Brent Sass holds off Jessie Holmes to win Copper Basin

Brent Sass at finish with Ace and Slater.
Screencap from Kale Casey Live.

Brent Sass flew into the finish line a little before 3:15pm Alaska time Monday winning the 2024 Copper Basin 300. As the sun was setting along the mountain ridge fans watching in Glennallen as well as online (thanks to Kale Casey) Brent's bright parka came out through the trees and it was no doubt Wild and Free would be champion.

Sass didn't have much time for celebration under the arch, however, as Jessie Holmes came in just a minute or so later. Suddenly it meant much more sense why Brent was skipoling and running with his team into the finish. The champion crouched for a quick winner's picture with his team and the trophy before picking up and running out of the way for Jessie's to sign off the trail.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Brent would tell Kale Casey on the live feed regarding the footrace at the end against his friend and competitor Jessie.

Sass wasn't even supposed to race this weekend. The musher had announced around Christmas time that he was downsizing his racing schedule and Copper Basin was not in his plans, but at what seemed the last minute he reconsidered. Sass placed second in last weekend's Knik 200, coming in just seconds behind young phenom Emily Robinson. 

Sass and Holmes spent most of the Copper Basin leap frogging each other, and many knew they would be close together when they finished. The trackers, as on cue, went dark just two miles from the finish so it was anyone's guess if Jessie would overtake the 2022 Iditarod Champion. Brent kept a mile between them for the last 20 miles or so, and his team didn't slow even as they came into the finisher's chute.

Next up into the finish should be Cody Strathe from Squid Acres who has a nice cushion between he and the fourth and fifth place teams - which the race for fourth will be another nailbiter between Matt Hall and Paige Drobny. Teams will continue to come through the finish tonight and tomorrow morning. 

2024 Copper Basin 300 race preview

It's a big anniversary for the Copper Basin 300 this year as it will kick off the 35th race in Glennallen, Alaska on Saturday. The "toughest 300 miles" is a popular mid distance sled dog race by both fans and mushers. It always boasts a healthy roster even with its reputation to being positively frigid temperatures (there've been a few -50F and -60F degree races over the years). 

This year is no exception, though the roster has seen some changes and may see changes all the way up to the bib draw on Friday. A combination of musher injury and illness have kept some teams home this weekend, others having issues with logistics. 

This year mushers are banking on it being a "balmy" CB300. By balmy, the forecast has it around 0F at the time of the start with a high of 7F. That's somewhat unusual - we normally see it below zero. The mushers won't know what to do with themselves. Break out the tank tops and shorts. Snow is also forecast during the day with a 76% chance. The trails are set and groomed ahead of the race (in large part due to the Valdez Snowmachine Club) but even just an inch of new snow can change the course dramatically. Sunday sees partly sunny skies and a high of 16F, though on the river it will most likely be colder. For the finish on Monday we'll see the temps dip back down to a high of 6F. 

The Copper Basin 300 is also the opening race for Fantasy Mushers to choose teams and have a go at picking the perfect 7 teams to get them to the top of the score board. As always, we're going to try and guess who some of the teams are that will take top spot to maybe give some insight into who you'll want to put on your fantasy team.

Who to Watch

Cody Strathe & Paige Drobny - The pair from Squid Acres always head up teams that show a strong finish. Not knowing which one may have the "A-team" or if they are splitting the teams up equally leaves us to just put our bets on both of them. Never count out the squids.

Dallas Seavey - This name seems familiar somehow. Hmmm. All jokes aside, the five-time Iditarod Champion must have fallen in love with the idea of running this race after following along as a handler last year. While this is most likely being used as a training run, Dallas is very competitive - so look for a solid placement. His name on the roster will definitely make things interesting. Fans, though, may only be excited for him to run the race so they can catch a glimpse of *The Sweater*.

Jessie Holmes - Team Can't Stop - can't stop racing for the top prize. The sometime reality star, but always legit musher is always in the mix for top placement in the races he enters. Holmes exceeded just about every expectation last year when he ran just a couple of months after a near death experience when a house collapsed on him. This year he's fully recovered and no longer going to be the weak link in his team. 

Matt & Elke Hall - The former Yukon Quest Champion just merged his kennel with his new bride, going from "Smokin' Aces" Kennel to "Silver Ace Sled Dogs" combining both mushers' kennel names. Like the Squids it's possible both mushers will see their teams in top position, or one could be running the A team while the other has the "puppy team" - still, their both solid picks for your fantasy team.

Nicolas Petit - Nic "tried something new" in the Knik 200 and held his team to a schedule/slower pace. His "puppy team" run by Sarah Giles had to cut their race short last weekend due to the warm temps. Is it a new strategy for this season or was it a one and done? It's always hard to tell with Nic as he posts in riddles. 

Brent Sass - First he was going to CB300, then he announced around Christmas time he was enjoying running his remote trails and would be downsizing his race schedule and CB300 wasn't on his list, then Friday he posted "SURPRISE!" on Facebook announcing that he is in fact running the race this weekend. He came in second place last weekend at the Knik 200 losing to Jr. Musher Emily Robinson. This race is more Brent's style, though it is promising a little warmer than normal. Expect Brent to be in front running to the finish line.

Ryan Redington decided not to run the Copper Basin and elected to give his spot to Hunter Keefe. Hunter should have a solid finish here as well. Calvin Daugherty is running a team out of Mitch Seavey's kennel and would be a good bet for fantasy mushing teams to choose as Calvin's goal will be keeping the team together and having good runs. 

But how can you watch if you aren't right there with the action? Glad you asked...

How to Follow

Copper Basin has several areas where cars cant go and satellites can't find. There's a remote checkpoint that almost no instant communication comes out of. Still, CB300's all volunteer team keep race fans well informed. Here are the ways fans can follow the race this year.

GPS Tracker
TrackLeaders.com is once again supplying all of our GPS tracking obsession needs, you can find this year's map and teams here.

Radio Broadcast
KCAM Radio will broadcast the start beginning at 10am (or shortly before). If you're in the area you can listen to the broadcast on AM 790, or online through this link.

Kale Casey LIVE
That's right, your FAVORITE live stream of any dog mushing race will be covering the action of this year's Copper Basin 300. Kale left it up to the fans to choose if he would make the long drive over to Glennallen by holding an impromptu funds campaign and hit the goal within minutes. The mushing community LOVE Kale, and for good reason. He will certainly keep you entertained and excited to watch. Be sure to catch when he goes live by following his page on Facebook! And don't forget to buy him a coffee or two. Kale plans to go LIVE at the start an hour before the first team leaves, so tune in around 9am Alaska Time (and tell him I say hi)!

Social Media
Updates will most likely be posted on the race's Facebook page, and possibly their twitter account. There may even be live video feeds, but there's been no promise that systems will work for the whole start. If you are tweeting, instagramming, etc. the traditional hashtag is #CB300.

KCAM normally posts updates throughout the weekend on the race on Facebook as well. KTUU/Alaska's News Source is always good for a recap of the races.

Schedule of Events

Friday, January 12
10am-4pm Registration and Mandatory Vet Checks
5:30pm Mandatory Handler Meeting
6pm Mandatory Musher Meeting & Bib Draw
*Rookie Meeting follows directly after Bib Draw*

Saturday, January 13
10am - Race Start

Tuesday, January 16
6pm - Award Banquet

Will you be watching? Who are you hoping takes the win? Comment below with your thoughts!

If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).

