DD’s Nelson

DD’s Nelson was arguably the greatest greyhound to ever race at Wheeling Downs and shined on the National stage as well during his racing career, earning All-World Team and All-American Team honors along the way. His story is not only one of prestigious honors, but one of defying the odds with pure talent.

DD’s Nelson was whelped on December 19, 1983.  He showed talent from the start of his racing career, finishing third in the Great Greyhound Race in 1986 and capturing the track win championship at Wheeling that same year, winning eleven straight at one point along the way. However, while competing in the $150,000 Flagler International Classic in September of 1986, he suffered a devastating injury, fracturing four bones in his hock.  His racing career seemed all but over, but through a medical miracle and the heart of a champion, Nelson returned to the track in early 1997 and captured three major stake wins at three different tracks, earning national honors.

He won the $50,000 Stroh’s All-American Invitational at Mile High just eight months after sustaining the injury beating the likes of Ben G Speedboat, Say You and Frontier Outlaw.  He would also win the $50,000 New Hampshire Sweepstakes at Hinsdale and the $60,000 Wheeling Countdown Stakes.  Nelson was named to the All-American and All-World teams in 1987 and also finished 2nd in the $60,000 Wheeling Challenge Invitational and the Great Greyhound Race Consolation that same year.

He would go on to run in many more stakes in 1988, including the $100,000 Mountaineer Classic at Tri-State, the 1988 version of the Stroh’s Invitational at Mile High, and the 1988 Commissioner’s Challenge at Tri-State. DD’s Nelson’s career statistics at eight different tracks were mind boggling. He had a 79% trifecta finish and a 50% win percentage in 192 lifetime starts. At Wheeling alone, he hit the trifecta in 85% of his races and won 59% of his trips.

While his stellar racing career is the primary reason he was inducted, he also had a brief sire career, producing 233 pups, including JC’s Storm Cloud, a track win leader and record holder at Dairyland.

DD’s Nelson retired in 1988 with 96 career wins, placing him 23rd on the all-time national win list.