The Canadian Sportsman
Last Call Online
Back To Last Call OnlineSeptember 15, 2009
The Jug and Well Said: Steve Elliott’s not shooting off his bazoo and neither should you
Nothing burns Steve Elliott’s butt more than people racing his horses for him. So, when the talk began floating around that Well Said was going to skip the Little Brown Jug, it’s a safe bet it irked the trainer (above, Claus Andersen photo).
“You know how it is. Everybody can manage your horse better than you,” Elliott said Monday. “It’s always been that way.”
Let’s not forget, Elliott managed Donato Hanover to darn-near perfection, among many others.
The fact Well Said is the best sophomore pacer in racing is motivation enough for tackling the Jug despite its pitfalls, but we can all thank spite for having at least a small role in helping make up Elliott’s mind to head for Ohio.
Don’t think Well Said should or can race in the Jug? You’ll see a week from Thursday.
Not that Elliott is bragging about the colt. Talk about pitfalls — Elliott’s seen too many trainers shoot off their big bazoos only to end up with a bazoo full of crow. To this he refers readers to another favourite expression: “I’m never going to let my mouth overload my ass. You know what happens when people start talking... If the horse is good, he’ll talk for himself.”
That’s not to say skipping the Jug wasn’t discussed in the Well Said camp. And yes, I realize Well Said’s owners — Jeff Snyder and Sue Grange — have the final say. But the trainer does have some significant influence in the process.
They all would be fools not to at least consider passing on Delaware. Going heats on a bullring for a relatively small purse against more than the usual number of cowboy drivers trying to make a name for themselves is a treat for everyone but the top participants.
As a spectacle, the Jug is hard to beat. Virtually everyone, including Elliott, would love to win it. But, a determiner of equine greatness, the Jug is not.
As Elliott said, one just has to have the best horse — and a decent post — on that one day.
Which isn’t to say Well Said will be the best horse on Jug Day, but in the race before the race — the one where we all love to call the shots on other people’s horses, to the chagrin of people like Elliott — Well Said’s already got the best post one can draw.
Have an opinion on the great Jug debate? Click on “Tack Trunk Debate” and put yourself in Steve Elliott’s shoes. We look forward to your comments.
Comments (0)
Print
Add Your Comment
Blog Archives
