by Tom White, publicity director, the Little Brown Jug

Delaware, OH — Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Takter has two promising contenders for the 67th Little Brown Jug.

Simply Business, who won the $1,020,000 Metro Pace enroute to finishing third in the 2011 Dan Patch standings, is one of the early favorites. Stablemate Time To Roll won a leg of the New Jersey Sires Stakes and finished third in the final in his last start a year ago. A third possible Takter contender could be world champion filly American Jewel who broke a P-1 bone in her sesamoid in her last start a year ago. She is back in training.

Simply Business won four of eight starts his juvenile season and earned $682,510 for his Swedish and Canadian owners. His victory in the Metro Pace came over A Rocknroll Dance and Speed Again. He also finished second to Jug eligible Major Bombay in the Woodrow Wilson Final and captured a division of the Bluegrass Stakes at Lexington’s Red Mile.

Simply Business, who spent the off-season at Takter’s New Jersey farm, is training well and will qualify at the Meadowlands either April 27 or May 4. Takter said plans now call for Simply Business to race on May 19 in the first leg of the New Jersey Sires Stakes at the Meadowlands.

“I’m hoping he will race in the Jug. He’s never raced on a half-mile track but the Jug is one of the prestige races. When I won the Jug in 2006 with Mr Feelgood it was fantastic. I’m hoping my owners get to see him race in Delaware, this is the first pacer they have ever owned.”

Simply Business will also have a Jug veteran in the sulky. Hall of Fame driver Ron Pierce has won four Jugs — Well Said, Timesareachanging, Blissfull Hall and Shady Character.

Simply Business is owned by Brixton Medical AB and Order By Stable of Sweden and Louie Camara, Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld and Sam Goldband of Ontario.

Time To Roll, a full brother to $901,756 winner Rockin Image, made only three starts as a freshman and took his record of 1:51.2 in his NJSS win at the Meadowlands. He is a homebred owned by Susan Grange’s Lothlorien Stable of Cheltenham, Ontario. Lothlorien Stable co-owned 2009 Jug winner Well Said. Takter, who hopes to bring Time To Roll to the Jug, said Brian Sears will be in the sulky.

For further information about the Little Brown Jug and the Delaware, Ohio Grand Circuit, check out the Jug website at www.littlebrownjug.com.