Jj Doc Richard's World Record Sets Off Woofing

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - In this corner, JJ Doc Richard, the reigning king of greyhound racing, with a 37-race winning streak.

And in this corner, Pat C Rendezvous, the dethroned champ who held the previous world record of 36 victories in a row.

Yes, the usually obscure world of greyhound racing is starting to take on a boxing-like tone. Challenges issued. Challenges rebuffed. Both sides trying to make, well, doggie points for their canine.

Off the track, JJ Doc Richard and Pat C Rendezvous sound like they would get along just fine. Both have a definite sweet tooth - the Doctor woofs down birthday cake and vanilla wafers, Pat C craves marshmallows - and both revel in the adulation of their fans.

But it doesn't look like they'll be getting together any time soon. Too bad, because that would be quite a prerace stare-down.

Pat C, known as Rhonda to close friends, is willing to race Doc Richard any time, any place, any length, her spokespeople say. They think the Doctor, a specialist at 5/16 of a mile, built his mark against inferior competition at Mobile Greyhound Park, a financially struggling track on the Alabama coast.

(Pat C, by the way, was unavailable for comment).

"A lot of us are skeptical about the way it was run," said Pat C trainer Jay Rangel, defending the honor of the pooch who set the record last year running 3/8 of a mile at Palm Beach Kennel Club in south Florida.

"Shoot, that dog (Doc Richard) never met up with the other real good dog there. Shoot, when Rhonda was on her streak here, she ran against the best night in and night out. People put dogs in there trying to beat her."

Those might sound like fighting words, but Doc Richard isn't ready to put his championship collar on the line any time soon. He's swaggering around the kennel, knowing he can pick and choose his competition.

"Pat C Rendezvous is the ex-champion, we are the reigning champion," said Jack Boyd, the Doctor's owner. "Until we lose a race, we're not interested in running a two-dog race. That wouldn't prove anything.

"I would like to extend the record as far as possible to make it more difficult for someone to break."

Pat C's supporters find that concept particularly galling, because their dog's winning streak was broken in an invitational race against top-level competition. "We could have done the same thing here and she would have gone on winning forever," Rangel insisted.