It’s My Show Rebounds in the Second Heat to win the $1,000,000 Little Brown Jug
After finishing second in the third elimination and drawing post five for the $850,000 Jug final, It’s My Show and driver Scott Zeron had to come from off the pace and nip Seven Colors (Dexter Dunn) in the final strides to win the 78th edition of the Little Brown Jug in an instant classic.
At the start of second heat, Moment Is Here (Tim Tetrick) battled Cannibal (Yannick Gingras) in the opening eighth of a mile and parked Cannibal through the opening quarter in :25.4 and the half in :53.3.
Moment Is Here opened a little daylight down the backstretch and the three-quarters in 1:22, but was quickly challenged by Seven Colors, who led the field of nine at the top of the stretch.
The eventual winner followed the cover of Seven Colors and swept wide around the final turn and collared Seven Colors by a neck in 1:49. The second elimination winner Ken Hanover (David Miller) was 2 ½ lengths back in third.
The homebred son of Sweet Lou is owned by Richard P. Young and Joanne Young.
With the $450,000 in Jug earnings, It’s My Show now sports $1,137,215 in career earnings.
Scott Zeron and trainer Linda Toscano won the 53rd Jugette on Wednesday with Ucandoit Blue Chip to sweep the Jugette/Jug double – becoming the third driver and trainer to do so.
“It’s been a dream week,” noted the winning trainer. “This a race that eluded me and one that I wanted for so long.”
Toscano became the third female trainer to hoist the Jug – Caroline Lyon (1995) and Casie Coleman (2012, 2013 and 2016).
The Jug win was Zeron’s second as he won the 2012 Jug with Michael’s Power.
The first $50,000 elimination was easily won by Moment Is Here in gate-to-wire fashion in 1:50.1. Hungry Angel Boy (Todd McCarthy) and Blue Hunt (Andrew McCarthy) was second and third.
Moment Is Here is owned by the Robert McIntosh Stables, Al McIntosh Holdings, Frank Baldachino and Mardon Stables.
The middle elimination was action packed from the start. When the dust settled, it was Ken Hanover edging Seven Colors and Thunder Hunter Joe (Tim Tetrick) by half a length and establishing a new stakes record of 1:48.4.
Ken Hanover is trained by co-owner Roland Mallar, Patrick Leavitt, William Jordan and Dennis Osterholt.
In the third elimination, Cannibal went gate-to-wire to score a 1 ½ length win over a fast closing It’s My Show in 1:49.1. Redwood Hanover (James MacDonald) rallied for the third and final advancing spot.
The homebred son of Sweet Lou is owned by Diamond Creek Racing and conditioned by Nancy Takter.
Brad Conrad Photos