Officials with the Little Brown Jug have released the fourth installment of the track's 'Road to the Jug' weekly rankings. There are several newcomers to this week’s list based on their performance at the Battles of the Brandywine.
This week’s celebrity sections come from Gordon Waterstone. Waterstone is the associate editor of The Horseman and Fair World, and was the long-time publicity director at Hazel Park Raceway and Northville Downs.
Little Brown Jug Top 10 Contenders (Week #4 – August 20)
By Jay Wolf – Little Brown Jug Publicity Director
1. Captaintreacherous (Last Week #1)
Owner: Captaintreacherous Racing (KY)
Trainer: Tony Alagna
Driver: Tim Tetrick
Career Earnings: $2,169,421
Career Mark: 1:48.1 Meadowlands
He suffered his first loss of the year by a scant nose in the $500,000 Battle of the Brandywine (8/17). Captaintreacherous heads to the Cane Pace eliminations (8/25) at Tioga Downs.
2. Sunshine Beach (Last Week #10)
Owners: Hudson Standardbred Stable (QUE), Conrad Leber (QUE) and Diane Bertrand (ALB)
Trainer: Mark Steacy
Drivers: Chris Christoforou, Jr. / George Brennan
Career Earnings: $502,828
Career Mark: 1:47.4 Pocono Downs
This son of Somebeachsomewhere equaled the world record in the $500,000 Battle of the Brandywine with his 1:47.4 nose victory over Captaintreacherous. Sunshine Beach will next race in the Simcoe Stakes (9/7) at Mohawk.
3. Vegas Vacation (Last Week #2)
Owners: West Wins Stable (ONT), Adriano Sorella (ONT), Anthony Beaton (ONT) & Phyllis Saunders (ONT)
Trainer: Casie Coleman
Driver: Brian Sears
Career Earnings: $560,226
Career Mark: 1:48.3 Tioga Downs
Did not race last week.
4. Sunfire Blue Chip (Last Week #3)
Owners: Christina Talker (NJ), John & Jim Fielding (ONT), Brixton Medical AB (SWE) and RAW Equine Inc. (ONT)
Trainer: Jimmy Takter
Driver: Yannick Gingras
Career Earnings: $463,026
Career Mark: 1:48.3 The Meadows
Did not race last week.
5. Mach It So (Last Week #4)
Owners: Bamond Racing LLC (NJ)
Trainer: Richard ‘Nifty Norman’ / P.J. Farley
Driver: Yannick Gingras / Scott Zeron
Career Earnings: $311,988
Career Mark: 1:49.1 Mohawk
He finished a quality fifth in the $500,000 Battle of the Brandywine. He had won five in a row.
6. Lonewolf Currier (Last Week #5)
Owner: Fran Azur (PA)
Trainer: Kevin McDermott
Driver: John Campbell
Career Earnings: $274,495
Career Mark: 1:48.4 The Meadows
Led the field of the Battle of the Brandywine pass the opening quarter in :25.3 and faded to eighth.
7. Twilight Bonfire (Last Week #NR)
Owners: Robert J. Key (PA)
Trainer: Danny Collins
Driver: David Miller
Career Earnings: $663,479
Career Mark: 1:50.1 Mea
Third in the $500,000 Battle of the Brandywine (8/17)
8. Wake Up Peter (Last Week #NR)
Owners: Wake Up Peter Partners (IL), Brittany Farms (KY), Louis Willinger (KY) and Eagles Soar Partners (NY)
Trainer: Tony Alagna
Driver: Ron Pierce
Career Earnings: $489,455
Career Mark: Q1:50.0 Meadowlands
He finished a solid fourth in the $500,000 Battle of the Brandywine.
9. Johny Rock (Last Week #NR)
Owners: William C. Wiswell (WI), Jean A. Goehlen (IL) and Eugene W. Schick (IL)
Trainer: John Butenschoen
Driver: Andy Miller
Career Earnings: $382,248
Career Mark: 1:48.3 Pocono Downs
He won the $200,000 Battle of the Brandywine Consolation I (8/17) in a lifetime best 1:48.3.
10. Lucan Hanover (Last Week #7)
Owner: West Wins Stable (ONT) and Christine Calhoun (ONT)
Trainer: Casie Coleman
Driver: David Miller / Scott Zeron
Career Earnings: $218,260
Career Mark: 1:48.3 The Meadowlands
Did not race last week.
Little Brown Jug Top 10 Contenders
By Gordon Waterstone – Associate Editor of The Horseman And Fair World
1. Sunshine Beach
— I’ve had my eye on this horse all year and he showed he’s a Jug contender with his Battle of the Brandywine win. Trainer Mark Steacy told me he’s not sure about going to the Jug but the Pocono race could be a game-changer.
2. Captaintreacherous
— I can’t put him on top because I don’t think he’s going to be headed to the Jug because of the busy race calendar afterward, but out of respect for the king of the division, I’ll put him second.
3. Sunfire Blue Chip
— The Adios winner is definitely handy enough to zip around the half-mile track.
4. Rockin Amadeus
— Couldn’t hold on in a Battle of the Brandywine consolation after sizzling early fractions, but he certainly has the speed to be a top threat.
5. Twilight Bonfire
— He just always seems to be in position to make his presence known.
6. Johny Rock
— He’s definitely got the speed so that make him a factor on the two-turn oval.
7. Mach It So
— Five-race win streak in Canada was snapped at Pocono but he has the capability of a big Delaware effort.
8. Vegas Vacation
— I would have loved to put him higher as he’s very talented, but he just doesn’t appear handy enough for the small tracks.
9. Odds On Equuleus
— Hard to believe he’s winless this year and has just about fallen off the radar, but obviously has the talent to wake up at the right time.
10. Wake Up Peter
— Wouldn’t it be something that if the Captain doesn’t show up, that his stablemate basks in all the glory?
(Little Brown Jug)