Oldford, Harmon, and Jackson star in GLADA events

Delaware, Ohio, Suday, September17, 2023…The Great Lakes Amateur Driving Association (GLADA) helped give Little Brown Jug week an auspicious opening day on Sunday (Sept. 17), with a trio of harness racing events which, ultimately, had amateur drivers Steve Oldford, Lauren Harmon and Dakota Jackson playing the starring roles.

Oldford, kicked off Little Brown Jig week in the very first race and promptly (1:57.1) wound up in the winner’s circle with the classy 10-year-old horse Muscles For Life (Muscle Mass), leased by Oldford Racing and trained by Maurice Goldschmidt, Jr.

Oldford sent Muscles For Life right down the road on the Delaware, Ohio half-mile oval and the gelding earned his 44th lifetime win sending his career bounty to $462,307.

Stone Throw Away (Wishing Stone) finished second, 1 1/2 lengths away, for Lauren Harmon in the bike,while Miswhishinforpete (Uncle Peter) was next for Lukas Harper.

For Oldford, it was his 199th career win and sixth in Delaware, Ohio on Jug week over the years.

In a post-race interview, Oldford lamented, “You know, this is just a wonderful, classy horse and “Bucky” (trainer Goldschmidt) did an outstanding job in getting him ready for this event.

“This was only his second start of the year and I thought he’d be very good this week after a sharp race last week at Northfield where he finished second.

“When he left the gate, he did so all on his own and he did all the work. I never had to ask him for anything, and he was strong and like a machine the throughout the mile.”

Indeed, Muscles For Life trotted individual quarters of :29, :29.1, :29.2 and :29.3 with no competitor ever getting within one length of him during the journey.

Of course, the Delaware, Ohio crowd expected nothing less as the winner paid $2.80 to his many faithful.

The next GLADA event went to Bentley Blu (Cantab Hall), ably handled by Lauren Harmon for trainer Stacey Van Huizen, who conditions the six-year-old gelding for Crawford Farms Racing.

The 23-year-old Ms. Harmon gave Bentley Blu a picture perfect drive—just like driving a blu Bentley—by enjoying a confident pocket journey throughout, pulling the pocket around the final bend and using a :29 kick home to score by 2 1/4 lengths over T Barrr (Adam T), driven by Darrell Rideout with A Royal Line (Royalty For Life) third for Jaime Riera Bassa, who traveled across the Atlantic Ocean from Spain to compete in this competition.

Bentley Blu now sports at 4-2-4 scorecard in 25 starts this year and earnings of $37,126.

Ms. Harmon won for the 10th time this semester and now has 29 career wins and is enjoying her best season in both wins and purse money won.

Bentley Blu paid $6.40 as second choice in the betting.

The Fouts Memorial went to Louie Louie (Sweet Lou), driven by Dakota Jackson for trainer Mark Winters, Jr. and owner Tatham Racing Stable.

This six-year-old gelding toured the Delaware, Ohio oval in 1:53.4, scoring a nine-length victory over Rose Run Xiled (McArdle), handled by Wyatt Long with Medoland Terror (Western Terror) another neck back in third for Tony Dinges.

The winner, who recently went over the $200,000 in lifetime earnings, was relaxed early in mid-pack before improving his position on the backside and then unleashing a devastating :28 finale to widen his lead when straightened away.

Louie Louie paid $6.40 to win.

The 24-year-old Jackson, is having his best year in the win column, getting his very first win over the famed Little Brown Jug oval after three successes over The Meadowlands one-miler.

GLADA, by the way, has donated well over $100,000 through charitable donations over the years, including scholarships and stipends to the Hall Of Fame in Goshen, New York.

Racing continues this Little Brown Jug week through Thursday the GLADA joining the festivities again on Little Brown Jug Day.

by John Berry, for GLADA