While the connections of some horses were pleased to see top rated sophomore pacer Captaintreacherous not entered in the 2013 Little Brown Jug, others -- including one of the colt's owners -- weren't as pleased.
Hall of Famer Roger Huston, who will call Thursday's 68th edition of the Little Brown Jug, thinks that it could cost Captaintreacherous Horse of the Year honours in the U.S. because his connections have chosen to skip the second leg of pacing's Triple Crown.
“Sometimes you have to give something back to the sport,” Huston told the Columbus Dispatch. “There are going to be 50,000 people here Jug Day, and the best horse won’t be here. I think that’s horrible. And you can quote me on this: I do think it will cost him Horse of the Year honours, skipping the Jug and not racing a half-mile.”
Captaintreacherous currently ranks second to Ontario's Bee A Magician in the Hambletonian/Breeders Crown Standardbred Poll.
Brecksville, Ohio's Joe Sbrocco owns 25 per cent of 'The Captain' and told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that, given the Jug sits atop his harness racing bucket list, he was disappointed with the decision.
“I have wanted to win the Jug since I was second in both heats (to Tell All in 2007) with Hot Rod Mindale,” Sbrocco told The Plain Dealer. “I guess I’ll have to wait a few more years. Although it’s against my wishes, it is probably better for the colt. After all, Captaintreacherous’s dad, Somebeachsomewhere, passed on the Jug, too.”
Somebeachsomewhere did skip the Jug, but didn't skip half-mile racing entirely; he was victorious in the two-heat Confederation Cup and the Messenger -- both times defeating divisional rival and Jug winner Shadow Play. Somebeachsomewhere was named Horse of the Year in both Canada and the U.S.
Earlier this year, Marvin Katz of the Captaintreacherous Racing stable said that the colt would not race on a half-mile track at age three.
Myron Bell, who has served as the primary spokesman for the Captaintreacherous Racing team, gave more background as to why they aren't racing the pacing phenom in Delaware.
“The biggest breeders in harness racing have bought into this horse. After he didn’t win the Breeders Crown (as a two-year-old) at Woodbine, we wanted to give him the best shot in the Breeders Crown this year at Pocono Downs,” Bell told The Plain Dealer.
Casie Coleman, winner of last year's Jug with Michaels Power and trainer of this year's favourite Vegas Vacation, would also have liked to see Captaintreacherous racing in the Little Brown Jug.
“I wish he was here,” Coleman told The Dispatch. “You want to race against the best. Whoever wins this year, it’s always going to be said, ‘Well, The Captain wasn’t there.’ That’s a shame."
Delaware's loss is Indiana's gain as 'The Captain' will make his next start in a $50,000 Invitational Pace for three-year-olds at Hoosier Park on Saturday, September 21 as part of a massive night of racing at the Anderson, Indiana oval. His connections will be donating 20 per cent of his earnings from the race to assist the Animal Protection League, a local non-profit organization that finds homes for unwanted animals in the community.
I know how to get all the
I know how to get all the good ones to the jug. Put up $1,000,000 dollars. Like field of dreams,"build it and they will come".