Charlie May wasn't able to compete with the best three-year-old pacers on Little Brown Jug day, but he still made his presence count on Thursday, Sept. 23 at Delaware County Fairgrounds.
Charlie May fended off Ohio rival Heart Of Chewbacca en route to a three-length score in 1:55.2 over the 'good' track, competing on the Jug undercard in a $54,350 division of the Ohio Breeders Championship for three-year-old pacing colts and geldings.
With regular reinsman Brett Miller feeling under the weather and off his drives for the card, Dexter Dunn picked up the catch-drive and sent the heavy 1-5 favourite Charlie May from third to first at the :29.1 quarter mark before Heart Of Chewbacca and Dan Noble launched their attack. Heart Of Chewbacca moved up to apply pressure at the half in :58.4, but Charlie May kept him at bay through three-quarters in 1:26.3 and began to open up coming into the stretch. Heart Of Chewbacca settled for second, with Cyclone Union Jack finishing third.
Owned and bred by Don Tiger of Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, the world record holder entered his Jug day assignment off a close second-place finish in the Ohio Sire Stakes Championships. The McArdle-Stipple Hanover gelding went over the $500,000 mark in seasonal earnings with his seventh win in 15 starts.
"It [the season] could have been a lot better -- he got taken down in the Meadowlands Pace and stuff like that -- but he's been really good," said trainer Steve Carter. "Hopefully, everything's good and we'll go to The Red Mile next."
"We've had bumps and bruises and wins and losses, but I think overall we proved that he can go with anybody and he's one of the top three-year-olds in the country," added Tiger. "I'm just so proud of him and...everybody that's been part of this horse's racing career."
Lifetime, Charlie May has earned 14 wins and seven seconds from 24 races with earnings totalling $855,652.
The other OBC division for three-year-old male pacers was won by favourite Gallant Star ($3.60) by one length over Laughagain Hanover in 1:56.4 for driver Tim Tetrick and trainer Virgil Morgan Jr. Jackie Moon finished third. The Well Said-Canary Island gelding, who is now seven-for-11 in his debut season, is owned by Carl Howard, Larry Wills and Jeffrey Rector.
Sunny Crockett won Thursday’s $87,700 Old Oaken Bucket for three-year-old male trotters over the “good” track in 1:58.2. Mon Amour finished second and Swingforthefences was third.
Goodashim left the gate quickly from post seven and was in front coming off the first turn, but Sunny Crockett, who started from post one, moved to the lead with driver Andy Miller on their way to an opening quarter in :28.4. From there, Sunny Crockett set fractions of :59.3 and 1:28.3 on his way to a one-length victory over Mon Amour, who had launched a first-over challenge at the half but was unable to overtake the winner.
Sunny Crockett is trained by Julie Miller for owners Willow Oak Ranch and Andy Miller Stable. The Father Patrick-Moonlight In Miami colt was bred by Ontario's Marvin Katz, Al Libfeld and Sam Goldband.
For the year, Sunny Crockett has won six of 12 races. For his career, he has won 12 of 23 starts and $272,636.
Sunny Crockett paid $6.20 to win as the 2-1 co-favourite with Swingforthefences.
Fiftyfour K won the $45,330 Standardbred Stakes for two-year-old male trotters in 2:02. Just For Trix finished second and Summit City Sonny was third.
Fiftyfour K was second behind Takato through an opening quarter of :29 and half in 1:00 before being sent to the front by driver Yannick Gingras. He led the field to three-quarters in 1:30.4 and won by open lengths.
Pretender, the 3-5 favourite, was among three horses to go off stride in the early stages of the race.
Gingras drove Fiftyfour K, a son of Sebastian K S out of Westfiftyfirst for trainer Ron Steck. The colt was bred by Gary Condit. Steck and Condit are part of the ownership group, Here’s To Us Stable, with Jeffrey Breece.
Earlier this year, Fiftyfour K won a division of the Arden Downs, but he entered the Standardbred having gone off stride in three consecutive starts. Steck put a shadow roll on the colt for Thursday’s start.
“We raced him in [Pennsylvania] and he just had some issues seeing things,” Steck said. “So, I took a shot and put the shadow roll on, and he trotted.”
Fiftyfour K has won two of six races this year and earned $74,025.
He paid $8.20 to win as the 3-1 second choice.
Captain Cowboy led from start to finish to win Thursday’s $46,710 Standardbred Stakes for 2-year-old male pacers in 1:57.1 over a track labelled “good” at the Delaware County Fairgrounds. Birthday was second and Good Deal finished third.
Yannick Gingras drove Captain Cowboy for trainer Ake Svanstedt. Captain Cowboy led through fractions of :29.4, :59.2, and 1:28.3 on his way to his fourth triumph in six races this season. The margin of victory was 2-1/2 lengths.
“He’s a really nice little horse,” Gingras said. “From the first time I qualified him, I liked him. He’s willing, he wants to do his job, and he’s a pleasure to drive.”
Captain Cowboy, a son of Captaintreacherous-Odds On Lassomyhrt, is owned by Ake Svanstedt Inc. and Little E. The colt, who has banked $57,555 this year, was bred by Frederick Hertrich III.
Sent off at odds of 8-5, Captain Cowboy paid $5.40 to win.
These stakes were contested on the undercard of the 2021 Little Brown Jug on a card that also included the 2021 Miss Versatility Final.
(With files from USTA)