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Million features eight young males running for $500,000 first-place prize

The Derby Lane Million began three weeks ago with owners, kennel staff and nominators shooting for the moon, hoping they had the brightest star in the greyhound galaxy.

By DON JENSEN, Times Correspondent
Published March 3, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - The Derby Lane Million began three weeks ago with owners, kennel staff and nominators shooting for the moon, hoping they had the brightest star in the greyhound galaxy.

Few realized their fate would be determined on an evening with a total lunar eclipse. Tonight, the greyhound industry descends on Derby Lane for the 550-yard race worth $500,000 to the winner.

Camerlengo, Flying Stanley, Hallo Mr Finigan, Hellion, Maxmilian Kohler, Mustang Geordie, San Tan Rafe and Sly Star run for a spot in the history book in the main event at approximately 10:45.

The finalists are young males, 22 to 26 months. They have come from tracks in Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, Kansas and West Virginia. The dogs have combined for just 159 starts, with qualifying points leader Flying Stanley and Hallo Mr Finigan the only ones with career double-digit wins at 23 and 13, respectively. Experience is varied, with Flying Stanley having won three of five previous stakes, while Hellion entered the Million off a Grade D triumph.

D'Arcy Kennel (Mustang Geordie and San Tan Rafe) and defending track win leader Magic City (Camerlengo and Maxmilian Kohler) are the only kennels with dual entries.

Derby Lane chief operations officer David Tiano said more than 10,000 fans could pass through the turnstiles as the gates open at 6 p.m. And racing secretary Jerry Miller has put together a top-grade 14-race performance capable of setting a track handle record. The 2006 Million attracted a season-high 9,343 with a 12-race handle of $1,236,923, second best in the track's 82-year history. With two additional races tonight, the all-time handle mark of $1,317,111 established on June 29, 2002, could be erased.

"We've asked our employees to park in the back to free up more parking for our patrons," Tiano said, "put some of our food-service employees in places where we think they'll do the best for the public and gotten an extra 27 parimutuel tellers from Tampa Bay Downs."

Before the final, 2006 winner Greys Calibrator will be paraded onto the track for a brief ceremony. Kennel owner and trainer Mick D'Arcy said the greyhound he purchased from Jack and Mary Butler for $50,000 last year is being retired.

HORSES: Potra Clasica faces a field of 10 older fillies and mares in the $60,000 Wayward Lass Stakes today at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar. Jose Lezcano rides the Martin Wolfson trainee coming off a third-place finish in the Grade III $100,000 Suwannee River Handicap on Feb. 3 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach. Post time for the 11/16-mile race on the main track is approximately 4:25 p.m. ... Sharyn Wasiluk, president of the Downs chapter of the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America, said Julie Krone will be the featured guest for the 15th annual Hearts Reaching Out fundraiser March 16-19. For information, call (813) 298-1576 or (813) 494-1870.

[Last modified March 2, 2007, 23:16:09]