Quick Strike wins 2008 Flashy Sir Award!

Quick Strike wins Flashy Sir Award


From the Times Leader Web Site

    TK Quick Strike’s performance during the 2008 racing season was the most dominant ever by a middle distance greyhound at Wheeling Island.
  On April 23 in Abilene, Kansas, Quick Strike will be recognized for his achievements when he is presented the Flashy Sir Award as the nation’s top distance greyhound in 2008. Starz Jenko will receive the Rural Rube Award as the top sprinter in the country last year.
    The awards were announced late last week by The Greyhound Review. Members of the National Greyhound Association and readers of The Greyhound Review magazine cast ballots.
    Charter Kennel trainer Rodney Cooley was ecstatic when learning his distance dandy won the prestigious award.
    “It’s quite an honor to win either the Flashy Sir or Rural Rube awards. It made my year,” Cooley said. “In my heart I feel Quick Strike deserved it and I take a lot of pride in what he did on the racetrack.”
    Quick Strike’s 2008 performance was one for the ages. A few of the highlights from his dream season follow:
    — Won the $10,000 Mountaineer Derby in May after going through the early rounds undefeated.
    — Captured Night of Stars XXI in November.
    — Broke the Wheeling 3/8 track record three times during the year (March, May and July). Holds the current mark of 37.20.
    — Wheeling track win leader with 31 victories.
    — Romped to victories by 17, 13 1/2, 12, 11 1/2 (twice), 10 1/2 (twice), 10, 9 1/2, 9, 8, 7 1/2, 7, 6 1/2 (twice), 6 (twice) and 5 1/2 lengths.
    A July 2005 greyhound out of Flying Penske-Joanne’s Peach, Quick Strike was raised by Dr. Marty Tanner of Texas and sold to Charter Kennel’s Cary Alsobrook at the 2006 NGA Fall Meet.
    Cooley said Tanner deserves all the credit for Quick Strike’s success.
    “Marty (Tanner) made Quick Strike what he is today. He did all the work breeding and raising him,” Cooley said. “I’d also like to thank Cary (Alsobrook) for recognizing Quick Strike’s talent and purchasing him at the NGA meet.”
    Tanner was thrilled one of the greyhounds he raised received national honors. Although Tanner knew Quick Strike had the potential to be something special, he never imagined he would have a year like 2008.
    “I am very proud of Quick Strike,” Tanner said. “He was good the whole year long which isn’t an easy thing to do.”
    Tanner also had special praise for Cooley.
    “Rodney did a super job with Quick Strike throughout the year,” Tanner said. “You have to know when to do something with a greyhound and you have to know when to just let them go.”
    Consistency was one of Quick Strike’s trademarks.
    “In all my years, I’ve never had a greyhound stay as competitive as Quick Strike,” Cooley said. “I rate him up there with some of the best ever.”
    Alsobrook couldn’t be happier.
    “It was a tremendous joy each time we won a stake race, or broke a track record. The ultimate achievement, however, is to enjoy racing an All-American, and more importantly to experience racing a Flashy Sir Award Winner as Quick Strike has done,” Alsobrook said. “The only thing I could expect to make that better will be if Quick Strike is selected as a member of the 2008 All-American Team.”