Blue Rock out for year; Burke still with 3 Jug eligibles

With the first of two Little Brown Jug Future Wagers available beginning Thursday, trainer Ron Burke has four entries among the 23 horses listed. However, Blue Rock (#5) has been scratched out of the Jug Future, with Burke telling harnessracing.com Wednesday morning only that a decision was made to end the season for the sophomore gelding following a third-place finish in an overnight Aug. 21 at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

That still leaves a trio of Burke possibles as the stable is in search of its first-ever Jug victory, with this year’s race scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 23, at the Delaware, Ohio fairgrounds. Burke’s other three Jug eligibles include Hempt final winner Fred And Ginger, recent purchase and Adios runner-up Versado, and World Of Rocknroll, who earlier this year won the Hoosier Cup at Hoosier Park but has since been transferred to the Burke barn. All three made their most recent starts in the $500,000 Battle of the Brandywine Aug. 22 at Harrahs’ Chester.

Fred And Ginger, a son of Real Artist, finished a blocked fourth in the $500,000 Battle of the Brandywine Aug. 22 at Harrah’s Chester. In May, Fred And Ginger finished second in the $220,000 Berry’s Creek final at the Meadowlands and posted a victory in the $300,000 Hempt at Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs.

“He was much better the other day. He got caught in behind one of my other horses,” said Burke, referring to Fred And Ginger’s Battle of the Brandywine finish. “Our plans are to go with him to the Jug.”

Burke Racing Stable, along with Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Howard Taylor and Ed Gold bought Versado for an undisclosed price shortly before the Delvin Miller Adios at The Meadows in late July. The purchase was made specifically with the Adios as the target, and the move nearly paid off.

In his first start for Burke, Versado won a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes race. He then won his Adios elim, which was followed by a second-place finish in the $500,000 final behind Delmarvalous, beaten just a half-length.

Versado drew post eight in the Battle and never got into the flow of things in the 1:48.4 mile over a “good” racetrack softened earlier that day by heavy rain. Despite not earning a check in that race, Versado has returned more than $215,000 to his connections since the purchase.

“He got run into in the Battle, and he’s going to the Jug too,” said Burke of the gelded son of Dragon Again.

World Of Rocknroll has been on a tailspin since his win in the $500,000 Hoosier Cup in late May. The son of Rocknroll Hanover was sent to Burke on the eve of the Battle of the Brandywine, where the colt led through opening fractions of :26.1 and :53.1 before tiring to eighth.

“I think that horse is going to be all right,” said Burke. “I still have high hopes. We don’t really have him right yet, but I think he’ll be OK.”

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