Nov/December 2011, Daily News

It's Kate in 2011 N. America win race

Wed, Jan 04, 2012

Rams Kizzy Kate, Tucson Greyhound Park's latest model of a durable sprinter, is the 2011 North American win champion, with 50 victories for the year.
    Owned by Cheryl and Johnny Pharrams of Mesa, Az., the September 2008 daughter of Lonesome Cry (who also sired the 2010 win champion, Where's Big Cash) and Rams Annie Oak tallied a 50-13-2-2 record in 72 starts (just six times off the paysheet) for the Gray Kennel at the Tucson track. She had win streaks of 8, 7, 6 and 5 at various times during the year.
    It was the seventh North American win title captured by a Tucson sprinter, going back to 1968.
    Kizzy Kate won the title comfortably over Caliente's Barts Ladyinred (Deerfield Mover*-B's Optimistic), who charted a 45-16-6-6 record in 79 starts for the Newport Kennel. Barts Ladyinred was bred by Rick Bartley of Abilene; Ladyinred's littermate, Barts Bearcat, won 34 races of her own in 2011.
    Tied for third with 41 wins for the year were Jacksonville's superstar GS Uncle Henry (Kelsos Fusileer-Steffie's Mandy) and Birmingham's 3/16 sprint queen Coach Princess (Trent Lee-Its My Fancy). Uncle Henry, owned and raced by Gary and Sharon Willis, won the James Patton Silver Cup at Orange Park last year and finished second to his littermate, GS Uncle Harry, in the Pup Stake. The year's winningest male had a 41-9-6-4 record in 70 starts and finished the year strong, with an 11-race win streak.
    Coach Princess, owned by Greg Geter and racing for Double G Racing, was 41-23-10-10 in 99 starts. Her 84 paychecks cashed in the course of the year is a testament to her consistency.
    Next on the win list for 2011 with 40 victories is Hi Noon Renegade, Derby Lane's top stake winner. Owned by Charles Haliburton III and raced by Nova Kennel, the son of Dodgem By Design-Bryan's Baby was 40-10-5-2 in 61 starts. He notched wins in the Derby Lane Sprint Classic and Gold Trophy Juvenile and finished second in the T.L. Weaver Memorial. Renegade boasted 10-race and 9-race win streaks during the year.
    In sixth place among last year's top winners was Palm Beach star's Turbo Razor (Kiowa Sweet Trey-Turbo Wind Blown), with a 39-4-1-2 record in 55 starts for the Rader Racing Kennel. Razor, who finished the year with a 12-race win skein, is owned by Ed Gardner, Jr. and Norm Rader.
   Others in the win race for 2011 were:
7. FM Sapphire (Birmingham)........37 wins
8. Slatex Emerald (Bluffs Run) ......36 wins
     Flyin Carnoustie (Derby Lane)....36 wins
10. RK's Conk Gonk (Palm Beach)...35 wins
 11.  Bella Infrared (Southland) .........34 wins
         Barts Bearcat (Caliente) ............34 wins