Three-year-old pacing colt Louprint stamped himself as one of the greatest horses trained by Ron Burke when he won the 80th edition of the Little Brown Jug, the third leg of Pacing's Triple Crown, on Thursday, Sept. 18 at Delaware County Fairgrounds.

Burke completed a sweep of this year's Little Brown Jug and companion filly Jugette race, won on Wednesday by Rodeo Drive Deo. This was the second time he has trained the winners of both Delaware County Fair classics in the same year -- a feat he first achieved in 2021 with Lous Pearlman and Scarlett Hanover.

A 1:50.3 winner in the first heat, Louprint was sent postward as the 1-5 favourite from the inside post in the final. Driven by regular reinsman Ronnie Wrenn Jr., Louprint lined up his seven rivals in post position order, leading through a :27.3 opening quarter and :56.2 half with the other elimination winner, Odds On Outlier (Dexter Dunn), hot on his heels. Louprint then shrugged off a first-over challenge from Cane Pace champion Captain Optimistic (Scott Zeron) past three-quarters in 1:23.4 and held clear of pocket-pursuer Odds On Outlier through the stretch for the 1-1/4-length victory in 1:50.1. Captain Optimistic settled for third.

Louprint garnered high praise from the sport's leading trainer after winning back-to-back heats to continue his undefeated sophomore season that includes another Grade 1 stakes win in the North America Cup prior to a mid-summer health hiatus.

"He's moved into maybe the greatest horse I've ever trained," stated Burke in a post-race interview. "He has no holes in his game. He can leave, he can duck, he can rate, his gait is flawless. I can't wait to see him as a sire. But right now, I'm just going to enjoy it and race him to the end of the year and try to get him in as many races as I can."

Louprint became a double millionaire with his career earnings soaring to $2,321,766. Perfect through nine sophomore starts, he is now 16-for-19 lifetime.

"You know what? The thing is with him, it's easy. I have total belief in him, and I just know I have to make sure I give him enough work that he's fit. Other than that, he's going to do it on his own. And he seems to enjoy his work so I can give him a little bit extra and, usually, the tighter they are, the better they'll race."

Now a five-time Little Brown Jug winner, Burke also won this event with Bythemissal in 2022, Filibuster Hanover in 2017 and Limelight Beach in 2014. His five Jug wins ranks second-most among trainers behind William Haughton, who won six editions over a 30-year period between 1955 through 1985.

For Ohio reinsman Wrenn, the victory was his first in the Jug.

"This horse is capable of anything," said Wrenn after the race. "Everything I ask him to do, he responds and does the job. He's great gaited, got around this track nice...he's a true professional.

"It's a great feeling. It's everything. It's a relief. I'm happy to get the job done for Ronnie Burke, his family, the other owners. My family and friends are here today, and you know, it's a special moment. I'm trying to soak it in."

"I've said all along for the last two years, I have all the faith in the world and him," Burke said of Wrenn. "I will use him in any race. It doesn't matter what horse, and he's rewarded me over and over again."

Louprint, a colt sired by the Burke-trained $3.4 million earner Sweet Lou out of Rockin Racer, is a homebred for Pennsylvania's Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Phil Collura, also co-owned by New Jersey's Lawrence Karr.

"This has been awesome," said co-owner Collura, celebrating his third Little Brown Jug win after previous victories with Filibuster Hanover and Lous Pearlman. "It never gets old, but this one is extra special because it's a son of Sweet Lou, who we owned, and the adversity that this colt went through a couple of months ago with the surgery. We didn't think we were going to get him back this good, and he's come back better than ever."

Louprint paid $2.60 to win.

Gov. Mike DeWine made the Little Brown Jug trophy presentation to the winning connections.

"This is so important for Ohio," said DeWine. "And, of course, this is a national event...an international event, and it's good to see people from 45 states or whatever we have here today...and other countries. It's a fabulous day. We're very proud of the Little Brown Jug."

Favourites Deliver In Little Brown Jug Eliminations

Heavy favourite Louprint continued his undefeated sophomore season with a front-end victory in the first of two $69,444 eliminations for the 2025 Little Brown Jug on Thursday, Sept. 18 at Delaware County Fairgrounds.

Leaving from post five, driver Ronnie Wrenn Jr. had the popular Ron Burke trainee moving to the lead during a :28.1 opening quarter after stablemate Papis Rocket and Yannick Gingras had crossed ahead of inside starter No Tresspassing (Scott Zeron) in the first turn.

With Louprint leading the way, the Burke trainees remained one-two at the pylons through a half in :56 and three-quarters in 1:22.3, with Extra Suds (Dexter Dunn) rallying three-wide around the fading cover of Ayeaye Captain Deo (James MacDonald) turning for home while second choice Prince Hal Hanover (Todd McCarthy) gapped cover third-over at the back.

There was no catching Louprint in the lane as the 1-5 favourite cruised home a two-length winner in 1:50.3. Papis Rocket stayed for second while No Tresspassing nabbed third place at the inside with Extra Suds fourth.

Louprint, who improved to eight-for-eight this year, paid $2.40 to win.

"He warmed up real sharp and trained great the other day, so there was no question of getting around the track, it was just how were we getting to the front," said Burke in a post-race interview. "Yannick beat everybody to turn and, you know, he's looking to turn Ronnie because it's the best chance for him to get where he finished. Now, he was second, and we got two in."

