By Tom White
5/10/04

Delaware, Ohio--Three-year-olds are coming from everywhere! Little Brown Jug hopefuls Brandon's Cowboy and Rogue Hall won major early season events as the countdown to Jug 59 got underway this past weekend. The 59th Jug will be raced Thursday afternoon, September 23 at the Delaware, Ohio County Fair.

Brandon's Cowboy edged Four Starzzz King by a nose in 1:51 in the $260,000 Berry's Creek Final at The Meadowlands for his fifth win in a row this season. Martin Scharf's son of The Panderosa hiked his earnings to $295,087.

"There are a lot more (top three-year-olds) out there," said trainer Mark Ford. "We might be a couple of weeks ahead of them." No Berry's Creek winner has ever won the Little Brown Jug but Cam's Card Shark swept the North America Cup, Meadowlands Pace, Cane and Messenger in 1994 but was scratched lame before the first Jug elimination.

Rogue Hall, who did not race at two, remained unbeaten in four starts this season with a 1:53 victory over Ponder in the $92,500 Mohawk Pacing Series Final at Mohawk Raceway in Ontario. Paul Mcdonnell drove the Cambest colt to his 2 1/4 length victory.

At The Meadows, Up Front Brad ended a 12-race losing streak with a stakes record 1:51.3 decision in a division of the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes. The Ohio-owned colt is trained by Kelly O'Donnel and owned by Ed Mullinax. In another division, Peter Pan Stable's Mypanmar defeated the highly touted Mantacular in 1:52.1. Mypanmar is trained by Ivan Sugg, who conditioned 2003 Jug and Triple Crown champion No Pan Intended. Other PASS winners, who are also jug eligible, are Skydancer Hanover (1:52.1) and You Rock (1:54.1).

Juvenile champion and Experimental winter book Jug favorite I Am A Fool won his second qualifying race at The Meadowlands. I Am A Fool scored in 1:53.2. Another Jug contender, Metropolitan, won a qualifier in 1:52.1

Coming up this Saturday are eliminations for the Max Hempt Memorial at Pocono Downs and legs of the New Jersey Sires Stakes at The Meadowlands.