117 eligible to Jugette

The $332,000 (est.) Jugette has attracted 117 three-year-old filly pacers including the six richest juveniles of 2006 in Isabella Blue Chip, Luck Of Michelle, Appleoosa Hanover, Michelle’s Power, Little Miss Dragon and Calgary Hanover. They headline the large group of fillies eligible to the Sept. 19 classic at the Delaware, Ohio County Fair.

Isabella Blue Chip was the richest 2 year old of either sex with earnings of $658,583. The daughter of 2001 Little Brown Jug winner Bettor’s Delight is also the reigning Dan Patch champion 2-year-old pacing filly of 2006 and is the highest rated filly on Stan Bergstein’s Experimental Ratings. Isabella Blue Chip is owned by Only Money Inc. and trainer George Teague of Houston, Del.

In 2006, Isabella Blue Chip won the $439,000 Three Diamonds final and the $435,000 Sweetheart Pace final at the Meadowlands. She also scored a world-record 1:53.1 victory in a division of the Standardbred over the Delaware County Fairgrounds half-mile oval. David Miller is Isabella’s regular driver and he won the 2006 Jugette with Eternity’s Delight.

Luck Of Michelle finished second in total earnings with $615,091 and received the Nova Award from Harness Tracks of America and the O’Brien Award from Standardbred Canada. John Pentland’s Cam Fella filly also finished second to Isabella Blue Chip for the U.S. Harness Writers’ Dan Patch honor. Luck Of Michelle never finished worse than third in 13 starts. Mike Saftic was the filly’s regular driver.

Little Miss Dragon was outstanding all season for trainer Noel Daley, winding up her year with a second-place finish to Calgary Hanover in the Breeders Crown final. Adam Victor & Son’s Dragon Again filly won her Breeders Crown elimination and captured a Bluegrass Stakes division at The Red Mile. For the year, Little Miss Dragon earned $273,625. John Campbell drove Little Miss Dragon until injuries forced him to miss the Breeders Crown final.

Jeff Snyder’s homebred Camluck filly Michelle’s Power collected six victories and $425,432 in 2006. Trained by Bill Elliott, Michelle’s Power won the Champlain Stakes and was second in the Robert Stewart. Brian Sears, Chris Christoforou and Mark MacDonald were among the filly’s many reinsmen.

Calgary Hanover climaxed her season with a stunning, come-from-behind triumph over Little Miss Dragon in the $683,100 Breeders Crown final at Woodbine. Ohio trainer Don Swick conditioned the daughter of Western Ideal for Bill Peshina of Ohio and Robert Marzdi of New York. Mike Lachance also guided Calgary Hanover to second-place finishes in the Bluegrass and International Stallion Stakes during Lexington’s Grand Circuit. She finished the season with a bankroll of $372,635.

Appleoosa Hanover’s major triumph came in the $679,050(C) She’s A Great Lady Stake final at Mohawk Racetrack. In this race, the Western Hanover filly defeated Luck Of Michelle and Isabella Blue Chip. Appleoosa Hanover is owned by Carl Jamieson, Joanne Morrison and Thomas Kyron. The filly is trained by Jamieson and driven by his son, Jody.

Other major stakes winners who are eligible to the 37th Jugette include Al’s Girl, Current Hanover, Hana Hanover, Me And My Baby, Native Hanover, Western Augusta, Western Montana and Yankee Augusta. (LBJ)

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