Sass 20 miles from a win, Robinson hot on his heels

In a confusing morning of watching trackers, where backtracking teams made it look like they were speeddemons and winning a race they'd just restarted hours earlier, it seems most are back on track now and it's Brent Sass who leads the Knik 200. The 2022 Champion was first out of the halfway point early this morning, but just seven minutes behind was Jr Champion and superstar Emily Robinson (yes, this blog has become a full on Robinson stan). Robinson has now closed that gap to less than three minutes - and at one point early on in the run to Eagle Quest 2 was leading - with several hours of mushing still to go it isn't a sure deal who will come first.

Fans woke with confusion when they saw Ed Hopkins already heading into the finish with what the tracker said was an over 30 mile lead on Brent and Emily. What many didn't factor in was that the tracker was only going off of what the map was telling it - with a two loop race course - Hopkins turning around nearly 20 miles into the second loop caused all sorts of problems. Not to worry, however, musher and dogs returned to Knik Lake and are now showing as officially scratched. According to Kale Casey an official statement from the race will come later today.

Dave Turner, Josh McNeal, Joshua Ribbons, Matt Failor, Jessi Downy, and Sarah Giles also scratched today. No official statements out of the kennels yet as to official reasons, but with the temperatures above freezing (it's supposed to be a mix of rain and snow today now) it could be that no one is having much fun. Welfare of the team is always first and foremost.

There are still 31 teams out on the trail, and a champion should finish mid afternoon. 

2024 Knik 200 race preview

A full roster that saw a handful of changes nearly right up to bib draw, the Knik 200 will kick off at 10am on Saturday, January 6, 2024. It's a race that boasts a bunch of strong contenders and veterans, a couple of junior mushers, and a host of newer names fans will enjoy getting to know. The season's "opening qualifier" for the bigger races (like Iditarod and the two versions of the Yukon Quest) is always a popular one, and once again it looks to have perfect trail conditions for a race.

In the Twenty-Teens the Knik saw many postponed and canceled races due to lack of snow, this year, however, is another record breaking snow total for the area and earlier races have gone off without a hitch. The Knik 100 happened right before Christmas and was a huge success, and saw the Junior phenom Emily Robinson take the top prize. Emily is now on the roster for the 200 and the older more veteran mushers know better than to count her out. 

The race will leave from Knik Lake before traveling out to Deshka Landing (where there is not a checkpoint set up for teams to stop) before returning to Knik Lake for a six hour layover (plus time differential) before repeating the loop. The first team will leave the starting line at 10am, but teams must be at the starting chute no later than 8am as vet checks will happen at the start of the race. Each team needs to have one handler who can pick up any "return/drop dogs" at either Deshka Landing or the halfway point. They are also to assist the team coming into and leaving the midway point. 

Weather for this weekend looks to be just below freezing with Saturday seeing a high of 32F. Saturday afternoon is forecasted a "light snow" that will turn to heavy snow overnight and through Sunday. Along with the snow and warm temp, winds will steadily increase throughout the weekend. Sunday will see a high of 34F.

The mushers will get all of their race information, ask questions, and draw their bib numbers at the musher's meeting on Friday night at the Broken Boat Bar. This is also the host of the awards banquet on Sunday. 

The Knik 200 is a race run in Memory of longtime Knik community member and Father of the Iditarod Joe Redington Sr. The sport owes a lot to Redington for reigniting the love of dogs and the sport when it seemed mushing was going extinct thanks to the snow machine (snowmobile for you Cheechakos). He is well represented in this race both behind the scenes as well as on the trail as there are several teams of Redington dogs on the trail.

With (as of January 4 at 9pm) thirty nine teams getting ready to head down the trail, there's any number of scenarios that could happen, but let's take a stab at who may push for the top prize shall we? (We're going with an alphabetized list, this blogger isn't crazy enough to guess just who comes in what place.)

Who to Watch

Matthew Failor - The 2019 Kusko champion and new dad, Matt Failor has to be on anyone's top ten list. Matt learned from some of the sport's best and now boasts a very successful kennel full of happy dogs. Mentored by Martin Buser, you can see that influence in the way Matt is always a positive face on the trail. Look for Matt to have a strong run.
 
Brent Sass - The 2022 Iditarod Champion had a not so great end to his season last year when he was forced to scratch on the Yukon due to a dental emergency. The Quest and Iditarod Champion had signed up for several mid-distance races this season before making an announcement around Christmas that he had chosen to stay closer to home instead of traveling. Sass says the trails around his home in Eureka are prime training and so the Knik 200 is the only race not named Quest or Iditarod he plans to run this season. 

Amanda Otto - Remember when Amanda almost ran down Brent Sass on the final leg of the Yukon Quest Alaska last year? Yeah, she made a monster run look easy and gained a whole lot of respect from fans and mushers. While she's training young dogs don't expect her to not make things exciting this season. She could use the Knik as a way to stretch their legs, or she could be coming out of the gate ready to compete. Either way, you Otto count on Otto.

Wade Marrs - With no snow in the Midwest where Marrs now calls home with his wife and two kiddos and kennel of dogs, Wade traveled with Ryan Redington to Alaska this past week to run in the Knik 200. Marrs is reportedly running Redington's A-Team so that Ryan can focus on working with his puppy team. Marrs and Redington have both shared the excitement of getting to mush on a sled behind dogs and not use an ATV. Because Marrs has the reigning Iditarod Champ's A team in this race, we're looking for Marrs to have the better odds of pushing for a top finish.

Dave Turner - If you've followed this blog a while you know we can't have a race with Dave Turner on the roster and not have his name in the mix for the top dawg. Turner has a good track record in mid-distance races, and even a few wins. Turner could prove to be the spoiler once again.

Nicolas Petit - The "king of the mid-distance" will start off fast and hope he stays fast. Petit likes to let the dogs pick the pace and race schedule most of the time, which works well in the 200 and 300 mile races. The musher is well known for his quirky attitude - often aloof - as well as some of his mishaps (like his many wrong turns over the years). He calls himself dad and the dogs are his kids. Expect much the same this season.

Eddie Burke Jr. - Speaking of new dad, Eddie has a brand spankin' new daughter as of Friday morning. The reigning Knik 200 champion still plans to race this weekend saying "she gave me permission, but I have to win." No doubt he'll be riding high on the excitement of the new bundle, but that may prove a distraction. Burke has also gone from working with Aaron Burmeister's kennel to running a kennel of his own with dogs bought from several mushers. The Iditarod Rookie of the Year has won this weekend either way. 

Emily Robinson - The Junior Mushing Phenom is at it again this season already having won the Knik 100 race against some of these same teams just last month. Emily seems completely unfazed running with the big dogs, having done so several times last season along with winning junior race after junior race. This IS her "biggest race" to date, and with the tad longer trail length it could offer her a challenge. Look for Emily to once again make sure she is a force to reckon with. 

Michelle Phillips - Michelle is one of the top female mushers in the sport, she was very competitive in last year's Knik 200 and there's no indication she won't be again this year. Look for Michelle to start out strong and challenge for the front and stay there.

Travis Beals - The third "new dad" on the list is also running on trails he's recently moved to (within the last year) so they are quickly becoming "home trails". He'll most likely use this as a training run, but if everything is working well he could easily contend for a top spot.

**Not ignoring Ryan Redington, but with his plan being to train the puppy team, it's safe to assume he won't be pushing for the win - look for Wade Marrs with Ryan's A team to try to pull the win off.

Be sure to check out the full roster and follow all of the teams along the way.

How to Watch

For those of us who cannot watch in person, there will be a lot of refreshing of internet pages, here's a run down on how you can follow along with this weekend's race.

Official Website
The race had to restructure their organization a couple of years ago and is now under the direction of the Knik Iditarod Trail Blazers, so they have just a page on their site for the race, but it has the rules and basic information. They also have a way to follow the times in and out LIVE via a spreadsheet (I know there's a group of my readers who LOVE a good spreadsheet).

