Monticello Raceway racing secretary Eric Warner is seeking grey-coloured horses for the track's annual Little Grey Jug.
The 19th edition of the Little Grey Jug, a race strictly for grey-coloured pacers, is slated to go to post on the afternoon of Monday, October 6. Monticello has stated that should there be enough entries for another race for the greys, it will be dubbed the Little Grey Mug and will also be presented that day.
In what started out in 1990 as a spoof on the world famous horse race, the Little Brown Jug, Monticello Raceway's Little Grey Jug has become a regular attraction and an anticipated event for both horsemen and fans alike. So much so that over the years more than one division has been necessary to accommodate all the entries.
"Over the years the Little Grey Jug has been a real favourite," noted Eric Warner, the track's director of racing. " Fans enjoy watching a race with all grey horses because it's a spectacle and something that they don't often see."
According to the United States Trotting Association, the governing body of harness racing in the U.S., less than five per cent of all harness horses are grey in colour with the most famous having been the former world champion trotter and Hambletonian winner, Greyhound.
"We are going to need quite a few grey horses for our event this year," Warner said. "In years past we had many grey horses competing here on a regular basis, but this season we have only a few. I'm now in the process of searching for greys who might like to come to Monticello for our race -- or races -- on October 6th."
Anyone with a grey or roan-coloured pacer interested in competing should contact Warner at Monticello Raceway at 845-794-4100 (Ext. 557) or contact the publicity office at Ext. 455.
(With files from Monticello)