By Tom White
5/29/05

The "Road to the Little Brown Jug" got underway Saturday with major victories turned in by Rocknroll Hanover and Up Front Jerry. Jugette hopeful Ideal News also continued her 2005 auspicious beginning with a victory in the Miss New Jersey Classic.

Rocknroll Hanover rallied for a 3 3/4 length victory in the $500,000 SBOA/New Jersey Classic over Jo Pa's Shark and Load The Dice. Rocknroll Hanover, a son of Western Ideal, is now a perfect three-for-three in 2005. On the board in seven of eight starts at two, he has now banked $811,756 for the partnership of Jeffrey Snyder and Phyllis Audrey Campbell's Lothlorien Equestrian Center.

"He's been perfect and two fingers to drive," said winning driver Brian Sears. "He's learning how to come off the pace, and he's real handy now." Trainer Brett Pelling added, "I was worried with the track being so sticky. But right now he's just playing. he hasn't gotten serious yet. His last three starts; he's been on cruise control."

Village Jolt, the reigning two-year-old champion, cut the fractions before fading to sixth. "He raced good, but I just overdrove him," said Ron Pierce. "I got into a bit of a hurry with him but he raced good."

A Pocono Downs in the $169,940 Max C. Hempt Memorial, Up Front Jerry went wire-to-wire in 1:53.1 over a "sloppy" track. Leaving front post one, George Napolitano, Jr. got the three-year-old Western Hanover gelding to the front and leg him go. Up Front Jerry, trained by Buckeye Kelly O'Donnell, defeated Syncro's Z by three-quarters with heavily favored Allamerican Inca third.

Ideal News scored a neck victory over Freezer Cash and Savannah Sky in 1:53.3 over a Meadowlands track rated "good."