GPS Tracker
What would we do without these little trackers that drive us crazy when they go haywire (I will always blame the aliens), trackleaders.com will once again keep us obsessively refreshing our screen with their wonderful GPS map. The 2024 map and trackers can be found here.

Social Media
The race is most active on Facebook. The race has not been active on Twitter in years. There's also no Instagram. 

For live feeds I'm told the hope is Kale Casey will be on Knik Lake - though he was due to fly to Alaska Friday. If he is there he'll go live on Facebook!

Schedule of Events

Friday, January 5, 2024
4:00pm-6:00pm Musher's Dinner and Bib Draw

Saturday, January 6, 2024
8:00am Mandatory Vet Check
10:00am Start
**Teams will start on Knik Lake**

Sunday, January 7, 2024
6:00pm Award Banquet

And, as always, you can Buy me a slice of pizza to help keep the blog up and running. It's always appreciated but never expected.  

Twenty teams already signed up for 45th Kusko

In just 48 hours of opening registration, the Kuskokwim 300's roster is 2/3 full. This is the 45th year for the beloved Kusko race, and it seems it's a not to miss event again this year. With registrations coming in quickly, the race took to their Facebook page to announce that mushers still contemplating entering better hurry as there were only ten spots left. The race traditionally limits the roster to 30 teams so as not to overwhelm the communities involved in the race. Unlike many of the mid-distance races, the Kusko is not "on the road system" and so villages rely on local volunteers to keep the race going.

With the smaller roster, it always makes for an incredibly competitive and coveted race. So far for the 2024 Kusko there are three former Kusko champions in the mix as well as two Iditarod champions. There are two women currently signed up, and six rookies line the roster. Several local mushers are in it, including the champion of the newly formed Delta Championship Series (which, don't worry fans, it will return this season). 

Here's the list of names as of October 12, 2023 at 9pm:

Travis Beals
Pete Kaiser*
Brent Sass*
Ebbe Winstrup
Joe Taylor
John Snyder
Dave Turner
Josh McNeal
Raymond Alexie
Gabe Dunham
Lev Shvarts
Richie Diehl
Jessica Klejka
Riley Dyche
Matthew Failor
KattiJo Deeter
Cim Smyth
Jessie Holmes
Hunter Keefe
Isaac Underwood

Bold signifies Kusko Champion
*Asterisk signifes Iditarod Champion
Italics signifies Kusko Rookie 

Mushers have until December 31 to register at the $400 fee, after which it will be $800 to register (if there are spots available). The race begins Friday, January 26, 2023 at 6:30pm in Bethel. Be sure to like/follow them on Facebook to keep up with all the race announcements as well as announcements on the Delta Championship Series.

Who are you most excited to see sign up? Who are you hoping joins the roster? Any early predictions on who takes home the prize? Will Kaiser Re-PETE for an eighth time? Comment below with your thoughts.

Like what you see and want to keep this blog running? Send a slice of pizza or two my way, it'll keep the lights on and the internet running in my humble abode.

Twenty six teams sign up opening day for Iditarod 52

Mushers, Volunteers, and fans came together Saturday for the annual Iditarod Picnic and Musher Sign Ups. Musher registration opened at 9:30am and it wasn't too long before social media was abuzz as the first names popped up online. By the end of the day, 21 mushers would sign up in person with 5 sending theirs online. 

Alaska has been under some very wet weather since at least April (and if you count all the snow accumulated all winter and how 2022's summer ended we can safely say it's been nearly a year of WET), but the sun broke through the clouds with only a light breeze. While the gathering still felt small, it was the general consensus that the overall look and feel of the picnic this year was far more positive. As names were added to the list under the registration tent excitement grew. As always, mushers hovered near to get a glimpse at how many were on the roster in direct competition for winning back their entry fee. 

By noon there were ten names signed up in person and three online. Last year fourteen signed up in person with eight choosing to send in their application electronically. Last year there were no Iditarod champions on site at HQ during the picnic, this year there were three. The atmosphere felt different, nearly normal. Aside from a still smallish crowd, and the fact that the teacher's conference was being held in the lower 48 this year, the picnic felt very similar to those from the last 50 years.

Riley Dyche was first in person to sign up - not surprising as he is running tours at HQ this year and was hard at work throughout the entire picnic giving rides to guests at $10 a pop. Rookie of the Year for 2023 Eddie Burke was next, with several rookies behind him. Fan favorite Hunter Keefe is once again running dogs out of Ramie Redington's kennel. Dallas Seavey Racing was on hand at the picnic as rookie Isaac Teaford signed up for his first Iditarod followed by the Five-Time Iditarod champion.

That's right, Dallas's "taking time off until my kid doesn't think I'm cool" plan is over... his daughter turns 13 in another month and hinted that she's ready for dad to get back to racing. Still, it was surprising when he took a seat at the table and handed over his already filled out paperwork and credit card over to the crew.

Brent Sass made the drive down to throw his hat in the ring. The 2022 Iditarod Champion chose last summer to register from "somewhere on a beach", but this year he decided to do so in person. As his "Wild and Free" truck pulled into the parking lot the tables were buzzing in anticipation. 

Also buzzing was Barbara Redington who kept tabs on the Junior Iditarod sign ups (her grandchildren both signed up at the picnic, racing each other to see who would get that number one slot... Ellen won) as well as trying to find out where her son - reigning champion Ryan Redington - was. Dressed in a button up shirt (with sponsor logo Inukshuk Dog Food), Ryan finally made his way into the picnic to sign up. Ryan was all smiles as he was greeted and congratulated by friends and fellow mushers.

Jessie Royer made her way back to Iditarod last year after the pandemic kept her away due to border issues, but this year she was able to once again attend the picnic. She reported that she was very sore as she had an accident with her horse and was pretty bruised up. She was all stories and smiles at the picnic, though, and if she didn't tell you about the accident you wouldn't know.

Seeing Double Racing Kennel were all present for the picnic, but only Anna Berington signed up to run Iditarod 52. Anna was overheard saying how she and Kristy plan to split the races this year due to the make up of the kennel this year.

Registration in person closed at 2:30pm with the drawing for which two mushers would win back their entry fee being held at 3pm... at about 2:58pm Nicolas Petit arrived to sign up. Petit was giving tours and hoping to have a sponsor to be able to make the entry fee - it took a little longer than he thought but he made it and after a quick talk with officials he was allowed to make the roster before they announced the winners of the raffle.

Rookie Joshua Robbins won the dog food ladle and dog dishes, Dallas Seavey won 500 dog booties.
And then what the mushers were all waiting for, the entry fees, were decided - Eddie Burke Jr. and Brent Sass were able to get their refunds same day this year. Brent was overheard saying that it was worth the drive!

Mushers caught up with each other, as they also celebrated the number of dogs going back to 16 (Jessie Holmes responded with "as it should be!"). CEO Rob Urbach made his rounds chatting with most of the mushers. At the end of the picnic he announced that there was a Musher Incentive program they would have this year where each musher would be getting their own link to share to sell Insider subscriptions and other Iditarod merchandise with a percentage to be shared with the musher.

21 mushers signed up in person, 5 online. Of those signed up officially on the first day, 8 are rookies. There is known to be at least one more musher who has sent in their application, so expect the list to grow in the next few days as rumor is there are several that didn't make the official list today (applications in the mail/sent in after closing of registration today).

