Dog Racing

Aside from wild moose trying to stomp the dogs and the risks of plunging into the icy ocean or river in inky darkness, the 1,100-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is a jaunt in a park. Except this is Mother Nature's Most Extreme Park, not the kind of meadows where most dog lovers take their Rovers to run around. Mushers don't scoop up the poop, fling Frisbees or throw sticks to fetch.

"Dog coursing" was a sensationally popular pastime in Los Angeles that flourished in the 1890s despite repeated court rulings of animal cruelty. The fight over coursing was so fierce that its supporters nearly derailed the city's annexation of USC and nearby Agricultural Park, where the races were held.

For four years, he was known as Swanee's Sultan, a sleek and powerful greyhound who sprinted to victory at high-stakes races in Connecticut, Florida and Texas, generating thousands of dollars for his owners. But today the pure white dog with the long thin face and big eyes has settled into a new life as Pete, an affectionate pet who likes nothing better than to stretch out lazily on a mat in Howard Rhodes' living room and bask in the afternoon sunlight.

A gene that helps control muscle development makes all the difference between an elite racing dog and a freak that is put down at birth, scientists reported in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Genetics. Racing whippets that carried one copy of the mutated gene were among the fastest runners, but those that carried two copies became unattractively bulky and were usually destroyed by breeders, the researchers said. The gene is the blueprint for a muscle protein called myostatin.

During the next several months, Linda Bryan's four "kids" will run in nearly 20 races around the country. They will travel to racecourses from Portland, Ore., and Yuma, Ariz., to West Memphis, Ark., and Hollywood, Fla. Bryan thinks that all of them will be winners. Bryan's "kids" are not sons and daughters, and the races are not big-time marathons. Bryan races greyhounds, a $2-billion-a-year industry that enthusiasts tout as the racing sport for common folk.

A judge ruled Tuesday that state law does not allow slot machines, keno or blackjack and that the governor does not have the authority to negotiate gambling compacts with Indian tribes. Arizona horse and dog racing tracks sued the state, seeking to stop Gov. Jane Dee Hull from signing new compacts with the tribes. The tracks fear tribal casino expansion would put them out of business. U.S. District Judge Robert C.

A few gamblers were sitting in the Gulfstream Park grandstand and chatting between races about the planned introduction of big league racing to Texas. They all saw the potential for great profits there, and some were contemplating a trip to the first race meeting in Dallas or Houston. "How about you, Phil?" one of the bettors asked the senior member of the group. "Are you coming to Texas?" Phil shook his head. "I'll leave that to you younger gentlemen," he said.

As the leaders neared the end of the 21st Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race last week, columnist Mike Doogan of the Anchorage Daily News wrote: "Right now, ruthless mushers are forcing our non-human animal friends to pull heavy loads over treacherous trails, all in the name of so-called sport. Gaia (the Greek earth goddess) only knows how many of our canine companions will be killed before the last of the sledding species reaches Nome."

As the leaders neared the end of the 21st Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race last week, columnist Mike Doogan of the Anchorage Daily News wrote: "Right now, ruthless mushers are forcing our non-human animal friends to pull heavy loads over treacherous trails, all in the name of so-called sport. Gaia (the Greek earth goddess) only knows how many of our canine companions will be killed before the last of the sledding species reaches Nome."

They call it the last great race on earth. Iditarod. It's a monster. The race, more than a thousand miles, begins in metropolitan Anchorage, sweeps across cultural zones, two major mountain ranges, across Alaska's icy valleys and forests, on the frozen Yukon River for 150 miles, along the frozen Bering Sea shore for another 100 miles and finishes on Nome's storied Front Street, in front of several rip-roaring saloons. A musher--in Alaska, no one calls them racers and no one yells "Mush!"

