Aliy Takes Chase!

Aliy has taken chase after Buser, who now sits in Anvik eating the prized 7 course meal and claiming the "after dinner mint" of $3,000 in crisp $1 dollar bills. I'm glad to see this prize make it back into the race.....last year the Millenium Hotel cheaped out and didn't offer it! Ok...back to the race....Aliy rested on the trail to Shagaluk.....so as Mitch and Burmeister blew past her, they stopped in Shagaluk to rest up a bit before heading over to Anvik. Aliy is in second now....but Im sure the rest of the pack will be taking chase shortly. Aliy has smaller dogs, many are females. King and Seavey run large dogs (incidentally all male dogs) which do better on good hard trails. Buser use to run bigger dogs too, but this year went back to smaller framed dogs, half of which are females. He said this is the type of team he won 4 Iditarods with....and making the choice to go back to the smaller dogs has paid off with this trail which hasn't always been hard packed. As King slowed, the Aliy and Buser Teams excelled with fleet footed team members. Busers strategy of the monster run to Rohn may just work....but we are only about half way now....lots of time to have even a Kaiser or Dallas to come from behind. It is reported that Dallas did have a lighter sled shipped to Anvik which he will use for the rest of the race.....so his strategy is to step on the gas in this second half of the race. Baker, Ramey and Dallas all seem to do this very well. Keep your eye on them this weekend as the Race up the Yukon begins!!!