Riley Dyche
Eddie Burke, Jr.
Josi Thyr (R)
Connor McMahon (R)
Jason Mackey
Jeff Deeter
Hunter Keefe
Lauro Eklund (R)
Isaac Teaford (R)
Dallas Seavey*
Jessie Royer
Jessica Klejka
Brent Sass*
Gabe Dunham (R)
Mille Porsild
Joshua Robbins (R)
Anna Berington
Jessie Holmes
Ryan Redington*
Travis Beals
Mats Pettersson
Rob Cooke
Bryce Mumford (R)
Erin Altemus (R)
Matt Hall
Nicolas Petit
* Notes past Champion
(R) Notes Rookie status

Brent Sass scratches from Iditarod in Eagle Island

Fans learned this morning in a hasty live feed on The Iditarod Facebook Page from Greg Heister that reigning champ Brent Sass had scratched from the race due to "some type of infection where he felt he could not care for his team the way he needed." Heister went on to report that the race was trying to get a plane to Eagle Island to pick up the veteran musher and fly him to Unalakleet for treatment. 

At around 8:40am The Iditarod released an official statement on the scratch:

"Veteran musher and 2022 Iditarod Champion, Brent Sass (bib #14), of Eureka, Alaska,  scratched at 7:42 a.m. today at the Eagle Island checkpoint as he didn’t feel he could care for his team due to current concerns with his periodontal health.

Sass had 11 dogs in harness when he arrived in Eagle Island, all in good health."

Thankfully dogs don't really care if they finish a race, and they no doubt are being treated like the good dogs they are. We wish Brent a speedy recovery.

Sass wins YQA550 with "one of the best teams in the world."

Brent Sass crossed the finish line of the YQA550 at 7:45pm with his team of twelve frosty, happy dogs. The team pulled up to the famed Pumphouse met by friends, family, and fans to become the inaugural champion of the 550.

Brent led the race from day one, never truly relinquishing the lead. Sure, as he camped along the trail others would pass him, but not long after Brent would once again take control of the race. Brent averaged over four hours of lead time on the competition.

As the team made their way into the finish, the race had some technical difficulties and they lost their lights! Headlamps from handlers and race volunteers and officials were all that illuminated the champion as he congratulated and praised his dogs, hugged his dad, and took interview questions.

When asked how he feels about his chances for this year's Iditarod, Brent gave a nervous chuckle and began talking about how he is really proud of his team but that Iditarod has a highly competitive field. "My buddy Jessie Holmes is here, he came to watch my finish. I'm looking forward to battling with him out on the trail." He did say that he feels he has one of the best teams in the world, that they're highly experienced and that he feels good about how things will play out.

Brent spoke of several stand out dogs. Slater, one of his lead dogs at the finish, is seven and is "probably the best dog I'll ever get to drive." The high praise wasn't just for the old trail hardened veteran dogs, Brent pointed out a couple of younger dogs who he was on the fence about bringing on the Quest and Iditarod that more than proved themselves this week.

Over all, Sass should be very proud of how he ran this race. The musher told the media that he stuck to his game plan and didn't pay attention to what others were doing, which he says is easy to do on the Quest with the long runs between checkpoints allowing for camping. When asked what advice he had for other mushers Brent simply repeated the mantra he has tattooed on his arm: "Run your race."

The dogs are well fed and bedded down. The next team in should be Amanda Otto but don't look for her to come into the finish until - at earliest - 1am (but more likely between 2 and 3am) Thursday. Wade Marrs is third out of Nenana and barring more trouble he will be into the finish in the next seven to eight hours.

Brent Sass summed up his race best: "It was a hell of an adventure! I'm so proud of these guys-this team."

We *OTTO* know better by now

In the words of Yogi Bera, it ain't over til it's over. Amanda Otto shot from seventh place when she left Two Rivers last night to now sitting in Nenana in second place. That whole "Wade and Nic racing for second" prediction was a day too soon. We *Otto* know better by now, dog races are far from predictable.

Well... mostly far from predictable. Fans noticed Nic Petit stalling several times over night, some had expected a turn like this earlier in the race. Nic likes to run at a fast clip and while that seems to work for him in the 200 and 300 mile races, it's bit him in the butt a few times and it has here. Nic posted a pic on the trail saying that they were having to camp for more rest after "making mistakes" and that now he's turning from race mode into fun trip mode. He turns a lot of races into "fun trips". Which is all well and good, but one wonders when he'll try to take a page out of Brent Sass' book and re-evaluate his [lack of] strategy and maybe coach the team differently. 

Wade Marrs also reported difficulty before leaving Two Rivers. He left three dogs behind with handlers to preserve his core team for the Iditarod, but also reported he had some dogs in heat and so the males were less than focused. Both Marrs and Petit were considerably slower on the leg from Two Rivers to Nenana neither having made it into Nenana by the time noon rolled around. 

With Marrs and Petit faltering, it gave Otto even more of a chance to really jump in the standings. The musher out of Husky Homestead took a chance and made the bold move to run the full 100 miles without camping partway through - something Brent Sass elected to do. She rolled into Nenana a little before 11:30am. She is only four hours and fifteen minutes behind Sass.

Brent Sass, of course, had Nenana all to himself for most of the morning. The Champion team made it to the checkpoint at 7:09am and left right on time after his six hour mandatory rest at 1:09pm. He will have about fifty miles until the finish mostly on the Tanana river that they ran on all night. Judging by speeds it won't be a fast run, and without knowing the current trail reports one can only wonder if the spots that slowed Sass and stalled Marrs and Petit have gotten worse.

Judging by Sass's current movement we're looking at 5 to 6 hours before a finish. Right now it looks like a 7pm ish finish, but things can change. It ain't over til it's over.

Oh, and Amanda Otto can leave at 5:26pm.

Brent Sass sitting on a giant cushion

If you've been following along with the Yukon Quest Alaska 550, you are not at all surprised to know that Brent Sass has, essentially, run away with the competition. The experienced champion has over a four and a half hour lead ahead of the chase pack, and there seems to be no slowing him down. Sass prides himself on the "trot" strategy. The dogs never lope or run, they stay at a steady trot, and that's how they make it first to the finish. 

Sass and team ran into the Two Rivers Inbound checkpoint at 11:23am on Tuesday carrying two of his dogs. There is a mandatory four hour rest and vet check in this checkpoint, and Brent elected to stay almost a half hour more in the checkpoint knowing full well that he could afford to take his time. Sass does not typically rest in checkpoints unless mandated, so to see him take his time was a tad interesting - but his social media team assures fans this was all part of the plan. Brent left the two dogs he carried into the checkpoint in his handlers' capable hands and headed for Nenana at 4pm.

Just nine minutes later, Quest Rookie Wade Marrs and team pulled in. Marrs made up a lot of time on Petit, but lost it all and then some while climbing the infamous "Rosebud". While Marrs was second into the checkpoint, Petit was hot on his heels coming in fifteen minutes behind Marrs but with a run time 43 minutes faster than Marrs. Both took their mandatory and are now back out on the trail (at time of writing this we don't have official times out nor how many dogs they have on the line).

Riley Dyche will be out next to join the chase pack and could play spoiler for second or third place though he will have to make up at least and hour and a half time on Marrs and Petit - not impossible, but a lofty goal. Dyche will be able to leave at 10:01pm. 

Current red lantern for the 550 is Howling Ridge Kennel's Shaynee Traska after Lauro Eklund was withdrawn from the race by Race Marshal Mike McCowen sighting rule 22 - competitiveness. Rule 22 states: "The Race Marshal shall at any time withdraw or disqualify a Musher they feel is not making a true attempt at running a competitive race or is in a position to not keep up with the race thus endangering themselves, their dogs and/or causing undue burden upon the Yukon Quest Alaska organization. The Race Marshal shall make this call based upon the condition of the team, trail and weather conditions, attitude and skill level of the musher and the pace at which the team and other teams are traveling. Any musher whose conduct, lack of skills and/or conditioning of their team to meet trail conditions which would expose the team or musher to personal risk in the judgment of the Race Marshal, shall also be withdrawn or disqualified."