I'm still marveling at what a great weekend it was for sports fans -- World Cup soccer in Berlin, Wimbledon tennis in London and Wienerschnitzel Wiener Nationals dog races at the Los Alamitos Race Course. In case you missed the 50-yard dachshund competition -- I couldn't find it on ESPN's SportsCenter -- there were 83 hounds in the running and drama aplenty. One owner proudly held up his dog Adebisi beforehand, only to have the animal pick that moment to relieve himself.

Aside from wild moose trying to stomp the dogs and the risks of plunging into the icy ocean or river in inky darkness, the 1,100-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is a jaunt in a park. Except this is Mother Nature's Most Extreme Park, not the kind of meadows where most dog lovers take their Rovers to run around. Mushers don't scoop up the poop, fling Frisbees or throw sticks to fetch.

Pilot Maggie McCurry has been flying for 16 years but she said she has never traveled with the precious cargo she has carried during the Great Greyhound Goodwill Air Tour. Her 24-day journey ended Wednesday at Van Nuys Airport when she and two retired racing greyhounds emerged from her airplane that McCurry dubbed the "Wings of Greyhounds." She flew the plane, packed with pillows and blankets for the passengers' comfort, 8,000 miles, gathering 28 greyhounds, two or three at a time.

A judge ruled Tuesday that state law does not allow slot machines, keno or blackjack and that the governor does not have the authority to negotiate gambling compacts with Indian tribes. Arizona horse and dog racing tracks sued the state, seeking to stop Gov. Jane Dee Hull from signing new compacts with the tribes. The tracks fear tribal casino expansion would put them out of business. U.S. District Judge Robert C.

A fifth complaint was filed Friday alleging improper electioneering in this year's City Council race. The latest complaint, made by longtime council watcher Chuck Kuenstle, raises concerns about candidate Jim Bruno's campaign. Kuenstle says a mailer advocating Bruno's candidacy does not identify its funding source. He also said no one has acknowledged paying for ads on behalf of Bruno in a local newspaper, as disclosure guidelines require.

"I love them all and it's too hard to choose," the La Habra Heights man said quietly. As recently as two years ago, greyhounds at the popular Caliente racetrack were destroyed if they became injured, or when they retired. But efforts by dog lovers like McRorie, 63, and his wife, Joyce, 61, have given these sleek dogs a new leash on life. The McRories head up the Orange County/Greater Los Angeles chapter of Greyhound Pets of America.

"I love them all and it's too hard to choose," the La Habra Heights man said quietly. As recently as two years ago, greyhounds at the popular Caliente racetrack were destroyed if they became injured, or when they retired. But efforts by dog lovers like McRorie, 63, and his wife, Joyce, 61, have given these sleek dogs a new leash on life. The McRories head up the Orange County/Greater Los Angeles chapter of Greyhound Pets of America.

Kramer the dog came up short in his bid to win Heather Sievers' third-grade class a pizza party at last week's "Wiener Nationals" benefit race at Los Alamitos Race Course. But not all was lost. The Irvine students will get a party, but it'll feature hot dogs instead. Kramer, a ball-obsessed dachshund named after comedian Jerry Seinfeld's stumbling sitcom sidekick, won the first heat at Saturday's third annual wiener dog race, but came in fourth in a field of eight in the final run.

Kramer the dog came up short in his bid to win Heather Sievers' third-grade class a pizza party at last week's "Wiener Nationals" benefit race at Los Alamitos Race Course. But not all was lost. The Irvine students will get a party, but it'll feature hot dogs instead. Kramer, a ball-obsessed dachshund named after comedian Jerry Seinfeld's stumbling sitcom sidekick, won the first heat at Saturday's third annual wiener dog race, but came in fourth in a field of eight in the final run.

Autumn is nigh in the old megalopolis. All the signs are there. The smog has turned colors, decorating the sunset sky with lovely streaks of red and orange. Children are back in school, flush with the vigor that comes from three months of moping about the mall. The air is filled with blimps covering Saturday football. Leaf blowers sing.