by Tom White, publicity director, the Little Brown Jug

Delaware, OH — Despite finishing third in last week’s $682,670 Fan Hanover Filly Pace at Mohawk Racetrack, trainer Steve Elliott says starting against the colts in the Little Brown Jug “is not out of the question.”

Elliott says that owner Toby Lynch “is still pushing for the Jug but I’m kind of looking at the Jugette. We’ll see how she races Monday at Freehold in the Shady Daisy Stakes. If she goes a big mile you’ve got to think about entering her in the Jug.”

Elliott says Southwind Tempo got brutalized in the Fan Hanover. “That’s going to happen in that class. If you go against good horses you will get roughed up now and then. She seems to have handled it well. She ate a good breakfast the next day.”

Tidewaterdragonfly won the Fan Hanover in 1:50.4 followed by Me And My Baby and Southwind Tempo. All three fillies are eligible to the Jugette, which will be contested on Wednesday, September 19.

Elliott also has the lightly raced colt Cinderella Guy as a possible Jug starter.

“He’s only made four lifetime starts, but he was second in 1:50.2 in his last start (August 11) in a Kentucky Sires Stakes at The Red Mile. I just got him so I don’t know too much about him. My idea is to start him a couple of times and see if he can go with the best.”

Cinderella Guy, who has two wins, a second and a third in four starts, will start in Sunday’s (September 2) KYSS and in the $200,000 final on September 9 at The Red Mile.

Trainer Mickey Burke may start four colts in Jug

Twenty-five years ago trainer Mickey Burke switched from selling automobiles to training Standardbreds. He started with five $2,500-$3,000 claimers and now trains 150 racehorses of all ages. On September 20, Burke expects to start four of his colt pacers in the 62nd Little Brown Jug.

“I was involved with hunter and jumper horses most of my life,” said Burke, a native of Uniontown, Pa. “In 1956, a friend asked me to train his Standardbreds. I told him who wants to ride in a buggy. But, one day I jogged one of his horses and the rest is history. In 1982, I sold my dealership and turned to training horses full-time. My sons Ron and Mickey, Jr. help me train and my daughter Michelle heads up the family operations at The Meadows. All will be in Delaware for the Jug.”

In 2006, Burke raced three colts in the Little Brown Jug. His colt Texas Shootout won his elimination in 1:50.4 but finished fifth in the final.

Burke believes that all four of his probable starters this year have the ability to win the Little Brown Jug. He gives a thumbnail resume of each of them with 2007 statistics in parenthesis:

May June Character (16-5-1-0–$231,393). “He has gotten better with every race. He is a little bit of a flake on the track, but if he stays wired together he can out pace them all. He has raced very well on five-eighth-mile tracks, and Delaware is like a five-eighth-mile track. He should be good there, too. Don’t sell this horse short.” May June Character won the Delvin Miller Adios.

Won The West (19-12-3-1–$229,414). “He is one tremendous colt. He won his elimination of the Adios and was second in the final. He will be a factor in his Jug division. He’s a dependable horse and has gotten continuously better with each start.” Won The West won his Adios elimination and was second in the final.

Pan Giovanni (14-3-3-1–$84,440). “He has been a pleasant surprise. He is a better horse than I thought when we got him earlier this year. He raced two good heats in the Adios. He improves with each start.” Pan Giovanni was second in his Adios elim and third in the final.

Watta Hotshot (11-0-1-5–$219,710). “We bought him for $250,000 two weeks before the Adios. We were looking for a horse that could win the classics. He had won three of seven starts and over $100,000 as a 2-year-old. He hadn’t won a race this year but had earned $180,000, so you knew he was sitting on some wins. We raced him in the Holmes and he finished second. But in the Adios he was third that first heat but made a break in the final. He’s had some blood problems and obviously he got tired and made a break in the Adios. We would have started him in the Cane elim, but he still isn’t 100 percent healthy. However, he just keeps getting better, and we hope he will race in the Jug.” Watta Hotshot finished third in his Adios elimination but broke stride in the final and finished last.