Greys Calibrator Retiring at Derby Lane

Greys Calibrator is retiring to become a brood bitch after a wonderful career, one that saw the large 72 pound female win one of the richest races in all of greyhound racing. When Greys Calibrator won the Derby Lane Million last year, with its half million dollar first place money, she did it by defeating seven males, as she was the only lady in the race. Greys Calibrator was special for those three weeks late last winter, saving some of her greatest efforts for when they mattered the most. Now she will hopefully become a mother to some very special puppies, ones that will be hard pressed to duplicate their mom's feats at some of this nation's top greyhound tracks.

A red brindle female out of Craigie Whistler and Greys Nose Dive, Greys Calibrator was whelped in June of 2003. Her introduction to the rigors of greyhound racing came at the highly competitive Wheeling Island greyhound track in West Virginia, where she got off on the right foot on May 29th, 2005, winning her initial outing, a Maiden race, by a length and a half. In grade D, Greys Calibrator flew off to the lead and handily held on by a pair, setting the pattern she would follow throughout her career. By August, she was a constant threat in Wheeling's top AA grade, consistently hitting the board but not winning all that often. This changed drastically, starting on October 17th, when she was an easy winner from the five box at odds of eight to one. Until she was retired, Greys Calibrator would never come close to going off at such a high price again.

That victory was the first of seven in her next eight starts, as she became almost unbeatable during that stretch. Possessing an incredibly swift early rush to the first turn, Greys Calibrator also had the ability to come from behind, and this combination made her very dangerous indeed. On November 19th, she toured the 1,644 foot distance at Wheeling in a rapid 29.46, the fastest she would go during her stay there. After two rough trips that snapped her skein of six wins in a row, Greys Calibrator was shipped to Derby Lane in St. Petersburg, Florida, which is always the site of top notch greyhound action.