Best ‘Jug’-Heat Win Hit At $23, $30 Place; ‘Bucket’ Spills $13 Victor; Chalk Covers Feature Stakes Results

Our history of Little Brown Jug heat-and/or-heat-and-final winners continued on Sept. 22 with our strong choice in elim-heat two, Western Fame ($23.40, $30.60 ok n/s), who beat up on favorite Racing Hill so badly that he did not return for the second heat. We were second in the first elim heat with Lyons Snyder ($3.00, $2.40) who partnered with the winner and eventual final winner (see News & Notes below) for an exacta worth $8.00.

On that same program, the last racing day of the “Jug” meet, we also gave readers the winner of the Old Oaken Bucket—Blenheim ($13.40, $5.60, $4.00). Check out the Breeders Crown Countdown paragraphs below for the Sept. 21 fair action. We were fourth in the Miss Versatility Final with Elegant Serenity (5-2).

The two Kentuckiana Stallion frosh stakes at Hoosier failed for us. On Sept. 23, Amuse’s (9-1) broke and was eliminated. On Sept. 24 Somesleazetoplease (47-1) finished ninth to the heavy favorite.

Hoosier’s other stakes on Sept. 24 had chalk-filled results, one of which we thought a must to win, Always Be Miki ($2.10, $2.10 n/s ok). In the Elevation we had Every Way Out, a 2-1 shot that tanked badly (the favorite won). In the Jenna’s Beach Boy, the public choice we warned about won and we were fourth with Downthehighway (24-1). Finally, in the Centaur Trotting Classic, Muscle Up The Goal (29-1) was dead last of the 10 at the wire and no one could beat the most dangerous trotter and public choice, Hannelore Hanover.
 
The New York Sires Stakes championships at Yonkers on Sept. 24 found us competitive in five of the eight, with one of our choices, Roll Away Joe ($4.90, $3.00, $2.40), winning. As for the others, Swinging Royalty ($11.20 n/s) finished second and three others took third: Robin J ($2.50), Twin B Cowboy ($4.40) and Heels On Wheels (2.80).

On various Wednesday nights we tweet for TwinSpires Twitter members from @FrankCotolo –retweeted by @twinspires—and the raceway involved. Losers from each week will appear on the next week’s horses-to-watch (H2W) list unless they race before that blog is published, so watch for them returning to the races on days in between blogs. Watch for special tweets from raceways on various Wednesdays.

BREEDERS CROWN COUNTDOWN

The Breeders Crown Countdown (BCC) blog handled the Jugette (soph-filly pacers) and the Buckette (soph-filly trotters) from Sept. 21’s Ohio program. We attempted a coup by supporting the 8 horse, Blue Moon Stride but the situation benefiting a win did not materialize. In heat one Blue Moon Stride (25-1), finished seventh. She entered for heat two, broke and was eliminated at 18-1.

Speaking of breaking stride, neither of our suggested contenders in the Buckette ever had a chance. Unica Steed (12-1) jumped shortly after the start and Witnesstheprincess never got on stride, breaking as the gate opened and finishing 10^th at 54-1.
 
H2W LIST RESULTS

The H2W results list across-the-board prices. Also, exactas listed are included when a H2W horse finishes second with a race favorite or the first two finishers making up the exacta are H2W horses (an asterisk appears when both horses were listed to complete a cold exacta). The note “ok” determines that prices published are correct even when a show price exceeds a place price or any or all of the prices are the same. This week, there were 58 active horses (a 9-percent win hit rate and a 33-percent in-the-money [ATB] hit rate).

Please note that some H2W results reflect win, place, show and exotic results occurring by press time but some horses race after the blog is posted (we list them the following week) It is up to you to follow horses that have not performed before this weekly review is posted.

Winners

I’m Babys Big Girl, $24.80, $8.80, $4.40, Northfield
Burkes Bandit, $10.90, $5.70, $3.10, Rideau-Carleton
Al Raza N, $4.30, $3.00, $2.50, Yonkers
Run Around Sue S, $3.30, $2.10, $2.10 ok, Monticello

Seconds

Kesons Silhouette, $9.90, $5.10, Vernon
Gallant Major, $5.90, $2.90 (Exacta $22.40), Yonkers
Howmacs Pride, $2.50, $2.10, Charlottetown

Thirds

Roadway, $6.20, Freehold
Red Magician, $3.00, Charlottetown
Sectionline Aqua, $2.60, Dayton
Over Friskie, $2.40, Hoosier
Danzig Man, $2.20, Rideau-Carleton
Julep Hanover, $2.20, Charlottetown
Ophelia, $2.10, Philadelphia

News & Notes

The Little Brown Jug controversy is a remnant of the 2016 classic event due to a few strange incidents. One occurence involved Lou Pena, a trainer. Mr. Pena, according to our sources, “was in the Jugette barn, unlicensed, holding a horse for a vet.” He was escorted off of the grounds.

The main incident involved the winner, Betting Line. Also according to our sources, Betting Line’s trainer and co-owner Casie Coleman had a groom that “lost her cell phone” that had a suspicious message on it. Reportedly, the message reminded Coleman to make sure the colt “gets” something. When presented with the question of what the groom was referring to, Ms. Coleman said it was yogurt because the colt is fed yogurt twice daily.

Trainers Jimmy Takter, Tony Alagna and Ron Burke protested, publicly saying they were suspicious that Betting Line was performing too well winning his elim heat. The trio refused to come out for the post parade as a statement they were perturbed by the insinuation in the message and our sources told us they wanted Coleman’s colt scratched in the final. Then Betting Line went on to destroy the final field. The protest worked. An investigation ensues. Meanwhile, the Jug purse distribution is frozen for at least a month.

We will follow up if there are any developments from these scenes. However . . . an editorial arises:

It is a wonder to us that the fine trio of trainers made such a fuss. Didn’t they expect Betting Line to race as well as he did considering he had been dominating the same horses in this division? Did they feel Betting Line was “treated” somehow in his other victories? Sans any evidence that yogurt is a secret-code word for a performance enhancer, Betting Line has been fantastic winning this season and there have been no aspersions anywhere else that he has not done it all on his own.

After all, Burke scratched Racing Hill in the final after Takter’s Western Fame raced a hole in the wind for the first time this season, knocking Racing Hill out of the flow so badly that he finished off the board in the first elim heat of the Jug. Why didn’t Burke or Alagna define that as a form reversal? We found nothing wrong with it and the proof of that was our prediction that Western Fame could and would be fabulous in that race. It is behavior we would love to have had the three trainers explained in more detail.

The Little Brown Jug Society held its annual meeting on Sept. 21 and voted for several major changes for future Jug and Jugette races. One is to eliminate the possibility of a third heat (race-off) starting with the 2017 event. The Jug will be raced at two heats and the winner of the second heat will be declared the champion. The society also voted to revise the post position draw for the second heat starting with the 2018 Jug. The elimination winners will draw for the inside posts and the remaining positions will be drawn at random. Also, supplemental entries to the Jugette will be honored starting in 2019. Horses not eligible may enter for $25,000. Also, future Jugettes may be raced at one heat, should the entry levels dictate. The society will work with the Delaware County Fair racing officials to determine the appropriate number of entries to go one heat. That announcement will be made in the near future.

Extraordinary Extras

Indulge in many standardbred topics at my Hoof Beats blog titled Vast Performances.

Ray Cotolo contributed to this blog

For Thom Pye cartoons, informative harness history and more, click here ~