Joey Ice, Husker Magic join greyhound All-Stars

ST. PETERSBURG — The magical seasons for Joey Ice and Husker Magic had storybook endings.

Joey Ice, the injured Capabal kennel 550-yard specialist and winner of Derby Lane's top two sprint stakes in 2014, was voted captain of the 52nd annual All-America greyhound team. Husker Magic, the track's defending top dog who won her first stakes recently for Abernathy kennel, also was an All-America first-team choice.

They were the only Derby Lane competitors on the All-America first and second teams (eight dogs each) announced Monday by the American Greyhound Track Operators Association.

"(Joey Ice and Husker Magic) had fabulous years," National Greyhound Association executive director Gary Guccione said. "They both won 46 races — that is unusual for two dogs for the same track — that tied second nationally in wins."

The North America win leader was L's My Way at Tucson Greyhound Park in Arizona with 52.

Joey Ice is the first All-America dog for Capabal owner Henry Parker. Joey Ice, whose season ended in October with a fractured left rear hock, was Derby Lane's win leader in the 2014 January-to-June meet, propelling Capabal to its first kennel title. The male dog won the $64,000 Sprint Classic and the $50,000 Fall Sprint, and clocked a best time of 30.05 seconds at 550 yards in the July-to-December meet.

Belinda Parker trains Joey Ice, a winner of 55 lifetime races, for owner Joey Lingle of Blair, Okla.

Kennel owners Jim and Kayruth Abernathy received the news on Husker Magic 10 days after their female sprinter won her first career stakes, the $35,000 Daytona 550 National Championship at Daytona Beach Kennel Club. She is the third All-America greyhound for Jim Abernathy, 49, a third-generation dog man. His others were Aksarben Duke (1990) and Fast Buck (1974).

"It's great for (Husker Magic) and the kennel," Jim Abernathy said. "That's what you get into the business for — to get awards like this."

Husker Magic's victory at Daytona snapped its 0-5 record in previous stakes, including second-place finishes in the 2015 Inaugural and the 2014 Gold Trophy Juvenile. Husker Magic is owned by Jim Abernathy, Arthur Kaufman and Terry Haber. Kayruth Abernathy trains Husker Magic, whose dam Casino Zada ranked No. 1 nationally among brood matrons in 2014.

Horses: Four jockeys appeared to escape serious injury and one horse died during Friday's sixth race at Tampa Bay Downs in Oldsmar. Jockeys Antonio Gallardo, Janelle Campbell, Alice Cartwright and Huber Villa-Gomez were transported to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa for observation. "They were all conscious, talking and moving their limbs," track spokeswoman Margo Flynn said. "The good news is that it appears most everyone has come out of it okay." La Ranchera, with Cartwright aboard, broke down at the quarter pole and fell to the main track. Bright Promise, Carol Ann and Juliebrowneyes all fell over La Ranchera, who appeared to die instantly. Flynn said the other three horses "were unscathed."