Word from the Little Brown Jug Society indicates that the purse for the 2009 edition of the Jug could possibly be $1 million.
The Little Brown Jug Society has made changes in all Grand Circuit stakes payments and added monies which will be reflected in 2009 purses.
"Our goal is to increase the Little Brown Jug purse to $1 million," said Tom Wright, vice-president of the Little Brown Jug Society and Race Secretary of the Delaware Fair racing program. "These increases will also increase purses for all other Grand Circuit stakes."
Wright has spent the year comparing Delaware stakes payments with other major stakes throughout the sport.
In 2006, the Little Brown Jug nomination fee was increased from $25 to $50.
"Our number of nominations remained the same but we received double the amount of money," said Wright. "We will increase our two-year-old payment from $300 to $500. We made no changes in the three-year-old payment or starting fees."
Wright added, "We also increased our added money by 20 per cent. We did not feel it was proper to ask the horsemen to increase their payments if we did not increase our added money."
(With files from the Little Brown Jug)