Delaware County Fair: Bythemissal makes Page's life-long dream a reality in Little Brown Jug

Bythemissal made the $45,000 supplement payment his connections made to put him in the Little Brown Jug worth it as he won his $50,000 elimination and then the $541,550 final of the classic for 3-year-old colt and gelding pacers on Thursday at the Delaware County Fair.

Fourever Boy (Dexter Dunn), who won the other elimination, landed the pole position for the final and blasted out, putting Bythemissal (Chris Page) in the pocket from post two. Atlas Hanover (Anthony MacDonald) also showed speed from post five but got left out by Fourever Boy and backed off before the 27 1/5 opening quarter.

Dunn and Fourever Boy continued on the front-end to a 55 3/5 half and a 1:24 1/5 three-quarters, but Page guided Bythemissal to the outside nearing the latter marker, and Bythemissal came with a quick brush that got him the lead on the outside on the final bend. In the lane Fourever Boy tried to fight back and Night Hawk (David Miller) closed from second-over, but there was no catching Bythemissal, as he scored by three-quarters of a length in 1:51 1/5 with Page waving his whip triumphantly. Fourever Boy held off Night Hawk for second, Six Feet Apart (Matt Kakaley) was fourth, and Birthday (Ronnie Wrenn Jr.) got fifth.

"I was fortunate enough to sit behind the sire of him, Downbytheseaside, who was also a great horse. Winning the Little Brown Jug has been my dream ever since I was a little tyke, so today, I feel like somebody oughta pinch me, like I'm gonna wake up sometime," said Page. "My first Little Brown Jug was 1994, and I haven't missed one since. This is what really pulled me in and made me want to drive horses and fall in love with it.

"Either I was going to be in the front, or I was going to be in the two-hole, and if I was in the two-hole I was going to sit there until the action behind me came, and I wasn't going to get stuck in. Tim Twaddle has done a good job with that horse, and Dexter Dunn's a magician in the bike, so you never count them out, but the first elimination my horse was very well wrapped-up and well within himself, so I was very confident in him."

Ron Burke trains Bythemissal, who was bred by Dr. Stephen Dey III, for owners Burke Racing Stable LLC., Eric Good, Rich Lombardo Racing LLC., and Weaver Bruscemi LLC. Bythemissal has a record of 11-2-0 from 13 career starts, and he has now banked $833,525. He paid $2.80 to win in the final as the 2-5 favorite.

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"That's four [Little Brown Jugs] for us, so that's pretty cool," stated Burke, who also won the race last year with Lou's Pearlman. "I believed he was the best horse today. He drew in a great spot, and I knew Chris would be confident enough to give him the right trip.

"He's got the sires stake final next week, so we go there first. We've got to get that."