From Kyle Hopkins in Anchorage --

Check adn.com today for news from reporter Rindi White at the Willow re-start and pictures from Bill Roth. Photographer Bob Hallinen and I are getting ready to hit the trail tomorrow morning.

Meantime, here's the first of what I'm hoping will be a series of micro-profiles of mushers' dogs here on the blog:

Meet 'Devilfish,' a 6- or 7-year-old on Chatanika musher Dan Kaduce's team. The name comes from a top poker player.

"He's Mr. Friendly, Mr. Outgoing, Mr. Pig," Kaduce said.

2010 Iditarod ceremonial start from Marc Lester on Vimeo.

From Mike Campbell in Anchorage --

Rick Swenson is racing mostly veteran dogs, 5-6 years old, in their first distance race of the year. Still, he said, "They’ve been through this before."

Noticeably slimmed down, Swenson said he's feeling much better after hip-replacement surgery.

"He weighs about one dog less than he used to be," said Swenson’s partner, Kelly Williams.

As for race strategy, the Iditarod has changed, Swenson said. "You’ve got to stay within a few hours of the frontrunners, or you’re not going to be there at the end. Like last year when Lance and Sebastian took off."

The unadvertised perk of being an Idta-rider: All the snacks you can eat.

"People were giving us cookies and hot dogs and bloody marys," said Bob Smith of Virginia, who road the 11 miles from 4th Avenue to Campbell Airstrip today in the sled of Two Rivers musher Tom Lesatz.

Bloody marys?

"It ended up in the snow, most of it," Smith said.

Here's how his sled looked after the run:

(Lesatz says those green cushions come from a 1970s travel trailer.)

From the state Division of Motor Vehicles today:

(Anchorage) – The Department of Administration, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), is pleased to offer a new license plate to those who have shown the dedication, spirit, and exemplary athletic ability to complete the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Finishers of the Iditarod will be able to purchase these exclusive plates for $50 through any DMV office. These plates will only be available for placement on vehicles registered in Alaska.

Here's how much each of the top 30 finishers will win under this year's shrinking Iditarod purse.

From Kyle Hopkins in Anchorage --

Those inescapable Sarah Palin ads for the Iditarod's subscription Web site were filmed just last Sunday, with Palin volunteering her time, Iditarod director Stan Hooley said today.

“We asked her if she would consider developing a promotional piece for us that we could use to drive our Web site subscriptions and she agreed to do it," Hooley said.

...

And here's Schnuelle. He talks about the bet -- which sounds a little tentative -- at the end of the clip. He also says he plans to take a break from the Iditarod after this year:

From Kyle Hopkins in Anchorage --

Around the time musher and breast cancer survivor DeeDee Jonrowe reaches the village of Koyuk along the bitter Bering Sea coast in this month's Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, her 81-year-old mother will face a battle of her own.

Jonrowe and her family learned within the past week that DeeDee’s mom, Peg Stout, has breast cancer. Doctors have scheduled a double-mastectomy for March 15 or earlier, Jonrowe said today.

“I was hoping that I wouldn’t have to revisit it so up-close and personal, so quickly,” said Jonrowe, who had a double-mastectomy of her own after her cancer diagnosis in 2002. “But the one thing is, it made sense out of me going through it, because now I can help mom."

A fund-raiser and spokeswoman for cancer awareness, Jonrowe still plans to run the Iditarod. She twice placed second in the race, and ranks among the most popular mushers along with fellow cancer survivor and reigning champion Lance Mackey. The race begins with a ceremonial start on Saturday in Anchorage.

“Hopefully I can do well enough that I can give mom something to look forward to every day, besides another medical procedure," she said.

Like her daughter, Peg Stout has beaten cancer before -- when Jonrowe was an Iditarod rookie 30 years ago this month.

“That was uterine cancer,” she said. “I saw her off on 4th Avenue and was in the hospital for a few days," Stout said.

Peg Stout said the family officially learned of her breast cancer diagnosis days ago. They decided DeeDee would still compete while her younger sister, Linda, would help out with mom and dad.

Jonrowe's father is former East Anchorage Assemblyman Ken Stout. Peg is a retired Anchorage school librarian and, Jonrowe said, a 30-year Iditarod volunteer.

“I think it’s easier on me than it is for them," Peg said. "Because they feel, they feel kind of helpless. And I do too, but I know how I feel … and right now, of course, I feel OK."

Stout is expected to begin chemotherapy and then radiation treatment after Jonrowe, 56, returns from the Iditarod.

“The thought that she’s got to go through what, at 48, was hard for me to do, at 81? It’s hard for me to be away from her,” Jonrowe said.

