FAIRBANKS - Two out of three ain’t bad, but it’s not good enough to win the GCI Open North American Championship Sled Dog Race.

Salcha Veterinarian Arleigh Reynolds found that out Sunday afternoon at the Jeff Studdert Racegrounds.

Reynolds won the first and third heats of this year’s race, but he finished in second place behind 10-time champion Egil Ellis of Willow.

“We may not have the championship, but we have the fastest 10 dogs in the race,” Reynolds said shortly after stepping off the runners after posting the fastest time of the day on Sunday — 92 minutes, 14 seconds.

Reynolds won the first heat by 19.6 seconds and the third heat by 10.6, but Ellis won Saturday’s second heat by 1:13.3 and that was good enough for his 10th victory in the three-day race.

“I just lost too much time yesterday (Saturday),” Reynolds said. “If I would have taken one different dog yesterday ... but I’m still very proud of every dog in this team.”

Reynolds had a nearly flawless run in Sunday’s 27.2-mile heat as the temperature cooled a bit and a slight breeze kept the dogs from overheating.

“I’m happy. They gave everything they possibly could have given today,” Reynolds said of his dogs. “They accelerated into the 30-mile (extension) and held it all the way home.”

Third-place finisher Ken Chezik of Fife Lake, Mich., and fourth-place finisher Justin Dunlap of Salcha set a blistering pace on Sunday, but dropped back in the final few miles.

At one point Chezik had made up enough ground on Ellis to take the lead, according to radio reports on KFAR (660AM), but he said his team ran out of gas in the last few miles.

“We had a little trouble where we went off the trail on a blind turn on the extension, but other than that I was pleased with the run,” Chezik said. “I was real pleased with the nine dogs I took today.”

Chezik had visions of possible victory early in the race when he either had the fastest or second-fastest time through each radio checkpoint.

“I felt like the ‘Little Choo Choo That Could’” he said with a chuckle. “I just let them run like they felt they could, but they ran out of gas at the end.”

Dunlap was pouring it on until he reached the 22-mile checkpoint where he had to load a tired dog in the basket.

“I was just letting them run and they even surprised me,” Dunlap said. “You always want to be up further but these guys did pretty good this weekend.

“I have a lot to build on for next year,” he added.

After a tough run on Friday, Marvin Kokrine of North Pole put together solid runs Saturday and Sunday to finish fifth overall.

Rookie of the Year honors went to Randy DeKuiper of Hesporia Mich. for his 12th-place finish in 250 minutes, 34.9 seconds. That was 32 minutes, 17.3 behind the winner.

DeKuiper was followed by rookie Beth Manning in 252:33.8 and rookie Clifton Carroll of Fort Yukon earned the Red Lantern in 253:09.2.