com