E-mail reporter Kyle Hopkins at khopkins@adn.com, and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/iditarodlive.

DeeDee Jonrowe gives a team member a rub-down before they departed the Rainy Pass Iditarod checkpoint on March 9, 2009. (Marc Lester / Anchorage Daily News)

This year’s Iditarod purse is about $561,000, down roughly $52,000 from 2009, race officials said Wednesday. The money goes to the top 30 mushers, though the rest of the finishers are projected to receive another $30,000, organizers said.

The winner will get about $50,000, compared to the $69,000 champion Lance Mackey won last year.

"The manner in which the monies are distributed (has) been to move some of it from the front end and redistribute through the middle positions," said Executive Director Stan Hooley.

From Kyle Hopkins in Anchorage --

Iditarod officials met with reporters today in Anchorage for an annual meeting to prepare media for the race. Among the topics during a question-and-answer session: Trail conditions, the declining race purse, the strong field of rookies -- and the new drug testing policy.

Iditarod Executive Director Stan Hooley said all mushers will be tested, not just front runners. They'll be tested at some point along the trail, though officials aren't saying exactly when or where.

Check out this exchange, between Hooley and Associated Press reporter Rachel D'Oro.

D'ORO: "Lance Mackey has publicly said several times he believes that this whole thing is being implemented to single him out and that there have been other competitors who have complained about his acknowledged use of marijuana on the trail.”

From Kyle Hopkins in Wasilla --

Hundreds of dogs are arriving at Iditarod headquarters today for quick health exams in the final wind-up to Saturday's ceremonial start.

Last year, six dogs died. That includes two that were hypothermic and one from a healthy team that was apparently killed during a turbulent plane ride, chief veterinarian Stuart Nelson said today.

“It is the most since I’ve been the chief veterinarian, which is 15 years," he said.

As a result, race organizers have tightened entry requirements for rookies, he said. Mushers new to the Iditarod are now rated by veterinarians and race marshals in their qualifying races to see how well they cared for their dogs, Nelson said.

“It’s been something that I’ve wanted for quite a while, and now it’s taking place and I think a lot of that has to do with what happened last year," he said.

The info goes to the qualifying review board, which decides whether mushers need more race experience before competing in the Iditarod, Nelson said.

“We just want feedback. You know, any red flags, any concerns about this person. Are they going to get themselves in trouble out there or … did they do a good job of addressing all the trail issues that need to be mastered?"

Outside the vet trailer, Ontario rookie Hank DeBruin kneeled on the cold asphalt as a volunteer inspected one of his dogs front to back.

The team looks good, DeBruin said, with the exception of a heart murmur in a dog named Jester. The musher was on his way to talk to Nelson about the dog's condition.

"If there's any question at all, he won't run," DeBruin said.

Watch raw video of an interview with Nelson after the jump:

One of rookie Hank DeBruin's leaders, Maverick, gets his check-up today:

Yes, the name's from Top Gun. Also on his team: "Charlie" and "Jester." I wasn't clear on whether there's a "Goose."

Sebastian Schnuelle kneels down with his leaders after finishing second in the Iditarod in Nome on March 18, 2009. (Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News photo.)

From Kyle Hopkins in Anchorage --

Many of the top mushers in this year's race have learned how to run their dogs long distances on short rest -- expect a quick pace, says 2009 runner-up Sebastian Schnuelle.

The Whitehorse musher was in Paxson today for one last quiet afternoon before heading to Southcentral for vet checks and the mushers meeting later in the week.

"If the record is broken, I wouldn't be surprised at all," he said.

Weather permitting that is. Schnuelle had tentatively picked 15 of his 16 Iditarod dogs -- all males. The only toss-up was between a pair of females, Skunk and Saffron.

(Schnuelle bought Skunk from Lance Mackey. She gets her name from her markings, which are, you know, skunky. Schnuelle says she's the princess of the dog yard. "She's sleeping in my bed as we speak.")

But given the warm temperatures this year, Schnuelle is thinking of adding more females to the team. At 200 pounds, he's a big guy who likes to run with big dogs, but lighter females fare better at higher temps.

Generally the fast races come at colder temperatures, Schuelle said -- but witness this year's record-shattering Yukon Quest. That "wasn't a cold race at all," he said.

From Kyle Hopkins in Anchorage --

Nenana musher Aaron Burmeister grew up student of the sport in Nome and finished seventh in last year’s Iditarod. He’s the only top 10 finisher from 2009 sitting out this year’s race, and recently gave me a quick list – in his view – of the top 2010 contenders.

Here they are, in no particular order. What do you think?

