Yukon Quest gets started under ideal conditions

WHITEHORSE, Yukon — After 252 dogs and 21 mushers left the start line of the Yukon Quest here Saturday, the field began stringing out as the lead racers headed for the first checkpoint of Braeburn, some 100 miles down the trail.

As the sun set on a bluebird day of racing, four top contenders had moved to the front of the field, with 2015 champion Brent Sass of Eureka leading Paige Drobny of Fairbanks, with two-time champion Allen Moore of Two Rivers and defending champion Hugh Neff of Tok close behind.

The dog teams quickly left behind the crowd assembled along the Yukon River to see them off, running under cloudless skies and through temperatures that were rising rapidly as the sun rose and could be felt radiating heat.

Organizers of a Yukon Quest described this as a "festival start" this year. But it's not just for show, like the ceremonial start for the Iditarod in Anchorage. Although there was a ceremony to announce the beginning of the race, the race clock is ticking from the time the first team departs.

With temperatures ranging from about 10 below at night to 10 above at midday, the weather was ideal for sled dog racing.

Petit jumps to lead in Willow 300

A pack of seven mushers were within about three hours of each other Saturday in the new Willow 300 sled dog race.

Front-runner Nicholas Petit of Girdwood led the leaders out of Talvista Lodge at 11:43 a.m., with Travis Beals less than an hour behind.

Also in the lead group is Bethel's Peter Kaiser, who won the world's premier middle-distance race, the Kuskokwim 300, two weeks ago. He was running about an hour behind Beals. Brenda Mackey, Rick Casillo, Emily Maxwell and Scott Smith were also in the lead group.

Thirty-two racers began the middle-distance race on Friday.