"As far as I'm concerned, it's halftime and we got one more to go. Job's not finished, but he raced great," said Wrenn. "He did everything I asked. He was just as I expected to be out of the gate. He handled the first turn and when I got to the front :28.1, it was a lot softer than I thought, but it just shows the amount of respect he gets from the other drivers, of how special the horse he is. And hopefully can do one more time."

The millionaire Sweet Lou-Rockin Racer colt is a homebred for Pennsylvania's Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi and Phillip Collura, also co-owned by New Jersey's Lawrence Karr.

Odds On Outlier ($3.40) delivered as the 3-5 public choice in the second $69,444 Little Brown Jug elimination, winning by more than four lengths in 1:49.3.

Driver Dexter Dunn pointed the son of Sweet Lou-Odds On Orlando to the top from post four, slightly wide into the turn, as D A Love Boat (Yannick Gingras) used rail control to front the field early. Once Odds On Outlier cleared to the top through a :26.2 opening quarter, there wasn't much of a threat after that. Confidently carving out middle panels of :54.1 and 1:22, Odds On Outlier paced home on his own in :27.3 for the 1:49.3 mile time. Captain Optimistic (Scott Zeron) closed well to finish second, followed by Lous Starr (Fern Paquet Jr.) and Snack Attack (Jason Bartlett).

“I was excited when Pete [Wrenn] said to me there a couple weeks ago that he's going to put him in the Jug," stated Dunn, who has finished second in this race for the last two years. "I thought he's perfect for it. He hasn't had too much hard racing, but he's put in some good miles and just completely under wraps doing it. He gave me a really good feeling and I thought he had a good shot.”

A homebred owned by Odds On Racing of Boca Raton, Florida, Odds On Outlier now sports a solid 7-3-2 record from his 12 seasonal starts with $172,648 in earnings. 

The Melanie Wrenn trainee is normally driven by her accomplished husband, Peter, but he made the choice to hand the lines over to Dunn for this two-heat test.

“It’s a tough business. It's a very competitive business, and a while back, I wouldn't have done that," stated Peter. "But it's the game, and I'm all about it and I have all the respect in the world for Dexter.

“[Odds On Outlier] kind of reminded me of like a great half-mile specialist. He's got a quick foot to him. And every week he's been going to the wire good. So if he didn't deserve it, not many horses do.”

Post positions for the Jug final are listed below with final driver changes.

1. Louprint - Ronnie Wrenn Jr.
2. Odds On Outlier - Dexter Dunn
3. Papis Rocket - Yannick Gingras
4. Captain Optimistic - Scott Zeron
5. No Tresspassing - James MacDonald
6. Lous Starr - Fern Paquet Jr.
7. Snack Attack - Jason Bartlett
8. Extra Suds - David Miller

Equipment changes have been announced for both Odds On Outlier and Papis Rocket. Both will race with no front shoes in the final heat.

Watch The 2025 Little Brown Jug

The 80th edition of the $833,333 Little Brown Jug for three-year-old pacers headlines Thursday's 20-race card at the Delaware County Fair and live streaming of all the action will be available.

Post time for Thursday's 20-race card is 11 a.m., with a majority of the card available on Fox Sports 2, from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. The $69,444 elimination heats are scheduled as races 16 and 17 while the $694,444 final will go as the last race of the day with the top four finishers from each elimination.

Fourteen three-year-old pacing colts and geldings were entered in the Grade 1 stakes event. Undefeated in seven sophomore starts, North America Cup champion Louprint is the 2-1 morning line favourite in the first elimination from post five with Ronnie Wrenn Jr. driving. Trainer Ron Burke will have a total of three starters in the eliminations as he looks to sweep the Delaware Fair classics following Rodeo Drive Deo's Jugette victory on Wednesday. The Dr. Ian Moore-trained Adios and Milstein champion, Prince Hal Hanover, will start just outside of Louprint with last year's Jug-winning driver Todd McCarthy in the sulky. 

Odds On Outlier is the 5-2 morning line favourite from post four in the second elimination with Dexter Dunn driving for trainer Melanie Wrenn. In the next slot over, Cane Pace champion Captain Optimistic will be looking to double up in this year's Pacing Triple Crown for trainer Nancy Takter with Scott Zeron aboard.

The Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association will present a live stream of Thursday's 20-race card, which will be available below. 

The complete fields are listed below in post position order.

Little Brown Jug Elimination #1
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer - Morning Line Odds
1. No Tresspassing - Scott Zeron - Deborah Daguet - 10-1
2. Papis Rocket - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke - 6-1
3. Ayeaye Captain Deo - James MacDonald - Garry Merner Jr. - 5-1
4. Extra Suds - Dexter Dunn - Virgil Morgan Jr. - 5-1
5. Louprint - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke - 2-1
6. Prince Hal Hanover - Todd McCarthy - Ian Moore - 3-1
7. Sterling Choice - Jason Bartlett - Blake MacIntosh - 12-1

Little Brown Jug Elimination #2
Post - Horse - Driver - Trainer - Morning Line Odds
1. D A Loveboat - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke - 9-1
2. Thirsty Thursday - Tyler Buter - Hunter Oakes - 3-1
3. Lous Starr - Fern Paquet Jr. - Scott Warnick - 8-1
4. Odds On Outlier - Dexter Dunn - Melanie Wrenn - 5-2
5. Captain Optimistic - Scott Zeron - Nancy Takter - 7-2
6. Snack Attack - Jason Bartlett - Joe Bongiorno - 7-2
7. Wild Bill Wyatt - Dan Noble - Walter Haynes Jr. - 20-1

Click here for free program pages.

(Standardbred Canada)