Eklund was seven hours behind the next slowest team (Traska) when he reached the checkpoint of Central (inbound). Traska left shortly after he arrived and his team was in need of a break. When Lauro made it to Central the race social media posts praised him for his dog care and his speed saying in any other year with a bigger roster he'd be middle of the pack. By morning the decision was made to pull the team with the basic explanation that the race marshal found Eklund to be not competitive. 

Fans and mushers alike have shared their displeasure since the decision. Requests for further explanation were met with the press statement of rule 22. 

Sass is currently 53 miles from the Nenana checkpoint. From there he will have a six hour mandatory layover before another 55 or so miles to the finish line. Yukon Quest personnel expect a "late afternoon" finish on Wednesday for the champion.

Petit and Sass race to the finish

The front runners for the Copper Basin 300 are in the home stretch. With just about 8 miles to go, Nicolas Petit looks to clinch the title once again as champion of the CB300. Brent Sass is a solid two miles behind the Big Lake musher, and is quickly running out of time to catch up much less pass. 

Petit took a moment from the runners this morning as he left the last checkpoint in Chistochina to send out a quick message reading simply, "Turned on the afterburners." For a musher who just last weekend conceded his time may have come to an end of being champion of mid-distance races, it seems his prediction was premature.

Or was it a prediction? Nic is known to enjoy playing mental games with his competitors (and tease his fans) and it appears that is exactly what he was trying to do after his third place finish in the Knik 200.

Seventeen miles behind Nic are Jessie Holmes and Matt Hall. Hall is down to eight dogs, Jessie has nine but also has the speed. Their trackers are not consistently pinging so it's difficult to tell who is actually ahead of the other at this point. 

Look for the finishers to begin arriving close to Noon Alaska time.

Sass, Petit, and Hall lead Copper Basin, several teams scratch

It should be no surprise that the top three are out of the Meier's Lake checkpoint within a couple of miles of each other. Brent Sass was first to leave at just before 7pm, Nicolas Petit followed twenty eight minutes later. Even though Matt Hall was second into the checkpoint, he was third out nearly an hour later. 

While there is an hour difference between second and third, Hall has the most rest banked out of the top three. He is running as fast as the top two and only needs two more hours of mandatory rest. Petit needs two and half hours, and Sass three.

The chase pack is starting to leave the checkpoint now, with Hedda Mosleth leading that charge. Hedda is running a team from Dallas' Seavey's kennel, and it does not appear that she is running conservatively. She's keeping up "with the big boys" and may play a spoiler. 

Five teams have scratched on the run between Lake Louise and Meier's Lake. Trail reports from those that made the difficult decision to scratch said that the deep snow and "moose tracks" created conditions that gave many teams minor injuries - causing mushers to either run the second half of the race with a small team, or call it a day. All teams report no major injuries, but they want to keep it that way.

Moose tracks in deep snow can cause a problem for dogs as the holes the moose make in the trail are much deeper than the dogs can step in causing falls and pulled muscles. This type of post holing is not just physically dangerous it's also mentally demanding of the dogs and at the end of the day if they dogs aren't loving it - you're in it for the wrong reasons.

The five teams who've scratched so far are:
Jeff Deeter
Cody Strathe
Vickie Justice
Riley Dyche
Richie Beattie

Not every team that's scratched has "checked in" with followers to give their exact reasons, but the top teams that pulled out earlier have.

With just over 100 miles left to go for the frontrunners, do not expect a winner until late morning (at the earliest) finish on Monday. As stated, they still have three to four hours of rest they have to take on top of keeping up top speeds to make a morning finish even possible - it's more likely afternoon or evening on Monday for teams to show up back in Glen Allen. We'll have a better picture come Monday morning.

"Not a wildcard anymore!" Eddie Burke wins Knik 200

At about 11:15am Alaska time, Eddie Burke Jr. was first to the finish line on Knik Lake to win the Knik 200. Considered a newcomer by many, Burke sticking with the lead teams and then taking the lead surprised mushing fans - but not his fans nor his kennel. 

As he stopped the team and jumped off to celebrate with his team he yelled out to Kale Casey filming live at the finish that he was no longer a wildcard. The musher gave pets to all of the dogs and a big bear hug from his daughter before signing off the trail as the 2023 Champion.

Eddie is running a team out of Aaron Burmeister's Wildstyle Racing Kennel. Burke has been training under Burmeister's mentorship for about three years now and is looking to complete his first Iditarod in March. Brent Sass would finish several minutes behind him with a happy strong team.

As Brent spoke with Eddie after taking care of their teams. "I thought you were Nic, that's how much I know! I really thought you were Nic!"

So it isn't just trackers that are confused out there. 

Burke and Sass battling for first

Eddie Burke at the Iditarod Picnic.
June 25, 2022. Wasilla, Alaska

Nic Petit left out of the mandatory six hour layover in first early this morning, but by the time the front teams reached the Eagle Quest 2 Checkpoint Petit had given trail to Iditarod Champion Brent Sass. Burke, Petit, and Sass were the chase pack all of Saturday, so it's no surprise that coming off of time differentials they were able to leave ahead of front runners Hugh Neff and Michelle Phillips. 

Michelle Phillips and Hugh Neff left the chute Saturday morning burning on all cylinders, there wasn't a lot of brake riding on the lake and they tore up the trail on a mission. In a two hundred mile race that isn't a bad strategy, speed early doesn't always equal a bad thing (it's three hundred and above that being speedy doesn't always work). But, Neff was the second one out of the start, and Michelle was fourth, they had a longer time differential in the mandatory layover than some of the other teams (Burke is Bib 5, but held with the front runners). That gave Sass and Petit in the chase pack a small advantage as they didn't have quite the same layover.

Burke may come as a surprise to some, he's newer to the mushing game (as a musher) and is signed up as a rookie for Iditarod 51. Burke, though, has the privilege of not only learning from Aaron Burmeister, but he's running Burmeister's dog team. This is the same team that Burmeister's kennel partner Tony Browning will run in the Kusko 300 later this year, and Eddie will drive the team to Nome in the Iditarod. It's a brilliant combination that helps Eddie be right in the mix with the big guns.

Judging by the trackers at around 8:15am Sunday morning, Burke appears to be in the lead just about half a mile ahead of the reigning Iditarod champion. The trackers have been fickle for all of this race, most likely due to the cold teams have experienced all weekend, so we won't know for sure who's in the lead until they cross the finishline in about two and a half hours.

That's right, we're expecting a finish between 10:30am and 11am. Looking at times into Knik Lake last night plus speeds of the teams at the moment, the front runners have about two and a half hours left on the runners. This race is far from over, and no one has shot out ahead of everyone, so it's promising to be an exciting morning.

The red lantern is currently Kaiden Foster who is running dogs out of Nic Petit's kennel and is going at a very slow pace in comparison to the Kennel owner's style. We've had one scratch with Casey Ann Randall of Rock On Racing. No report yet on why she chose to end her race early, but I am sure Randall will give us a run down when the time is right.

Stay tuned, folks, it's another great day of racing ahead!

If you like what you see and want to support my addiction (I mean HOBBY) of following these races and stalking (I mean cheering on) the mushers, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that really goes to paying for my internet/web expenses).

Iditarod musher Jessie Holmes injured while helping in Golovin

Musher and reality tv star Jessie Holmes was in Golovin earlier this week to help with clean up efforts in the village of Golovin this week after the village went underwater by the remnants of Typhoon Merbok last week. Holmes, along with several other known mushers, were working in Golovin to clear up debris and restore homes damaged by the flooding.

