Officials with the Little Brown Jug have released the seventh – and final - installment of the track's 'Road to the Jug' weekly rankings.
Little Brown Jug Top 10 Contenders (Week #7– September 10)
By Jay Wolf – Little Brown Jug Publicity Director
1. 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: $646,516
Career Mark: 1:48.3 Tioga Downs
He won the $114,948 Simcoe Stakes (9/7) at Mohawk Raceway in 1:48.3, equaling his lifetime best.
2. Sunfire Blue Chip (Last Week #5)
Owners: Christina Talker (NJ), John & Jim Fielding (ONT), Brixton Medical AB (SWE) and R A W Equine Inc. (ONT)
Trainer: Jimmy Takter
Driver: Yannick Gingras
Career Earnings: $476,819
Career Mark: 1:48.3 The Meadows
The son of American Ideal was third in the Simcoe Stakes on September 7.
3. Sunshine Beach (Last Week #6)
Owners: Hudson Standardbred Stable (QUE), Conrad Leber (QUE) and Diane Bertrand (ALB)
Trainer: Mark Steacy
Drivers: Chris Christoforou, Jr./George Brennan
Career Earnings: $531,565
Career Mark: 1:47.4 Pocono Downs
He was second to Vegas Vacation in the Simcoe at Mohawk Raceway (9/7).
4. Johny Rock (Last Week #8)
Owners: William C. Wiswell (WI), Jean A. Goehlen (IL) and Eugene W. Schick (IL)
Trainer: John Butenschoen
Driver: Andy Miller
Career Earnings: $387,498
Career Mark: 1:48 Pocono Downs
He set a new lifetime mark with a 1:48 win at Pocono Downs (9/7) in a conditioned event.
5. Lucan Hanover (Last Week #NR)
Owners: West Win Stable (ONT) and Christine Calhoun (ONT)
Trainer: Casie Coleman
Driver: David Miller
Career Earnings: $232,284
Career Mark: 1:48.3 The Meadowlands
Finished third in a $114,948 division of the Simcoe Stakes (9/7).
6. Twilight Bonfire (Last Week #7)
Owners: Robert J. Key (PA)
Trainer: Danny Collins
Driver: David Miller
Career Earnings: $681,489
Career Mark: 1:50.1 The Meadows
Took the fifth spot in the Cane Pace Final at Tioga Downs (9/2).
7. Wake Up Peter (Last Week #3)
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: $532,680
Career Mark: Q1:50.0 The Meadowlands
The son of Rocknroll Hanover has yet to win in 2013. He could set Jug history with a win.
8. Word Power (Last Week #9)
Owner: Bradley Grant (ONT)
Trainer: Larry Remmen
Driver: Jody Jamieson
Career Earnings: $225,802
Career Mark: 1:49.4 The Meadowlands
He was just a nose short of an upset of Captaintreacherous in the Cane Pace Final.
9. Odds On Equuleus (Last Week #NR)
Owners: Odds On Racing (IL)
Trainer: Tony Alagna
Driver: John Campbell
Career Earnings: $622,801
Career Mark: 1:50 The Meadowlands
Recently moved to the Tony Alagna Barn. He only has a couple of weeks to straighten him out.
10. Lonewolf Currier (Last Week #10)
Owners: Fran Azur (PA)
Trainer: Kevin McDermott
Drivers: John Campbell/Jason Bartlett
Career Earnings: $274,495
Career Mark: 1:48.4 The Meadows
Did not race last week.
This week’s celebrity sections come from a Dave Briggs. Briggs is the publisher and editor for the Canadian Sportsman magazine. He was presented the Harness Tracks of America's Dan Patch Award for exceptional media, publicity and public relations contributions to the sport of harness racing earlier this year.
Little Brown Jug Top 10 Contenders
By Dave Briggs – Canadian Sportsman
1. Vegas Vacation
- inherits top spot after winning the Simcoe and the connections of Captaintreacherous elected not to race in Delaware. Can trainer Casie Coleman win back-to-back Jugs?
2. Sunshine Beach
- was a solid second to Vegas Vacation for trainer Mark Steacy and has a 1:47.4 mark set a month ago beating Captaintreacherous in the Battle of Brandywine.
3. Sunfire Blue Chip
-has been a consistent money-maker all year for trainer Jimmy Takter and topped Vegas Vacation in the Adios on July 27.
4. Lucan Hanover
- Casie Coleman’s other horse, won the New Jersey Classic on Hambletonian Day and has been a solid producer all year.
5. Word Power
- was just a neck behind Captaintreacherous in the Cane Pace and the Larry Remmen trainee has cashed a cheque in all but one start this year.
6. Twilight Bonfire
- was second to Captaintreacherous in the $1 million Pepsi North America Cup in June and the Danny Collins pupil has cashed a cheque in six of the seven starts since.
7. Johny Rock
- has been a solid performer his last five starts for trainer John Butenschoen.
8. Wake Up Peter
- is, perhaps, the best winless sophomore pacing colt on the continent. Though a little on the inconsistent side, when he is on, he’s near the front-runners.
9. Emeritus Maximus
- is a sizable longshot, yet the Alagna trainee has been on the board nine times this year in 14 starts against stakes competition and sports a 1:48.4 mile at Pocono.
10. Lonewolf Currier
- has won a third of his starts, but has been either on or out of it too much to be a serious Jug threat.
(Little Brown Jug)