-- John Baker, Kotzebue
Baker returns from a third-place finish in 2009 and won the Kuskokwim 300 earlier this year. His kennel finished first and second in the 2009 Kobuk 440, Burmeister said.

-- Lance Mackey, Fairbanks
Other mushers says the three-time defending champ remains “their biggest fear, their biggest contender.”
“He’s got the drive and focus and he’s proven himself,” Burmeister said. “He’s hungry. He wants to do it again.”

-- Jeff King, Denali
“(He) has made it known that this is his last competitive year in Iditarod and he wants to go home with the victory. And he’s shooting to be a five-time champion.”

-- Sebastian Schnuelle, Whitehorse
A major player in 2009, when he won the Quest and finished second in the Iditarod.

-- Martin Buser, Big Lake
“One thing about Martin Buser that history has always shown, is 2009 was an off year for Martin. Every time that Martin had a non-competitive Iditarod, he’s come back and won it the next year.”
(Buser finished 18th last year.)

-- Cim Smyth, Big Lake
Finished fifth in 2009.

-- Dallas Seavey, Seward
The son of Mitch Seavey, Dallas was 6th last year.
“Dallas right now has the goal of becoming the youngest musher to win the Iditarod. He’s 22 this year and he’s got three more iditarods to try to win it.”
Plus: The younger Seavey bought Burmeister’s finishing team from last year. “So he’s got a combined kennel right now that he worked with all season.”

-- Mitch Seavey, Seward
The 2004 winner was 4th last year.

-- Hans Gatt, Whitehorse
Gatt is fresh off a record-breaking Yukon Quest win last month.

Iditarod Executive Director Stan Hooley sent this message to Iditarod staff, board members and volunteers yesterday, according to a race spokesman:

Dear Iditarod Family:
It is with great sadness that I write to let you know that Mark Kelliher, a longtime Iditarod volunteer, passed away earlier today in McGrath. Mark was a part of the advance crew working in McGrath this past week. He apparently died of a heart attack.

This afternoon, I spoke with Hannah, Marks wife, who spoke of his love and passion for the Iditarod. He died doing one of the things he enjoyed most. For those of you who knew Mark, I’m sure you’ll also miss his predictable and cheerful greeting of “Top a the mornin’ to ya.” I know I will.

As details become available regarding a memorial service and/or funeral I will forward that information to you.

Sincerely,
Stan Hooley
Executive Director

Kelliher's bio on the Iditarod Air Force Web site says he was a communication volunteer beginning in the '70s and was more recently helping with pre-staging supplies from Anchorage and McGrath. His call sign as a radio operator was KL7TQ.

Rohn Buser, a 2008 Iditarod musher, former Jr. Iditarod winner and son of four-time winner Martin Buser, was arrested Wednesday in Seward after a car-chase and standoff, the Frontiersman reports.

The story describes a dramatic arrest, with authorities using a spike strip to stop the SUV the 20-year-old musher was driving and drawing guns on him as the fire department blocked off the area.

Rohn Buser faces charges of third-degree assault, eluding police and reckless driving, according to an online database of court records.

For more:

Iditarod champ faces pre-race distraction (Alaska Dispatch)

None hurt in stolen car chase and police standoff (Seward City News)

Jeff King, at this weekend's World Championship Sled Dog Race in Anchorage. Photo by Marc Lester, Anchorage Daily News.

Four-time Iditarod champ Jeff King, who is racing in this weekend's Fur Rondy sprint race, talked to Daily News reporter Richard Larson today about his future in the race:

"I think I'm done with the Iditarod after this year, at least as a participant. Maybe I'll come to them looking for a job. I've sold about half of my dogs already to good friends. They are good racers and they went to good homes. If I don't (get) rid of them, I'd be so distracted. I've got a young team in the Iditarod this year. They're awesome. At least I'll have them next year, so I'll have an excuse not to sleep in."

A quick clip of five-time Iditarod champ Rick Swenson at last night's Hall of Fame ceremony, as Swenson recalls the 1978 photo-finish with Dick Mackey:

Wasilla musher Heather Hardy, 15, is silhouetted against Matanuska Peak and the Chugach Mountains as she runs her team toward the Knik Lake checkpoint during the Jr. Iditarod on Feb. 23, 2002, near Wasilla. (Anchorage Daily News, Stephen Nowers)

The Jr. Iditarod begins 10 a.m. Saturday in Willow, with 13 teenage mushers competing in a roughly 150-mile loop that includes a mandatory 10-hour layover at the Yenta Station Roadhouse.

The young mushers’ locations will be broadcast on Iditarod.com, as Iditarod organizers test the GPS tracking system used in the big race, said spokesman Chas St. George.