Late yesterday news broke that the musher had been in an accident and had broken his wrist, injured his other arm, and -though he was able to stand and walk under his own power- was in a neck brace. Holmes was first flown to the hospital in Nome, the closest medical facility, before it was decided he needed to go to Anchorage for surgery which required a second medevac flight. 

Like many in Alaska, Jessie is without insurance. The musher will be required to foot most if not all of the bill and two medical flights isn't cheap. His friends set up a gofundme which has raised nearly twenty thousand dollars in less than 24 hours, and the amount keeps rising.

With Jessie were mushers Jeff Deeter, Richie Beattie, Aaron Burmeister, and reigning Iditarod champion Brent Sass. Golovin was a checkpoint of the Iditarod for many years before it was decided that it wasn't needed with the way the race has gotten faster so it is an "unofficial" checkpoint these days as teams pass through but there's not an official dog drop, bag drop, or vet team there. It's still near and dear to the mushers and fans of the race, however, and when news spread that Typhoon Merbok had done major damage along Western Alaska (a very rare occurrence) many started to check in with the villages they've learned so much about thanks to the race.

Thankfully no loss of life has been reported anywhere due to the storm surge, but there will be a long road ahead of Western Alaska as they rebuild. Shaktoolik lost their storm and sea barrier in the storm. Hooper Bay and Golovin are underwater. Nome's famed Front Street took a beating, and the famed Bering Sea Restaurant and Bar burned to the ground and caused damage to the historic Nugget Inn. Kotzebue and Bethel also saw flood damage.

Causing more concern than the physical damage is the destruction of many's food supply for winter. Subsistence is a way of life for Western Alaska and when the flood waters came and the power went out many lost whatever they had stored in their freezers. Fish, wild game, berries, all spoiled. The harvest season is nearly over and winter is headed fast toward the region. This isn't like going to the store after a hurricane sweeps in - there's no road system to get shelves stocked in these villages. Everything has to be barged or flown in and with the change of season means barges won't be an option for long.

The village of Golovin is very thankful for the help they've received and rallied around the injured musher last night sharing the gofundme on social media. 

To help out Western Alaska you can donate to the Alaska Community Foundation's Western Alaska Disaster Recovery Fund.

Wild and Free

Legend has it that Hobo Jim's song "Wild and Free" inspired a young man named Brent Sass to build a sled dog kennel and win the Yukon Quest. The kennel was going to be named after the song by Alaska's Balladeer.

That young man did build his kennel, and did win the Quest (several). But he didn't stop there. Soon after setting his sights on the Quest, he turned his attention to the "more Hollywood" race of Iditarod. His rookie year he was 13th.

Sass would have a somewhat infamous Iditarod career soon after. In 2015 he was disqualified for having a two-way communication device, which at the time was against the rules. It was a wifi capable ipod and fans and other mushers alike disagreed with the ruling but the musher graciously accepted the decision and vowed to come back strong the next year.

In 2016 Sass was poised to take a top placement when in White Mountain his team stopped on him. He had pushed them too far and even after 8 hours of rest they didnt budge. He finally coaxed them to Nome, winding up 20th, but he was met with harsh criticism for how his race ended.

Faced with the humiliation of having done what no musher worth their salt ever wants to do, Brent vowed to do better. The musher from Eureka, Alaska stopped racing. He took the time off to rebuild his kennel and mindset. He got back to just mushing for the fun of it while developing a healthier training program.

He returned to racing three years later running the Quest and winning in 2019. He returned the following year to the Iditarod where he finished 4th after winning the Quest the month prior. In 2021 he came in 3rd for the Iditarod. It seemed the wake up call of 2016 worked.

And worked it has. Brent has completed what many call a magic run. Early in the race he told Insider that his team was scary fast. Faster than he had planned to go, but they were staying on their schedule. When pressed about the competition of faster teams behind him he pointed to his arm where the words "run your own race" are tattooed.

Brent's magic run was still hard fought, though. The 50th Iditarod was going to make him earn it. In his run from White Mountain the 20mph winds from the North turned into 40-60mph gusts as he came out of the hills and into the infamous "Blowhole". He stalled for at least 40 minutes just shy of a known shelter cabin as fans watched anxiously.

As Brent and team hunkered down, Dallas Seavey and his merry band of 8 still charged through the wind. They took a 22 mile gap down to 10 miles. Brent was again on the move but stopped again as wind raged around him. Race fans knew they had seen this before. The same section of trail blew Jeff King so off course he had to scratch just miles from his 5th Iditarod win in 2014. Dallas Seavey won that year. Was history repeating itself?

 Either the winds died down, or Brent's team proved to him they could do it because they started up and took off for the final checkpoint of Safety. From there the continued up over the final mountain, across the beach and up onto Front Street.

Brent's redemption story is complete. Sass now joins a very elite club of champions of both the Quest and Iditarod. As if winning one wasn't hard enough, it is very rare for a Quest champion to win the Iditarod. Brent is the latest champion to accomplish that feat and he did it with style and grit.

This team has truly been Wild and Free.

Iditarod 2022 Top Ten(ish)

Fifty years. Fifty years of changes; of challenges. Trails shortened; rerouted; growing increasingly faster. Faces coming, going... aging. Champions getting younger, getting older. From HAM radio reports to GPS trackers. One vet for an entire race to an entire team of them. Women going from being a talking point, to champions, to the favorites of every race. An entire lifestyle reborn. Fifty years is a legacy many sports only wish they had, and cannot be rivaled.

With all the talk of it being the historic 50th, a lot of teams have their sights set on the prize of top team in the world. From previous champions hoping to add to their collection of trophies (and one possibly hoping to break the record for most wins) to a grandson of the race founder hoping to finally bringing a championship to the family name. There's a lot at stake emotionally for the top teams of Iditarod 50. So let's take a look at the top... ten... ish, who very well may have the best chance.

Aaron Burmeister - He ran an incredible race in 2021, and had there been just a hair more trail I'll argue to my dying day that Burmeister would be the Iditarod champion of 2021. Aaron has said in interviews this is likely his final Iditarod, his children are getting older and he wants to devote more time to their passions with his support, plus business outside of dogs has been busy. Aaron's goal has always been to bring the Iditarod Champion title to his hometown of Nome, and this could be his last chance. He's hungry to beat the rest of the field (and I suspect very much so Dallas Seavey). It will be exciting to see how Aaron takes on the 50th. 

Brent Sass - The multi-time Yukon Quest Champion is having a banner year in the mid-distance races. He won the Copper Basin, as well as both the Alaska side Yukon Quest and the Canadian side. Brent should be right at the front of the pack as they charge down the final leg of this year's Iditarod. He's on the upswing and with the Quest not being a thousand mile race this year, his team should be a little more rested this go around. Look for Brent to start and finish strong. 

Dallas Seavey - You either hear "We are the Champions" or you hear "The Imperial March" when you read or hear Dallas Seavey's name. He's the hero and the villain to many. But the now FIVE TIME Iditarod Champion is on the cusp of making history yet again as he runs for a possible sixth title. If Dallas accomplishes another win in Nome, he will break the very long standing record by Rick Swenson for most wins. Though the win is what Dallas has in mind, he often says he doesn't really focus on any records (do we believe him?). It was said that tying Swenson's five would never be done - six is unheard of. The pressure is on, whether he admits it or not.

