Trot Insider has learned that 2011 Little Brown Jug winner Big Bad John will be standing in Ontario for the 2021 breeding season.
Steve Morse of Chesnutt Country Farms recently obtained the son of Western Hanover, who was one of Ohio's top stallions for the latter part of the 2010s.
On the racetrack, Big Bad John (Western Hanover - Trulyawork Of Art) was a world champion and retired with nearly $1 million in earnings. He set a world record of 1:53h as a two-year-old, winning six stakes as a freshman, before winning the Little Brown Jug (1:50.2h-1:50h) at three while defeating the best of his generation including Roll With Joe, Betterthancheddar, and Up The Credit.
From six crops to race he is the sire of the winners of more than $17.2 million, with 133 in 1:55 and 61 $100,000 winners. He led all Ohio pacing sires in number of two-year-old winners in 2019 with 35. His starters average $54,092 in earnings with 79.1 percent foals of racing age starting.
Morse will be standing Big Bad John at his Dorchester, Ont. area farm and has set the 2021 stud fee for Big Bad John at $1,500, looking to provide the province's harness racing industry with a solid and proven stallion at a very reasonable price.
"Our main objective is to have it affordable for the average person," said Morse. "With what's going on in the world today, people aren't working all the time...This guy won the Little Brown Jug, won 19 of 27 starts, won eight races in 1:50 or faster. He's just a phenomenal horse, he's still extremely young and he produces every year. We're looking forward to having him here."
Morse also noted that Chesnutt Country Farm will be offering performance bonuses for Big Bad John's first Ontario crops.
"For the first two-year-old to win in 1:52 or faster, we're offering a $5,000 bonus," said Morse. "Any three-year-old that wins in 1:49 or faster gets a $10,000 bonus," with those bonuses split between the owner and the breeder.
For more information, contact Steve at 519-657-6337 or [email protected].