By John Manzi
MONTICELLO — September 6, 2002 – When it comes to unusual racing promotions you can figure that Monticello Raceway is in some way involved.
The Mighty M’s People’s Pacer promo, where 100 fans got to share in purse money won by a pacer over the summertime, has recently finished. And on September 8, the first-ever Battle of the Broadcasters races – for harness racing announcers from North American tracks – will be presented.
Right on the heels of that, on Sunday afternoon, September 22, comes the 13th Annual Little Grey Jug, a race for grey-colored pacers only.
In what began as a spoof on the nation’s greatest attended harness race, the famous Little Brown Jug of Delaware, Ohio, Monticello Raceway’s Little Grey Jug has annually become an anticipated event for both horsemen and fans alike since its inaugural presentation in 1990.
So much so that there are usually two events for grey colored pacers.
And should that be the case again this year as the race, dubbed The Little Grey Mug, will be for the lesser caliber greys.
Monticello’s Director of Racing, Eric Warner is currently reaching out for grey horses.
“In past years we had many grey pacers competing here on a regular basis but this season we have only a few,” Warner said. “So I’m looking for trainers with grey horses at other racetracks who might like to come to Monticello to race on September 22nd.”
The Mighty M offers a $5,000 purse for the Little Grey Jug and $3,000 for the Little Grey Mug.
Anyone with a grey, or roan, pacer interested in competing in the Mighty M’s Little Grey Jug, please contact Warner at Monticello Raceway by calling 794-4100, ext. 557. Or call the raceway’s publicity office at extension 455.

Kash Evermore Fastest
in N.Y. Sire Stakes
Kash Evermore shadowed pace-setter Magical Leah until the top of the stretch then rallied for a length decision, winning her division of the $144,000 New York Sire Stakes (NYSS) for three-year-old pacing fillies on September 1.
Wally Hennessey drove the daughter of Call For Rain to a 1:57:2 victory in what turned out to be the fastest of the three $48,000 divisions. Magical Leah, driven by Jack Rice, hung on for second with Dan Daley’s, Pretty Magical finishing third.
For the winner, owned by E. Smith, C. Galbraith, P Nojam and J.T. Catalano, it marked her seventh victory in 11 seasonal starts and raised her yearly earnings to over $96,000.
In the second NYSS division, Howard O’Kusko reined The What Stables’ daughter of On The Road Again, Red Road Rage, to a 1:59:4 victory just holding off, by a head, a fast closing Iza Kash in rein to Wally Hennessey. Anubis was third for Jeff Gregory.
With her victory, her fifth of the year, Red Road Rage raised her seasonal earning to over $78,000.
Hugs Fanci, sent off as the prohibitive favorite, easily won the final NYSS division in 1:58:4. Stephane Bouchard drove this daughter of On The Road Again, owned by John Sixt and Judy Blaun, to her third victory of the season turning back Rainella Kash, handled by Wally Hennessey and Tear Drop, driven by Jeff Gregory.
Also that day the raceway remembered our beloved general manager, the late Bill Sullivan, with a race named in his honor. Fittingly it was won by the track’s winningest driver of all-time, Billy “Zeke” Parker, Jr., who reined Towners Playboy to a wire to wire triumph in 1:57:3.
Parker will now be competing again at the Mighty M on a regular basis throughout the remainder of the year.