Joar Leifseth Ulsom - The 2018 Iditarod champion has never finished out of the top ten, and don't expect him to now. The new dad has trained and raced all season building his Iditarod team and has a strong set of dogs in front of him. Ulsom will probably keep to the traditional race schedule we're used to seeing from the top teams as he "builds the monster" and will pick off teams as he goes down the Yukon and up the Coast. 

Michelle Phillips - Phillips is coming off of a well fought second place finish in the Canadian Yukon Quest last week. The Canadian musher has made her mark in the sport over the last few years and is in the running for top female musher in this year's race. Michelle nearly cracked the top ten last year and with several of last year's top ten out of this year's race she should have no problem making that next step. Don't count her out. 

Mille Porsild - While Michelle is fighting to become top woman, Mille Porsild will be fighting to keep it. The new to Iditarod but not mushing or racing musher will have everyone watching as she again races to improve on her last Iditarod. She jumped 10 places last year improving from her 15th place rookie finish to 5th place... so, she isn't just in the running for top rookie. Mille will give all of the teams a run for their money. Do not be surprised if she takes down all of the established favorites this year.

Mitch Seavey - The three-time Iditarod Champion is back after a short hiatus from the race. Mitch sat the 2021 season out and allowed son Dallas to create a hybrid team out of both Seavey kennels. It definitely had the fandom talking about a possible retirement in the musher's future, but that's not the case... at least not yet. Mitch watched his father help Joe Redington work to create the Iditarod, and helped his dad train for the first race. He'd always known he would run the Iditarod with the hopes of one day winning it. He's managed it three times, watched his son win five (once from the sidelines!), and is still more than capable of winning his fourth. Mitch hasn't finished out of the top ten in decades (well, we won't count the severed finger withdrawl of 2011) and came second in his last Iditarod.

Nicolas Petit - Nic hasn't run as many races as he has in seasons past. Some for choice, some because of trucks not wanting to run in the cold. Petit's name was shockingly missing from the winner's finishes this season, and one has to wonder if the King of Mid-Distance's reign is coming to an end. Or, is he taking notes from the others' books and he is focusing more on the Iditarod and his chances to come down Front Street first? Time will tell, but I'm not willing to leave him off the list just yet. Expect to see Petit's classic get out ahead early approach again this year.

*Nic Petit had to WD from the race due to testing positive for Covid. Jeff King will run in his place.

Peter Kaiser - Kaiser's Iditarod ended prematurely last year when his dogs ended up with an illness (as many did in 2021), but they've bounced back this season. Pete has dominated in the mid-distance races taking place this season around Bethel - including regaining his Champion title in the Kusko 300. As long as his team can handle the insanely warm weather of South Central in the first few days of the race, Kaiser's team should be right in the mix for top spots. It truly is only a matter of time before Pete gets his second Iditarod title (and what a story that would be). Kaiser- and really all of the "village teams" are a reminder of Redington Sr.'s true goal for the Iditarod - to keep the mushing lifestyle alive and well in Alaskan villages. Peter Kaiser is one in a long line of those teams and an extremely successful one.

Ryan Redington - Speaking of Joe Redington Sr., his grandson Ryan is running the 50th Iditarod calling it "Redington's Run" (a name with double meaning after Hobo Jim's passing late last year - who penned a song with that title after Redington Sr. passed in 2001). Like Nicolas Petit (and mushers like Martin Buser before them), Redington likes to start fast and push for most of the race, he's deviated from that slightly this season when he pulled the plug early on his race in the John Beargrease. Redington's sole focus this season has been in preparing for the Iditarod. He wants so badly to finally bring a championship to the family name that started it all. That's a lot of pressure for any musher, and time will tell how Ryan handles it.

Travis Beals - Okay, I called this a top ten, but I have eleven names. I can't help myself. There are several names on this list that could probably come off, but I've already done that and you'll see the honorable mentions below. I joke every year that I need to have a top fifteen or a top twenty, that's just proof that mushing has so many strong kennels right now, it's great to see. But, I digrees. Beals is another steady team that is hard not to bet on. Travis has an outside chance of taking the top prize, but that's all it takes - especially in these last few years that strange weather played a huge part in who finished and who didn't. Expect Travis to build a monster of his own - they've certainly proven to be made of tough stuff this season.

And like I said - the honorable mentions. I could have put these names in the "top ten" but I already cheated and snuck an extra name in there. Still, these teams have a really great chance of being top ten.

Jeff Deeter - With all of the snow storms in the interior this year, Deeter's training and race schedule got very skewed. Every time they turned around they were having to dig out their kennel and house. That can possibly affect Jeff's race to Nome, but I expect him to still challenge for the top ten. He's an up and coming team that I expect will be a well known name before too long. He could play a spoiler this year even with all of the issues his winter has given him.

Matt Hall - Matt gave a good chase for Brent Sass in the Alaskan Yukon Quest this year, and should give him and the others just as much fun in the Iditarod. Matt can easily find himself in the top ten if he plays his cards right (see what I did there). The Smokin' Aces dogs are on the right track to take control of the race. 

Matthew Failor - How can anyone leave Failor off of their list - even if just an honorable mention - the man ran last year's Iditarod right before going in for hip replacement surgery. WHAT?! He managed a 21st place finish last year after having to scratch in 2020 when he along with two other teams got stuck in the overflow (just ahead of the famed Elim 11). Don't expect Matthew to sit back and take it easy this year (that was last year's strategy). 

Richie Diehl - I hate leaving him off the list but I already cheated with one of the teams make it a top 11. Richie is another "village musher" who has proven himself and his team. He came in 9th last year and could easily be that or higher this year. Diehl has also had a good race season on the West Coast of Alaska and that could come into handy once he hits the coast.

As always, it's difficult to stick to the 10 and only 10 names. There are so many fantastic teams on the roster year in and year out that it's difficult to not want them all to be crammed into those spots. More and more the passing of the torch seems to have happened - I mean, we don't have Jeff King in this year's race... no Lance Mackey... no Aliy Zirkle. Still, the 50th running of Iditarod is certain to be a memorable one as we watch it play out. Good luck to all 49 teams set to run the race this coming weekend. May the trail be safe and swift, the dogs and mushers all stay healthy... and may they all reach Nome and that burled arch.

Have a favorite team you're hoping to see take the prize? Who are in your top ten(ish)? Comment below with your thoughts and cheers! And, if you like what you see and want to see this blog continue, you can buy me a slice of pizza (that actually goes to internet costs)!

Top 13 teams have finished

The 49th running of the running has had a third of its teams (that have not scratched or been withdrawn) finish today. Starting with Dallas Seavey's finish around 5am this morning, the day saw 12 teams behind the five-time champion. Dallas was able to meet his closest competitor in the race - Aaron Burmeister - to the finish before finally succumbing to his exhaustion (his parents drove him home). We probably won't hear from the champion for at least another 16 hours. If then.

Aaron Burmeister gave a very good post race interview where he cited that he had worked out to plans for Iditarod in the months leading up to the race. He had a "passive" race plan and an "aggressive" race plan. He chose the former, and ironically the latter was the exact schedule that Dallas had come up with. The veteran musher was jovial and excited to know he stuck it out with Dallas to the very end. He's also apparently announced that next year will be his final Iditarod (we've heard that before, though, Aaron). 

Brent Sass followed a little over an hour later with a strong team of 13 Alaskan Huskies that looked like they could keep going. Iditarod Insider's Bruce Lee said that in a normal race year Sass would've won with the team in this year's finish. It's definitely possible. That being said, both Burmeister and Seavey would've had different strategy if this was a normal year.

In a hard fought battle, Wade Marrs was able to keep Mille Porsild behind him to place fourth. Marrs came in 4th one other time - in 2016... the last time Dallas won the Iditarod before, well, this year... interesting - and came in wearing a sweatshirt, not his parka. Wade explained for at least the last 15 miles he was running with the sled to make sure Mille did not over take them. Wade was greeted at the finish by his wife Sophia and their baby boy (awww).

