PROFILE: R.E. “Bob” Thomas was born February 24, 1917. He began working in the greyhound business for his uncle, F.L.Brunts in 1934 and retired in 1989 when he sold his farm in Abilene, KS and kennels at Derby Lane in Dt. Petersburg, FL and Southland in West Memphis, AR.

HISTORY: Thomas won his first stake race with SADDER in 1956 and since has won countless derbies, kennel championships and raced a number of All-Americans. However, he says the most important event in his life in this business was visiting the concession stand at West Palm Beach in 1951. There he met his future wife, Clara. They worked as a team, raising, training and racing greyhounds. The R.E. Thomas Kennel raced at St. Pete for 36 years, at Southland for 27 years and ran for 20 years at Wonderland.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Thomas’s best greyhound was All-America LUCKY BANNON. In 1962 LUCKY BANNON won 18 races in 22 starts, setting the Arkansas Course record twice. He won the Taunton Derby, ran second in the Wonderland Derby and received the second highest number of votes for All-America honors that year. Some of Thomas’s other greats include ROSETTA ROSE, Derby Land Distance champ, MAX DELANEY, 1971 All-American who set the Southland all time win record, 26, CAPE CAPRI, who won back-to-back Derby Lane season championships, T HEE, St. Pete Derby champ, SOLLY ORIO, St. Pete Derby champ and Southland Countdown winner, KECHI KID, MILO TATE, GRANT TOWNSHIP, KATY VAL, Southland Distance Classic champ and show finisher in the Southland Guys and Dolls, MAC LEROY, winner of three stake races at St. Pete, and VANESSA RAVEN, finalist in the Derby Lane Sprint Championship and runner-up in the Southland Guys and Dolls. His female line is one of the best in the country with many going back to LAHOMA JUDY, VALORETTA, TIKLA and more recently LUSTRE VAL. Thomas also found time to work toward the betterment of greyhound racing serving as a Committeeman for the National Greyhound Association for many years. He was NGA vice-president in 1974 and 1975 and was elected president in 1978 and 1979. Bob and Clara were also selected as instructors for the American Greyhound Council’s first Trainer’s Apprentice School.