3rd Derby Lane Million is cancelled

Sad news for greyhound fans...our Kentucky Derby of greyhound racing seems to be dead at the age of 2.

"It is with deep regret that I have to announce the cancellation of the Derby Lane Million Dollar race," said Derby Lane COO David Tiano today. "We did not have enough entries to move forward with the race that was scheduled for March 1, 2008.

The Derby Lane Million, which would have been the third annual event, was open to any greyhound in the world that was registered with the National Greyhound Association.

This year's format allowed for eighty entries at $10,000 each which would makeup $800,000 of the Million Dollar purse. Derby Lane would put in the additional $200,000to make the race a true Million Dollar purse. Although entries were slow in arriving President Vey O. Weaver announced that would run the race with a minimum of 64 entries.

The smaller field would have depended on a bigger contribution from Derby Lane, but Weaver was willing to contribute more as there was much International interest expressed that would have filled up nearly one-third of the field. "It would have been a big draw for our fans like the previous two stakes," said Weaver. "Like the American interest, the International list of names grew smaller as the months went by."

Based on verbal commitments and early deposits the track had every confidence that the race would take place as the numbers fell near the sixty-four entries needed at the beginning of November.

Derby Lane will fill the void by rearranging their 2008 stakes schedule. "We thank everyone that supported the race," said Vey Weaver. "Our $100,000 Distance Classic stakes will be inserted in the March 1 slot."

For more information contact David Tiano
at 727-812-3339 x 240 or Sumi Russell
sumi.russell@derbylane.com 727-812-3339 x 263.

Sigh!
Frannie