Mille Porsild rounds out the top five with an impressive finish. Her team is a mixture of many borrowed dogs from several kennels and she managed to bring them into the finish as a cohesive unit. Mille told Insider that when she started the race she believed her team to be a power team but then they decided to be a speed team (or did I get that backwards). She said the team amazed her and they are superstars. When asked what she would have done differently she said she would have slept more. (Same, Mille, same.)

Nicolas Petit flew down the trail in the last leg of the race picking off teams one by one and nearly caught up with Mille and Wade. Petit's team was another that did not seem ready to stop, even after gorging themselves on prime cuts of steak. (For real these Iditarod dogs eat better than I ever will.) According to his interview with the media Mille said there was no one she didn't want right behind her more than Petit and that she was constantly looking for her shoulder, Petit responded: "She wasn't just looking, I saw her footsteps." The sixth place for Team Petit is a welcome placement after several years of disappointing finishes and scratches.

Coming in with the smallest team so far, Ryan Redington improved his standings by one placement coming in 7th this year. Redington's in a rebuilding stage for his kennel after some professional and personal setbacks, so a top ten finish is a very good placement. Redington told the media that he spent the last several days already planning what to do better for next year as he looks forward to running the 50th. He enjoyed running with friends Nic Petit and Wade Marrs, and it was pretty cool to finish in Willow. 

Joar Liefseth Ulsom - the 2018 Iditarod Champion - was next in in another close finish for 8th. Joar was all smiles as he was greeted by his wife and they had quite a few moments for the camera to capture (ah, newlyweds). Joar's dogs did really well in the final leg, especially to keep Richie Diehl behind them. In a new race that was difficult to gauge ahead of time what would work, Joar was very happy with how things turned out.

Ten minutes after Joar, the 2021 Kuskokwim Champion Richie Diehl made his way to the finishline. The musher from Aniak said that he had hopes of catching Joar near Yentna, but it just didn't happen. He said he expected to run the first half of the race like he would in a normal year and hoped it would pay off. He said it did pay off but that this year was "hell of a fast race". He still managed to finish 9th in a highly competitive field where his best friend and rival Peter Kaiser had to end his race early. With some sleep Richie may be able to appreciate the accomplishment a little more. (He was very proud of his team.) 

Rounding out the top ten was Ramey Smyth. Long time race fans were hardly shocked to see Ramey come charging down the trail and pick off at least a dozen teams to make 10th place. Smyth is known for his strong closing runs. If Ramey's behind you (especially seemingly out of nowhere) worry. The veteran musher had few words instead telling the interviewer asking if he learned anything in the race to "keep it on the trail." And with that he was headed with his team to load up and go home. It was great to see him make another top 10. 

Just outside the top ten was Michelle Phillips. The 51 year old Canadian musher held onto 10th for much of the race only to have it lost in the last leg. Still she was all smiles as she was met at the finish by family and friends including fellow musher Jodi Bailey (whose husband is still out on the trail) who immediately threw a boa around Michelle's neck as is their tradition. She didn't give much of an interview either, instead choosing to focus on her dogs and make sure they knew just what a great job they did and make sure they got all the best snacks (including fatty snacks!) 

Jeff Deeter held off Jessie Royer to come in 12th place after a harrowing night dealing with a moose who would not give up the trail. (Okay he didn't make a big deal about it, but moose on Iditarod Trails don't always end well.) Jeff told insider that he enjoyed the going back through the Alaska Range and stated that running up the gorge was "so cool." During his interview he looked over to Race Marshall Mark Nordman saying that he wanted to do that again and that he was putting in a vote to do it again. Nordman gave a very hesitant "uhhhh" to which Deeter said "for like every 10 years." Mark then said that was fine because he wouldn't be around for the next one (what?! no!) While Deeter was hoping for top 10 this year, he is very happy with 12 as the race was a very fast and competitive one.

Jessie Royer came in soon after in 13th and was greeted by Jeff Deeter. The veteran musher was very animated and happy with finishing. She said she really enjoyed running back up the gorge saying that it was actually a really beautiful trail when you aren't having to hang on for dear life. "Going up the gorge it's like 'oh wow, this is actually kinda nice, oh look a squirrel!'... going down it though you're like 'AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!'" While fans may worry this seems like a step back for Jessie, it's just another race she'll use to build an even better team for next year. She was very excited about the dogs in front of her and I'd say watch out for them next year.

Several teams are on the trail headed into Deshka Landing tonight, but if today's finishes are any indication, the runs will be slow and we may not see another finish until midnight (or really really really late tonight, depending on how fast Aaron Peck can go the next 22 miles). There are 23 teams out on the trail, most have made it to Rohn with just three not yet in that checkpoint. We should see a close to the 49th Iditarod by Thursday. 

Seavey maintains hour lead over Burmeister

Dallas Seavey and his 10 dog team surged into the checkpoint of Skwentna at 12:44pm today looking like they were ready to continue down the trail without stopping. However, due to Skwentna being the checkpoint all teams will take their final mandatory 8 hour layover and dogs charged over into the dog parking space and immediately got to work getting into rest mode. Several dogs laid down and excitedly started pulling at their booties (think of it as like those of us that have to wear bras taking our bra off immediately after work, it's just ahhhh). Dallas went to work getting the dog food repaired and straw laid down for the dogs. 

Aaron Burmeister and his team of 13 marched into the checkpoint an hour later with an official time of 1:45pm. Aaron has made up a lot of ground since McGrath, but he's quickly run out of real estate. The veteran musher running his 20th Iditarod this year made his move last night knowing he would have to make a monster run from Rainy Pass to Skwentna if he had any chance of challenging Dallas. With having an hour between the two suggests he will need a major wind and snow storm ala 2014 to blow up Dallas's lead. It's not impossible, but it's also not probable (thank you Capt Jack). 

It also looks like Brent Sass is now trying to preserve his placement as third. Maybe he's hoping Aaron pushed too hard and won't have any gas left in the tank and can be over taken, but it seems like with the time gaps between the top three, we're pretty set for placements. Brent came in an hour and fifty-five minutes behind Aaron Burmeister, checking in at 3:40pm. 

The mileage from Skwentna seems to be debatable. Some are saying 67 miles, others say 61. There is a steady snow falling in Skwentna and much of the area is supposed to get snow through much of the night. This may play a small factor, but it should not play a huge role in who ends up where.

The top three can leave Skwentna at the following times:

Dallas Seavey can leave at 8:44pm
Aaron Burmeister can leave at 9:45pm
Brent Sass can leave at 11:40pm

Then it's 60-70 miles to Deshka Landing and the finish line.

If Dallas manages to win this will be his fifth title. He will be the first musher to tie Rick Swenson's record of 5-wins. Dallas acknowledged today that the fifth win is elusive telling Iditarod Insider "the damn thing is cursed." Dallas went onto say his biggest worry in Skwentna is that he will fall asleep and take the wrong river on the home stretch. Which is possible. We've seen it happen in other races. But it will be a big mistake like that to allow Aaron a chance to overtake Dallas and his Monsters.

Predicted finish:
Bruce Lee told insider between 2am-3am
Danny Seavey 4:50am
Me: Heck if I know but I'd say about 3:30am.

Oh and to make it a little more fun and maybe more "real" Pete Kaiser's website has a recording of the Nome Siren you can play when the team is two miles out. The siren is played for every team that comes into the finish (unless it's after the top... 30? then it's only those during waking hours bc noise ordinance can only be ignored for so long).