The Little Brown Jug…A dilemma for future owners?

The famed Little Brown Jug is a little more than 150 away…that’s hours, of course, but the famed Delaware, Ohio track is the fastest half-miler in the world with a mile in 1:50 most certainly a possibility and, some say, a probability with the talented sophomores eligible this year.

Without question, it’s one of the highlights of the harness racing year…and has become memorable to us “old-timers” who still remember the Bret Hanover Jug, among others, of well over a half century ago.

What spawned the idea for this Mane Attraction was the decision about the great It’s My Show (p ,3, 1:46.4) to skip the $400,000 Kentucky Sire Stakes Championship for the Jug, which, this year, should be worth at least double that amount, closer to $1 million in purse money.

So, from a monetary and prestige point of view, that seems reasonable.

Probably two things helped make that decision with one being, of course, the above points of view and the other being the entry of Confederate (p, 3, 1:46.1) in the KYSS Championship at The Red Mile.

But nothing is a sure thing in racing, and we all have seen plenty of 1 to 10 shots get beat and some even leading to the famed “bridge-jumpers!”

In fact, when I first saw the decision to send It’s My Show to the LBJ, I thought it was a great, gutsy decision as we all have seen some of the great ones avoid the Jug to protect their reputations for the future…and the It’s My Show owners, Richard and Joanne Young made a courageous decision for themselves…and the entire sport.

Again, in fact, some believe that the move by the It’s My Show was the exact opposite of what many believe—skip the Jug and go for the green on the larger track.

What’s the difference? Two things come to mind…the draw for the Jug…and the length of the stretch.

There’s nothing like a long stretch of 1,000 feet or more to get a great mark on a racehorse.

From Hoosier’s quarter mile straightaway (1,255’) to Woodbine to The Meadowlands to, of course, The Red Mile, we have witnessed speed once thought unimaginable and speed has been the keynote of our sport in recent years…and will continue to be for the remaining life of harness racing.

BUT, there are those that aren’t as enthusiastic about The Little Brown Jug and its half-mile oval, no matter how great it has come to be and still is…

First, heat racing is becoming passe these days with the days of four heat Hambletonians and multi-heat events a very rare sighting these days.

Heck, when harness racing was in its infancy, heat racing was the “thing” since the standardbred was bred and known —for durability.

We have records on the books for four-heat events, five-heat events, six-heat events…even NINE heat events.

Speed has all but eliminated heat racing with the traditional Little Brown Jug one of the few events held in heats left to behold.

How many 1:50 miles can a horse stand in ONE day?

The other factor is racing on a half mile oval with a stretch less than 400 feet.

There are a lot of factors getting to The Little Brown Jug…yearling nominations, introduction of bits and bridles and equipment as a yearling turning two-year-old, staying healthy, having a two-year-old train down to 2:30…then 2:15…then 2:00 and, finally, 1:50 or faster…sustaining payments…staying healthy…getting through an entire two-year-old season…more sustaining payments…reaching a potential where a horse can be competitive in a 1:48 mile…staying healthy through a racing season where 1:48 miles may not be good enough to win…and finally, getting through the draw for the Jug and NOT getting anything outside of number FIVE!

So, the roll of the dice begins at foaling and doesn’t end until the pill for a horse is drawn three days before The Little Brown Jug.

Delaware, Ohio’s great half mile track is the pinnacle of our sport—none better.

But, when turning for home, a horse has only 125 yards or so—maybe 11 or 12 seconds—to make you or break you and that’s a tall order to overcome.

Yonkers has a stretch of about 660 feet…Buffalo 640’…Charlottetown  625’…Saratoga 550’…Monticello 500’…Freehold 480’…and then there’s Delaware, Ohio.

The Little Brown Jug is the ULTIMATE test to prove a horse’s worth in speed and durability.

The odds of winning are long, indeed…very long.

Frank Sinatra said it best in his song, New York, New York when he sang, “if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.

The same is true for the Little Brown Jug…If a horse can win it there, it can win it anywhere!

by John Berry, for Harnesslink