by Jay Wolf, assistant publicity director, The Little Brown Jug

Delaware, OH — While most of the Little Brown Jug connections were busy plotting strategy for Thursday’s race, a pair of entrants were in action Saturday (Sept. 19).

Keep It Real raced in a $27,900 3-year-old conditioned event at Mohawk Raceway. The sophomore son of Real artist finished fifth, 4-1/4 lengths behind the winner, pacing his mile in 1:52 3. Keep It Real is owned by Wayne Eric Whebby and has post three in the first $97,464 Jug elim.

Fireintheshark finished eighth in the $100,000 New Jersey Sires Stake Final at Freehold Raceway. Saddled with the outside post position, the son of Cam’s Card Shark was 5-1/2 lengths behind Table And Chair in 1:54 4. Fireintheshark will leave from post seven in the second LBJ elimination.

Dam Good Mare

The mare Three Mile Island has foaled several top sophomore colts and this year she will be sending her fourth son, Pedro Island (Post nine – 1st Elimination), postward in Thursday’s Little Brown Jug.

The 24-year-old mare also produced Jug starters Island Glow (1994), Midnight Island (1995) and Island Fantasy (1999). Pedro Island was bred by White Birch Farm of New Jersey and is campaigned by DM Stables of Naples, Fla.

Racin’ for diaper money

Driver Dave Palone and his wife Bethann welcomed their second daughter, Sophie Anne, last Thursday afternoon. Palone is programmed to drive Straight Shooting (Post one – 1st Elimination) and Sheer Desire (Post nine – 2nd Elimination) in Thursday’s Jug.

“I feel great. I hate to leave my wife and baby, but I need to go out and earn some diaper money,” noted the proud papa.

Palone won the 2005 Little Brown Jug with P-Forty Seven.

Jugette champion looking for a Jug champion

Anniecrombie, winner of the 1986 Jugette, is looking to join Three Diamonds as the only Jugette champ to produce a Jug Champion.

Anniecrombie is the dam of Nob Hill High (Post six -2nd Elimination). Nob Hill High is bred and owned by Robert Mondillo of Delaware, Ohio and Donald Robinson of Cardington, Ohio.

The 26-year-old Anniecrombie was purchased from Castleton Farm in 2001.

Three Diamonds was the dam of Life Sign, the 1993 Jug champion.