by John Pawlak, the U.S. Trotting Association
Columbus, OH — Ed Telle’s Big Bad John is on a great big roll, and has been named Horse of the Month for September by the U.S. Trotting Association.
![](http://ustrottingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/45042-Big-Bad-JohnMAHJug.jpg)
USTA/Mark Hall photo
Little Brown Jug winner Big Bad John has been named the USTA’s Horse of the Month for September.
During the month, the son of Western Hanover-Trulyawork Of Art won on one of the sport’s biggest stages, at Delaware, Ohio, in the Little Brown Jug, and before that signaled his Jug readiness by winning a $200,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Final at Harrah’s Chester. He has now won 10 races this year and is rated the top 3-year-old pacing colt — and fourth, overall — in the Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Top-10 Poll.
Big Bad John’s win in the 66th Jug, seen by more than 49,000 fans, was a case of “local boy does good.” The speedy pacer, who is tutored by Ron Potter, makes his permanent residence on the Delaware County Fairgrounds, and his stall is located about a furlong from where he stood to accept the trophy and flowers for the biggest win of his career — one which brought tears to the eyes of his connections. He won the Jug final that day in 1:50 — the fastest by a sophomore pacing colt on a half-mile track this year.
Telle, Potter, driver David Miller and Big Bad John himself just might be on the way to a Dan Patch Award celebration, and they certainly seem to be in the drivers’ seat in the sophomore pacing colt division after a very successful September.