At only 8 months old, Bella Alexander caught the eye of Dennis Blair on his Kansas farm.
He even named him after Alexander The Great.
“Alexander was always my dad’s favorite,” owner David Blair said. “He saw something special in him at a very early age.”
Since coming to Wheeling in late 2006, Bella Alexander – a May 2005 greyhound out of Craigie Whistler-Bella Fabulous – has been a solid top grade sprinter. In 116 career starts at Wheeling, he has 26 wins, 13 seconds, 23 thirds and 12 fourths – a 64 percent mark on the pay sheet.
“He’s been a steady, consistent greyhound throughout his career,” Wayne Strong Kennel trainer Ken Otto said. “He can come from anywhere to catch a part of the ticket.”
Alexander’s lack of early speed make his accomplishments even more impressive.
From Dec. 31, 2007 through July 2008, Alexander made three Wheeling stake finals – the Holiday Sprint Championship in December, the Superstar Challenge in March and the Firecracker Classic in July. No other greyhound, except Silver Jones (four), have made as many stake finals during that time frame.
“That says a lot for a dog who lacks front speed and has to battle from behind. It’s not easy to overcome a slow break against Grade AA dogs (at Wheeling),” Otto said. “He was matched up with some big speed dogs and somehow still found a way to make the finals of three stake races.”
Blair said Alexander “never showed much early speed, but has a lot of bottom and rush. If he would break at all, he’d be deadly.”
Alexander has popped the box on a few occasions in the upper classes and romped to huge victories. He has 8, 6 1/2 (twice) and 5-length victories in Grade AA and 7 1/2 and 4-length wins in Grade A.
“When Alexander gets to the front early, he’s very tough,” Otto noted. “He’s awfully strong when he’s on the lead.”
In most of his races, however, Alexander is no better than fifth around the first turn.
“Down the backstretch he gets in contention and then kicks it in coming home,” Otto said. “He definitely has a lot of heart.”
Blair said Alexander has been “amazing” and “I’d be set if I had 10 others just like him.
“Maybe breaking slow has been to Alexander’s advantage as he’s avoided a lot of complications (in the first turn),” Blair said. “He’s starting to show some age, but his heart is still there.”
The veteran sprinter has been very durable during his racing career at Wheeling. Not once has Alexander been sidelined longer than a week.
Alexander broke in at the Wheeling Island oval in December 2006, winning Maiden by 8 1/2 lengths and Grade D by 2 lengths in back-to-back starts. After a third in his first Grade C effort, Alexander won his next trip by half a length.
He climbed the ladder to Grade AA in just nine starts, highlighted by a 9-length victory in Grade B and a 6-length win in Grade A.
“When a dog goes up the ladder that fast early on and wins by those margins, there’s a pretty good chance he’s going to be a good dog at Wheeling,” Otto said. “He’s not a superstar, but he’s been a very competitive greyhound.”
In 2007, Alexander had 17 wins, 7 seconds, 9 thirds and 11 fourths in 68 starts. Only nine greyhounds had more wins than Alexander last year.
“That’s a lot of wins for a driver. Closers just don’t win as many races as speed dogs,” Otto said. “There’s always traffic closers have to contend with.”
This year, Alexander has 7 wins, 6 seconds, 13 thirds and 2 fourths in 46 trips.
Alexander has advanced to the semifinal round of the current $100,000 Wheeling Invitational.
“I am real proud of what Alexander has done at Wheeling,” Blair said. “Hopefully, we have some more coming behind him.”
Blair also is very appreciative of the work trainers Louise and Greg Strong and Ken and Dinna Otto have done with Alexander.
“They all have done a great job handling him,” Blair said. “I am real pleased.”
IN THE HOMESTRETCH:
MULBERRY GUS: We are sorry to hear the news that sprint star Mulberry Gus has passed away on the farm in Kansas.
Gus was a top notch Grade AA competitor at Wheeling. Even at 4 years old last year, he won five out of six top grade races during one stretch and ran third in the final of the Holiday Sprint Championship.
In addition to Wheeling, Gus’ career took him to Southland, Derby Lane, Mardi Gras, Bluffs Run, Dubuque and The Woodlands.
In 2005, he won the $50,000 Kansas Bred Sprint at The Woodlands.
NIGHT OF STARS: A total of 17 racetracks will take part in Night of Stars XXI on Saturday evening, Nov. 1.
Wheeling will be Race 13 on the American Greyhound Track Operator’s Association-sponsored program (separate from the regular Wheeling evening card).
The Wheeling NOS race will take place at approximately 11:15 p.m. and will be contested over the 3/8 distance.
The 3/8 field should be a dandy. Possible selections include TK Quick Strike, Kiowa Power Pak, Flying Wellsburg, Flying Wheeling, Kiowa Apple Lyde, Mighty Gemstone, Kiowa WW Dot, Most Needed and WW’s Elroy.
Others include Magic Penny Ante, winner of the American Derby, and Starz Supreme, third in the consolation of the American Derby.
And how about Flying Mancini, currently racing in the $100,000 Wheeling Invitational and a finalist in the American Derby?
HOT DOGS: Steubenville Kennel’s Kiowa Stan Gus (AA) and Kiowa Myth (C, B, A, AA) have won four out of his last five starts for trainer Debbie Schweizer. Kennel-mate Kiowa Pigtail has won three out of his last four races (D, C, B) while Kiowa Miami has two wins and a second in her last three marathon outings.
Charter Kennel’s TNJ Bonita has won four out of her last five starts (B, A, AA) for trainer Rodney Cooley. Kennel-mates KB’s King Cooley has two wins and a second in his last three Grade AA trips while Silver Roll has back-to-back victories (B, A).
Ryan Farms Kennel’s Oshkosh Quaker has won four out of his last five starts (M, D, C, B) for trainer Terry Green.
Arivada-Plum Creek Kennel’s Bee Gees has won three straight victories (A, AA) for trainer Joe Otto.
Flying Eagles-Miner Kennel’s Flying Connie has won three out of her last four starts (C, B, A) for trainer Pamela Webb.
C And C Kennel’s Bid Me Ten has won three out of his last four trips (C, B, A) for trainer Patrick Bever.
Lester Raines Kennel’s OKGO Box To Wire has back-to-back wins (A, AA) for trainer Joel Roden.
Wayne Strong Kennel’s Millennium Drive has two straight 3/8 victories (A, AA) for trainer Dinna Otto.
A Ray Kennel’s Countess Clare has two wins in a row (B, A) for trainer Joe Palmer.
Mike Fynmore Kennel’s Jimbo Tuesday has back-to-back victories (B, A) for trainer William Davis.
Cardinal Kennel’s Bohemian Riley has two straight 3/8 wins (B, A) for trainer Roger Salem.
Gable Kennel’s Gable Float has two wins in a row (C, B) for trainer Wayne Piquette.
Green-Maupin Kennel’s Cold B Only One has back-to-back victories (C, B) for trainer James Grace.
Pawloski can be reached at sjpawloski@yahoo.com