by Tom White, publicity director, Little Brown Jug

Lexington, KY — 2-year-old colt pacing champion Artzina, Breeders Crown winner Charley Barley, and the leading juvenile money winner Yankee Skyscaper are the early favorites among 148 eligibles to the 62nd Little Brown Jug. The $575,000 (est.) Little Brown Jug will be raced on Thursday afternoon, September 20, at the Delaware (OH) County Fairgrounds.

Artzina is owned by Kalman and Saul Liebowitz and Marc Rubach and trained by Dylan Davis. The homebred son of New York stallion Artiscape won seven of 12 starts at two and earned $486,229. Artzina took his record of 1:51.1 in an elimination of the Breeders Crown. Artzina also captured the Matron and Goshen Cup and finished third in the Breeders Crown Final and Woodrow Wilson Final. John Campbell was the colt’s regular driver, but Jack Moiseyev drove Artzina in the Breeders Crown Final after Campbell was sidelined with a fractured leg. The last time a Dan Patch champion won the Jug was in 2000 by Bettor’s Delight.

Charley Barley is a late blooming son of Western Hanover, owned by Scott Ezzo and wife Lisa Adkins and training by Kim Miller. Jim Arledge, Jr. broke and trained Charley Barley early on but he was later transferred to the Miller Stable. Charley Barley won the $600,000 Breeders Crown Final in a career best 1:53.3 over Kenneth J and Artzina. Mike Lachance drove Charley Barley in both his third place Breeders Crown elimination finish and his triumph in the final. The colt was bred by Kentuckiana Farms. Charley Barley is a name invented by Ezzo’s father to soothe the nerves of his sisters when nearby train whistles would go off throughout the night. Bettor’s Delight was the last Breeders Crown winner to also capture the Little Brown Jug.

Yankee Skyscaper, another son of Artiscape bred by Yankeeland Farm, is owned by John Fedora, Martha Frank, Fred Mansoor, Brittany Farms and Myron Bell’s Riverside Farm. Yankee Skyscaper won four of nine starts and $545,500. The Chris Ryder-trained colt won the $900,000 Metro Final over Laughing Art and Honky Tonky Hanover, then took his record of 1:52.4 in an impressive victory in a division of the $320,000 International Stallion Stakes over Spin Rate and Mr Apples. Jody Jamieson drove Yankee Skyscaper in most of his starts. Brittany Farms bred 2006 Jug champion Mr Feelgood.

Another highly rated Jug eligible is Olay Olay, who won eight times, earned $229,872 and took a record of 1:51.4. Owned by Wayne Whebby and trained by Scott Bell, this son of Artiscape won his Breeders Crown elimination, the Battle of Freehold and the New Jersey Sires Stakes Final at Freehold.

Warrawee Ideal, a Million Dollar Cam colt trained by Carl Jamieson, collected $317,390 in earnings without ever leaving Ontario. The colt captured a division of the Nassagaweya over Charley Barley and also won the Battle of Waterloo.

Domitian Hanover, a colt by Cam Fella trained by James (Friday) Dean, also never left Canada but earned $303,218 in purses. Domitian Hanover’s biggest win came in the $264,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final.

None of the trainers of these top rated colts has ever won the Little Brown Jug, but Dean trained Doonbeg, who finished third and ninth in the 2006 Jug. Lachance, with five Jug victories, is the leading driver ever. John Campbell has three wins and Jack Moiseyev one. Jody Jamieson drove Doonbeg last year.

The Little Brown Jug is the second leg of Pacing’s Triple Crown. The first leg is the Cane Pace, scheduled for September 3 at New Jersey’s Freehold Raceway. If a horse wins the Cane Pace, but is not eligible to the Little Brown Jug, his owner(s) may pay a $45,000 supplemental starting fee. Yonkers Raceway will once again host the third leg, the Messenger Pace, on October 27.

The complete list of eligibles to the 62nd Little Brown Jug are listed below:

62nd Little Brown Jug
Allamerican Amigo
Allamerican Bomber
Allamerican Karnak
Allamerican Steady
Allamerican Union
Almost No More Bs
Always A Virgin
Armidian
Artciano
Artist’s View
Artriverderci
Art’s Image
Arts Mattjesty
Artzina
Basso Hanover
Beam Of Life
Big Al’s Delight
Big Stack
Bold Guy
Buckingpan Palace
Buzz Hershey
Cambest Pauper
Canossa Hanover
Captain Cambest
Carmine Fra
Casino King
Cat Four
Charley Barley
Cinderella Guy
Ciroc
Cowboy Hanover
Crewcut Hanover
Cue The Paige
Dealer Dan
Devils Reject
Diamond King
Domitian Hanover
Don’t Fool Me Now
Downtown Showdown
Dream Of Flight
Dreamfair Weevogel
El Paso
Final Flash
Fresh Deck
Friday Nite Lights
Fuzio Hanover
Gerald N Sam
Giddy Up N Giggle
Happy Hylight
Herbie At Bigs
Honky Tonk Hanover
Hot Rod Mindale
Ideal Vintage
In The Mix
Isaac Newton
Jacked Up
Janice’s Western
Jates Rookie
Jimmy’s Scooter
Jim’s Guy
Jo Pa’s Prince
Joshua Park
Just Plug It In
Kens On Nuke
KG Bradescape
KG Explorer
KG Titan
Kinetic Yankee
Last Call Hanover
Lemon Drop Hall
Lesters Wester
Liberated Artist
Machmachwhosthere
Major Ideal
Major Suit
Matt Trapper
Mattdultery
May June Character
Meritage Hanover
Mister Delaware
Modern Desire
Montreal Phil
Mr Apples
Mr Market
Naracules
Next Adventure
Night Talker
No Perfect Escape
Olay Olay
On Your Mach
Pan Giovanni
Pandas Delight
Pandoras Sox
Paradise Ragtime
Perretti
Perfect Intent
Picasso’s Dream
Poker Hat
Proven Lover
Ravenswood Rowdy
Real Man
Rendarosa
Reserve Forces
Riesling Hanover
Rockin Rollin Now
Ruff Me Up
Rustys Casino
Rusty’s For Real
Serious Damage
Shamardal
Smart Barney
Southwind Lynx
Spin Rate
Sports Reporter
Starry Artist
Stars On The Water
Stonebridge On Ice
Sugar Ray Bluechip
Takeshigemichi
Tell All
The Panefactor
The Real Dan
Tiber Hanover
Tivoli Hanover
TJ’s Ideal
Tomahawk Sakra
Toronado Mindale
Traczar
True Desire
Twin Character
Up Front Rudy
Urbino Hanover
V For Vendetta
Warrawee Ideal
Watta Hotshot
Western Artwork
Western Culture
Western Diamond
Western Siege
Whats Up Now
Whistling Hanover
Won The West
Yankee Commander
Yankee Galaxy
Yankee Man
Yankee Skyscaper
Yankee Stardom
Year Of The Dragon