Ohio-bred Lather Up and supplemental entry Courtly Choice have each drawn the coveted rail positions for their respective opening-heat eliminations for the $642,000 Little Brown Jug, presented by the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association, which will be held this Thursday (Sept. 20) at the Delaware County Fair in Ohio.
Lather Up is a homebred son of Im Gorgeous and has won $738,965 for Gary and Barbara Iles. He has won 14 of 19 career starts including the $1 million North America Cup and his $275,000 Ohio Sires Stakes Final.
Lather Up will be driven by Montrell Teague and is trained by Clyde Francis, the same connections that won the 2015 Little Brown Jug with Wiggle It Jiggleit.
Courtly Choice has won nine starts this season and has banked more than $700,000 lifetime. The bay son of Art Major is owned by Huff Racing Stable, Mac & Heim Stables, Daniel Plouffe and Touch Stone Farms. Courtly Choice is conditioned by Blake MacIntosh and driven by the four-time Jug winner David Miller.
Courtly Choice was not Jug eligible, but thanks to his win in the $701,830 Meadowlands Pace his connections could pay the $45,000 supplemental payment.
Stay Hungry has drawn Post 4 for the second opening-heat elim. Stay Hungry, by Somebeachsomewhere, is looking to become the 11th horse to win pacing’s Triple Crown (it has been 15 years since No Pan Intended last accomplished the feat).
Stay Hungry has banked $1.2 million in purses and has notched wins in the $281,000 Cane Pace and the $500,000 Messenger Stakes. Stay Hungry, who is owned by Brad Grant and the Estate of Irwin Samelman, is trained by Tony Alagna and will be piloted by Doug McNair.
The first four finishers in each of the $102,720 eliminations will return for the $436,560 second heat (which is the final heat). The winner of the second heat will be declared the 73rd Jug champion.
The fields for the Little Brown Jug’s opening-heat eliminations appear below.
$102,720 - 1st Elimination
PP – Horse (Driver/Trainer)
1. Lather Up (Montrell Teague/Clyde Francis)
2. This Is The Plan (Andrew McCarthy/Chris Ryder)
3. Babes Dig Me (Yannick Gingras/Tony Alagna)
4. Done Well (Tim Tetrick/Brian Brown)
5. Key Advisor (Chris Page/Tony Alagna)
6. Nutcracker Sweet (Jordan Stratton/Jimmy Takter)
7. Wes Delight (Yannick Gingras/Chris Oakes)
$102,720 – 2nd Elimination
PP – Horse (Driver/Trainer)
1. Courtly Choice (David Miller/Blake MacIntosh)
2. Hayden Hanover (Andy Miller/Julie Miller)
3. Hitman Hill (Brett Miller/Chris Oakes)
4. Stay Hungry (Doug McNair/Tony Alagna)
5. Dorsoduro Hanover (Matt Kakaley/Ron Burke)
6. Decoy (Jimmy Takter/Jimmy Takter)
Post time for the Thursday card will be at 11:00 a.m.
(With files from the Little Brown Jug)