Four Jug starters for Burke?

Twenty-five years ago trainer Mickey Burke switched from selling automobiles to training Standardbreds. He started with five $2,500-$3,000 claimers and now trains 150 racehorses of all ages. On Sept. 20, Burke expects to start four of his colt pacers in the 62nd Little Brown Jug. 

“I was involved with hunter and jumper horses most of my life,” said Burke, a native of Uniontown, Pa. “In 1956, a friend ask me to train his Standardbreds. I told him who wants to ride in a buggy. But, one day I jogged one of his horses and the rest is history. In 1982, I sold my dealership and turned to training horses full time. My sons Ron and Mickey Jr. help me train and my daughter Michelle heads up the family operations at The Meadows. All will be in Delaware for the Jug.”

In 2006, Burke raced three colts in the Little Brown Jug. His colt Texas Shootout won his elimination in 1:50.4 but finished fifth in the final. 

Burke believes that all four of his probable starters this year have the ability to win the Little Brown Jug. He gives a thumbnail resume of each of them with 2007 statistics in parenthesis:

May June Character (16-5-1-0--$231,393). “He has gotten better with every race. He is a little bit of a flake on the track, but if he stays wired together he can out-pace them all. He has raced very well on five-eighths mile tracks, and Delaware is like a five-eighths mile track. He should be good there, too. Don’t sell this horse short.” May June Character won the Delvin Miller Adios.

Won The West (19-12-3-1--$229,414). "He is one tremendous colt. He won his elimination of the Adios and was second in the final. He will be a factor in his Jug division. He’s a dependable horse and has gotten continuously better with each start.” Won The West won his Adios elimination and was second in the final.

Pan Giovanni (14-3-3-1--$84,440). “He has been a pleasant surprise. He is a better horse than I thought when we got him earlier this year. He raced two good heats in the Adios. He improves with each start.” Pan Giovanni was second in his Adios elim and third in the final.

Watta Hotshot (11-0-1-5--$219,710). “We bought him for $250,000 two weeks before the Adios. We were looking for a horse that could win the classics. He had won three of seven starts and over $100,000 as a 2 year old. He hadn’t won a race this year but had earned $180,000, so you knew he was sitting on some wins. We raced him in the Holmes and he finished second. But in the Adios he was third that first heat but made a break in the final. He’s had some blood problems and obviously he got tired and made a break in the Adios. We would have started him in the Cane elim, but he still isn’t 100 percent healthy.  However, he just keeps getting better, and we hope he will race in the Jug.” Watta Hotshot finished third in his Adios elimination but broke stride in the final and finished last. (LBJ)

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