Fourteen three-year-old pacers were entered in the 80th Little Brown Jug (Grade 1), with two $50,000 USD elimination heats to be held ahead of the $500,000 USD final on Thursday, Sept. 18 at Delaware County Fair.
Top-ranked sophomore pacing colts Louprint and Prince Hal Hanover headline the contenders, both drawing into the first elimination heat in posts five and six, respectively. The post position draw was conducted on Monday, Sept. 15.
Undefeated in his seven sophomore starts this year, the Ron Burke-trained millionaire Louprint will be driven by regular reinsman Ronnie Wrenn Jr. The winner of the North America Cup in June, the Sweet Lou-Rockin Racer colt returned from a mid-summer health hiatus and most recently won the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship.
Trained by Dr. Ian Moore, Canadian-campaigned millionaire Prince Hal Hanover was just a neck shy of Louprint in that matchup and will look to add another Grand Circuit stakes win to his impressive resume that already includes the Delvin Miller Adios and Carl Milstein Memorial. Todd McCarthy will drive the Captaintreacherous-Percy Bluechip colt.
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 elimination heats are scheduled as races 16 and 17 while the final will go as the last race of the day with the top four finishers from each elimination.
The complete fields are listed below in post position order.
Little Brown Jug Elimination Heat #1
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. No Trespassing - Scott Zeron - Deborah Daguet
2. Papis Rocket - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
3. Ayeaye Captain Deo - James MacDonald - Garry Merner Jr.
4. Extra Suds - Dexter Dunn - Virgil Morgan Jr.
5. Louprint - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ron Burke
6. Prince Hal Hanover - Todd McCarthy - Ian Moore
7. Sterling Choice - Yannick Gingras - Blake MacIntosh
Little Brown Jug Elimination Heat #2
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. D A Loveboat - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
2. Thirsty Thursday - Tyler Buter - Hunter Oakes
3. Lous Starr - Fern Paquet Jr. - Scott Warnick
4. Odds On Outlier - Dexter Dunn - Melanie Wrenn
5. Captain Optimistic - Dexter Dunn - Nancy Takter
6. Snack Attack - Jason Bartlett - Joe Bongiorno
7. Wild Bill Wyatt - Jason Bartlett - Walter Haynes Jr.
Sixteen three-year-old pacing fillies were entered in the 55th Jugette (Grade 1), which will be contested on Wednesday, Sept. 17. The draw took place on Sunday, Sept. 14.
Rodeo Drive Deo is the top money-earning filly entered, drawing post seven in the first elimination heat for trainer Ron Burke with David Miller listed to drive. A two-time Pennsylvania Sire Stakes winner this year, the Captaintreacherous-Miss L A filly has been chasing divisional darling Miki And Minnie in the big dances, finishing second to her in the Fan Hanover, Shady Daisy and, most recently, the Sire Stakes Championship. With just over $440,000 banked so far this year, Rodeo Drive Deo is approaching the million-dollar mark in career earnings.
Two $25,000 USD elimination heats for the Jugette will take place as races 18 and 19 on Wednesday with the $280,000 USD final going as the 22nd race.
The complete elimination fields are listed below in post position order.
Jugette Elimination Heat #1
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Millie May Hanover - Todd McCarthy - Andrew Harris
2. Rose Run Aime - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - James Ehrsam
3. Vel Cinderella - Tim Tetrick - Rob Rittof
4 Skywalker Sea - Austin Hanners - Todd Luther
5. Highlight Delight - Ronnie Wrenn Jr. - Ben Hollingsworth
6. Odds On Hialeah - Dexter Dunn - Virgil Morgan Jr.
7. Rodeo Drive Deo - David Miller - Ron Burke
8. Dirty Diana - Jody Jamieson - John Pentland
Jugette Elimination Heat #2
Post - Horse - Listed Driver - Trainer
1. Lily White Hanover - Todd McCarthy - Andrew Harris
2. Allegra Hanover - Allegra Hanover - Dexter Dunn - Brian Brown
3. Rose - Yannick Gingras - Ron Burke
4 Odds On Chesapeake - Dexter Dunn - Virgil Morgan Jr.
5. Time Of The Season - Dexter Dunn - Tim Twaddle
6. Papi Grad - Todd McCarthy - Steve Carter
7. Gigglingonthebeach - James MacDonald - Juan Cano
8. Sammy Joe Hanover - Tim Tetrick - Scott DiDomenico
(Standardbred Canada)