Kuskokwim 300 promises plenty of money for the distance MUSHING: Race has the third-largest purse behind Iditarod and Yukon Quest.

Twenty mushers will head up the frozen Kuskokwim River beginning at 6:30 tonight, secure in the knowledge that if they can guide their teams 300 miles from Bethel to Aniak and back, a check of at least $1,600 awaits.

That's the payout for 20th place in the world's richest middle-distance sled dog race. Move up to 15th and the take-home pay balloons to $2,500.

In fact, to equal the $20,000 paid to the Kusko winner, a musher in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race would have to place at least 12th in a race more than three times as long.

"It's the largest sporting event purse for a town of this size anywhere in the world," said Myron Angstman, president of the Kuskokwim 300 Race Committee. "Most have a token purse or, if they have millions, they have big sponsors.

"Probably the biggest thing is that we don't spend any money."

The race has dozens of sponsors, topped by eight major contributors. Pull tabs and raffles bring in more money. Most of the work is done by volunteers. Race manager Casie Stockdale is a part-time employee.

That adds up to a $100,000 purse, plus a $1,000 bonus to any Yukon-Kuskokwim team that finishes, making the Kusko the state's third richest sled-dog race behind the Iditarod and Yukon Quest.

"The notion of volunteers doing the job, how old fashioned is that?" asked Angstman, winner of the 1983 and 1986 Kuskos. "People here consider volunteerism a pastime, a necessity. No one else is going to do it for you. Plus, in the wintertime, this is our fun out here."

Less that two weeks ago, Jake Berkowitz of Big Lake shocked the mushing world with his surprise victory in the Copper Basin 300, another premier mid-distance race. But Berkowitz earned $5,500 for that victory. He can win more by finishing sixth or higher in Bethel.

Even though Berkowitz beat four-time defending Iditarod champion Lance Mackey to the Copper Basin finish line, his competition in Bethel may be even stiffer.

Defending champion John Baker is looking to repeat.

Three-time Kusko champion Mitch Seavey signed up late. Seavey, the 2004 Iditarod champ from Sterling, has won three of the last six Kuskos and is a threat in any race.

Martin Buser of Big Lake, a two-time Kusko champion, will test many of the dogs he'll use six weeks later in the Iditarod. Buser, a four-time Iditarod champion, owns the second-fastest Kusko time, 37 hours, 4 minutes, set in 1994. Eight-time Kusko champ Jeff King set the record of 35:49:56 in 2006.

Other top contenders include:

• Berkowitz, who is approaching the Kusko as if it were his Iditarod, because he's not registered for the 1,000-mile race to Nome;

• Two-time Iditarod runner-up Paul Gebhardt of Kasilof;

• Former Yukon Quest champion and Iditarod runner-up Sebastian Schnuelle of Whitehorse;

• Ramey Smyth of Willow, the third-place finisher in the 2008 Iditarod who launched his career with a shocking victory in the 1995 Kusko as a raw teenager;

• Hugh Neff of Tok, a frontrunner who was third in last year's Yukon Quest and ninth in the Iditarod;

• Pete Kaiser, the 23-year-old hometown hope who notched an impressive sixth-place finish in the Kusko two years ago and followed up by finishing in the money in his rookie Iditarod run last year.

With the exception of Kaiser and a handful of others, most racers come from outside the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.

"I see clouds on the horizon for local teams," Angstman said.

In addition to the featured Kusko 300, the weekend features two shorter races popular with Bethel-area mushers -- the Bogus Creek 150, which offers a purse of $25,000 with $5,000 to the winner, and the Aniak Dash, with a $10,000 purse and $3,000 to the winner.

Racers typically sign up for the shorter events just before the race.

"There's not much moving up done," said Angstman.

Kaiser, the 2005 Bogus champion, is one who did. So have Jackie Larson, Richie Diehl and Nathan Underwood, all entrants in this year's Kusko who have done the shorter racers.

"We don't have many teams in Bethel anymore to even do the Dash," Angstman lamented. "We're fighting to keep young people involved."

Reach reporter Mike Campbell at mcampbell@adn.com or 257-4329.

Kuskokwim 300 Field

1) Ronald Nathan Underwood, 41, Aniak

2) Jake Berkowitz, 24, Big Lake

3) Mike Williams Jr., 25, Akiak

4) Mike Williams Sr., 56, Akiak

5) Paul Gebhardt, 54, Kasilof

6) Sebastian Schnuelle, 40, Whitehorse

7) Martin Buser, 52, Big Lake

8) Chuck Schaeffer, 56, Kotzebue

9) Joshua Cadzow, 23, Fort Yukon

10) Hugh Neff, 43, Tok

11) Matthew Failor, 28, Big Lake

12) Pete Kaiser, 23, Bethel

13) Richie Diehl, 25, Aniak

14) Jackie Larson, 41, Napaskiak

15) Ray Redington Jr., 35, Wasilla

16) Ramey Smyth, 35, Willow

17) John Baker, 48, Kotzebue

18) Bruce Linton, 47, Kasilof

19) Louie Ambrose, 40, St. Michael

20) Mitch Seavey, 51, Sterling

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