Yellowknife (Mar 24/06) - Mushers are straining at their harnesses, ready to test themselves and their dogs in the 51st annual championship dog derby.

Canadian Championship Dog Derby 1st - $11,000 2nd - $8,000 3rd - $6,000 4th - $4,000 5th - $3,000 6th - $1,800 7th - $1,300 8th - $1,100 9th - $900 10th- $800 Special Prizes Top Rookie: $750 Best NWT rookie of year: $750 Sportsmanship: $375 Best effort by Yellowknife team: $600 Farthest away team: $450 Best cared-for dogteam: $450 Best Yellowknife team: Yellowknifer knife, worth about $450 Best handler: $250 Red Lantern: $250 Racers confirmed for dog derby Brent Beck - Yellowknife Grant Beck - Yellowknife John Beck - Yellowknife Richard Beck - Yellowknife Lloyd Gilbertson -- Chatham Michigan Trevor Lizotte - Yellowknife Oggie Pelov - Quinan, Nova Scotia Sam Perrino - Yellowknife Jean Smith - Logan Lake, B.C.

Now known as the Diavik 150, the three-day event had nine racers confirmed at press time, ready for today’s 1 p.m. mass start on Frame Lake.

They’ll race on a new 50-mile track that keeps the teams in full public view as they battle for cash from a prize pool totalling $50,000. Race favourite John Beck said the warm weather shouldn’t be a problem.

“I always wax my sled, no matter what the weather conditions,” said John Beck.

He has won the derby twice since 2002, covering the 150 mile distance in a best time of 11 hours, 54 seconds. s

Beck and Fort Nelson, B.C. musher Buddy Streeper have traditionally led the pack over the past four years.

Streeper is not registered for the 2006 derby, but that doesn’t mean that Beck is over confident about winning.

“I’m just going to go out there, and do what I always have done,” he said. “I take the race one day at a time, and do my best.

“There is usually good competition at the derby, a lot of good mushers come out to the event.”

Beck said he doesn’t expect the wet, heavier snow will feel different to the dogs, but shouldn’t cause any problems for racing.

Mushers Grant Beck designed the trail that starts on Frame Lake as usual, but loops over Back Bay and Yellowknife Bay past Ndilo and Dettah.

With warm weather melting snow around the city, mushers might have to take special precautions during the race.

Racers can use either a racing sled, or traditional toboggan for the competition.

Each musher will be allowed to use a combined pool of 12 dogs in the race, but a daily limit has been set at 10 canines per sled.

“The race starts at 1 o’clock each day,” said race co-ordinator James Pugsley.

The musher that finishes first on each stage will win $1,000.

Caribou Carnival representative John Dalton said that the strong dog competition is still happening at the snow stage on Saturday.