Shrewd Operator Victorious in 2007 Dubuque Greyhound Park Inaugural

The running of the 2007 Dubuque Greyhound Park Inaugural on paper was an evenly matched contest between eight greyhounds that had arrived at the Iowa oval from various destinations. There were dogs from Bluffs Run, Iowa's other dog track, as well as racers that had shipped in from Valley in Texas, Derby Lane and Flagler in Florida, The Woodlands in Kansas, and Birmingham in Alabama. Everybody had some impressive racing lines showing and gaudy schooling performances at Dubuque, but when all was said and done, the Inaugural turned into a runaway victory for Shrewd Operator.

Shrewd Operator had been at Bluff's Run since breaking in there back in January of 2006, leaving the tough competition there only to run in the Great American Futurity at the Woodlands last May. There he had set the track record for the 550 yard distance; his 29.63 clocking has since been lowered by the immensely talented Flying Stanley. Shrewd Operator was a tough dog at Bluff's Run, where the July 2004 black male out of Brett Lee and RL Mickey Lou won his share of top grade contests. For the Dubuque Inaugural, Shrewd Operator had drawn a favorable three box after decimating a pair of schooling race fields by a combined 29 lengths.

In the one hole was DK's Hot Biscuit, winner of four Grade As at the Woodlands this year, with the veteran campaigner HB's Nu Way Jay, one of Dubuque's best last meet, coming out of the two. In the four was Wholesale, who had run in ten quinielas out of nineteen tries at Flagler this year. The five box contained JD Titanium, who had won
six at prestigious Derby Lane in 2007; out of the six hole would break Joe The Doc, winner of last year's Dubuque Inaugural. The seven held Sooner Redeemer, triumphant in her last three top grade races at Birmingham, and last but not least was the speedball Pepper Pal, an eleven race winner from Valley Greyhound Park in Harlingen, Texas.