Harness Analyst – Little Brown Jug Day

Ohio takes centre stage in the harness racing world this afternoon as the iconic Little Brown Jug will be contested in Delaware Ohio for a total purse of $1 million.

This is the first time for the large pot and, if you boost the purse, they will come, at least most of them. Division leader Confederate chose the $400,000 Kentucky Sires stakes final, but we get to see the best of the rest of a very good crop of sophomore pacing colts and geldings knock heads in this 51st Jug.

Here is my full analysis of this marathon 24-race card and multi-race tickets. Good Luck with all of your plays today!

BEST BET – TALENT SCOUT – Race 17

SPOT PLAY – RACING SPIRIT – Race 14

50-Cent Pick 4 – Race 2 – 5/14/3/23 = $2

50-Cent Pick 4 – Race 10 – 45/138/2/1346 = $12

50-Cent Pick 4 – Race 14 – 27/23/2478/1 = $8

Race 1 – 1-4-3-2

(1) OFFICIAL DELIGHT moves up off a win so he won’t be favored here, and Miller may just send him right down the road at a square price to kick off the card.

Race 2 – 5-3-1-2

(5) MUSCLES FOR LIFE and veteran amateur driver Stephen Oldford shoot for their second win here in four days and they will have to be caught.

Race 3 – 4-1-2-3

(4) ACT FAST is best in here and he will likely impose his will in the opening 1/4, clear to the front and lead all the way from there.

Race 4 – 3-4-1-2

(3) WICKED CHARACTER, easy winner of the OHSS Final, towers over these and he should repeat.

Race 5 – 2-3-1-4

This is really a two-horse battle between (2) JET HILL and (3) GRAND REVIVAL and I’ll give the nod to the gelding that drew inside.

Race 6 – 4-5-2-8

(4) LAST BET, winner of 10 of 30 this year, could only follow win machine Southwind Amazon home in his most recent start, but he looks best vs. these.

Race 7 – 2-3-1-4

(2) JOHN DUTTON stands out here and he should be able to control the fractions from the outset. He should deliver as the chalk.

Race 8 – 3-1-5-7

(3) DANCE IN STYLE, a fair track specialist, shoots for a ninth straight win here and St. Louis will put him in play leaving the gate. Call to upset.

Race 9 – 1-3-4-2

(1) FLIRTNWITHTHEPILOT doesn’t lose when he draws inside, and he should be hard to get past here.

Race 10 – 4-5-6-2

This looks like a spot where (4) MY LEGEND can clear to the front early in the mile. He should be the one to catch and beat.

Race 11 – 3-1-8-4

(3) SEEUATTHESMOKE is one of the fastest leaving rookie pacing colts around and he has a good chance to wire these.

Race 12 – 2-7-5-4

(2) JK’S CHAMP holds post advantage on the other speedsters in here and that should tip the scales in his favor here.

Race 13 – 6-3-1-4

(6) CRUISE ALERT paced a big parked out mile in defeat in the OHSS Final and he gets a slight nod in a competitive Ohio Breeders Championship for sophomore pacing fillies.

Race 14 – 2-7-5-1

(2) RACING SPIRIT faces easier, draws inside and picks up Tetrick; upset special.

Race 15 – 2-3-5-4

(2) MCSEASIDE is the class of this field, and she will likely go right down the road from her inside post.

Race 16 – 2-4-7-8

(2) DRAGON YOU ALONG draws closest inside of the main contenders here and he gets a slight nod in a race that has several possibilities.

Race 17 – 1-3-2-4

(1) TALENT SCOUT stands out in this year’s edition of the Old Oaken Bucket, and he will be a single for me.

Race 18 – 1-2-3-4

(1) JANELLE GRANNY possesses blinding speed on his best day, and he is the one to catch and beat here.

Race 19 – 1-3-6-2

(1) VOUKEFALAS is probably best in this field and drawing the rail will probably make him ultra tough in this first elimination of the Little Brown Jug.

Race 20 – 6-1-2-3

(6) SEVEN COLORS is the best colt in here and possibly in any of the Jug elims and I think he overcomes the widest post and takes care of business.

Race 21 – 1-2-4-3

This is the toughest Jug elim, but once again I will give the edge to a fast colt that drew the rail. (1) CANNIBAL is the one to catch.

Race 22 – 5-4-2-1

(5) M-M’S DREAM is the best older trotting mare on the continent. Only a miscue or a horrendous trip would get her beat here.

Race 23 – The Little Brown Jug Final

Obviously, it’s next to impossible to pick the winner of the final without knowing who made it in and what posts they drew. That being said, I’ll go out on a limb and call Seven Colors as the winner of the 2023 Little Brown Jug

For complete race entries, click here: US Trotting entries.

by Garnet Barnsdale, for Harnesslink