According to a report, officials with Ohio’s Delaware County Fair, home to the Little Brown Jug, have stated that the race could leave the fairgrounds if upgrades are not made.

An article by This Week Community News states that the fair board has voiced its support for a plan which would raise the county's bed tax by three per cent in order to help pay for renovations.

The report states that fair officials are looking for proceeds from a tax on county hotel rooms in order to cover the cost of road repairs, as well as upgrades to electrical and water systems.

Grand Circuit Week at the Delaware County Fair is home to the Little Brown Jug, the second leg of Pacing's Triple Crown. Tens of thousands of visitors flock to the fairgrounds each year during Grand Circuit Week. More than 44,000 patrons were at the fair on Thursday, September 18 when the Ron Burke-trained and Yannick Gingras-driven Limelight Beach won the 69th edition of the Jug in straight heats.

Trainer Linda Toscano has been quoted as saying that it “would be very, very sad for our industry" if the Jug were to relocate from the fairgrounds. She stated that many marquee Standardbred stakes events have moved to other tracks, and that the Little Brown Jug at the Delaware County Fair is “one of the last traditions that has held."

"This is the one place where they do it right," Toscano said. "For one day in September, harness racing is alive and well in Ohio."

Stating that upgrades are needed for the fair’s racing facilities, Toscano said, "It's antiquated," adding, "There's a little bit of it that makes it quaint, and there's a lot of it that makes it run-down."

(With files from the This Week Community News)