The opening heat of the 74th Little Brown Jug for three-year-old pacers was drawn Monday morning. The Little Brown Jug will be contested this Thursday (Sept. 19) at the Delaware County Fair in Ohio. During the card, past Jug winner Wiggle It Jiggleit will be making his first pari-mutuel appearance since the fall of 2016.
Total purses for the 2019 Little Brown Jug will be $640,000 -- $128,000 for each of the opening-heat eliminations, while the final will carry a purse of $384,000. The top four finishers from each of the eliminations will advance to the second heat. The winner of the second heat is the winner of the Little Brown Jug.
Officials pictured conducting the post position draw for the opening heat of the 2019 Little Brown Jug.
Wiggle It Jiggleit, who captured the 2015 Little Brown Jug in dramatic fashion, has been prepping for a return to the races in recent weeks (he has participated in four qualifying races since August 20). Wiggle It Jiggleit will be racing in an overnight race on Jug Day -- colts and geldings, non-winners of $30,000 in 2019 (second division).
Wiggle It Jiggleit has won 38 of 51 career starts and earned more than $4.05-million in purses for George Teague Jr. and the Teague Racing Partnership. Wiggle It Jiggleit is scheduled to start from Post 3 in the $5,250 race. Trainer Clyde Francis has listed ‘WIJI’s regular pilot, Montrell Teague, to drive.
“We cannot thank ‘Team Teague’ enough for considering the Delaware County Fair for Wiggle It Jiggleit’s return,” noted Delaware’s director of racing, Tom Wright. “I am sure the 40,000-plus fans will enjoy seeing the champion back on the track.”
Post time on Jug Day will be at 11:00 a.m.
The fields for the first heat of the Little Brown Jug appear below.
Elimination 1
(Post – Horse – Driver – Trainer)
1 – Caviart Rockland – Dexter Dunn – Nancy Johansson
2 – De Los Cielos Deo – Yannick Gingras – Ron Burke
3 – Shake That House – TBA – Chris Oakes
4 – Southwind Ozzi – Brian Sears – Bill MacKenzie
5 – Air Force Hanover – Simon Allard – Rene Allard
6 – U S Captain – Jason Bartlett – Tony Alagna
7 – Stag Party – David Miller – Casie Coleman
Elimination 2
(Post – Horse – Driver – Trainer)
1 – Semi Tough – Matt Kakaley – Ron Burke
2 – Lyons Johnnyjnr – Tim Tetrick – Jim King Jr.
3 – Quatrain Blue Chip – Aaron Merriman – Chris Oakes
4 – Arties Ideal – Marcus Miller – Erv Miller
5 – Fast N First – Brett Miller – Blake MacIntosh
6 – Spectrum – Andy Miller – Nick Surick
7 – American Mercury – Tyler Buter – Chris Oakes
8 – Escapetothebeach – Joe Bongiorno – Tony Alagna
The quartet of Southwind Ozzi, Shake That House, American Mercury and Stag Party lead a balanced field for the 2019 Little Brown Jug, which is being presented by the Ohio Harness Horsemen’s Association.
Southwind Ozzi is coming into the Jug having notched five wins in his last six starts, including his $253,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes final.
The son of Somebeachsomewhere has earned $515,263 for Vincent Ali Jr. and Alma Iafelice. He has won seven of his nine seasonal starts.
Southwind Ozzi, who is trained by Bill MacKenzie, will start from Post 4 in the first elimination. Brian Sears was named to drive.
Shake That House will start from Post 3 in the same elimination. The American Ideal colt has earned $476,507 during his career for Crawford Farms Racing, Alan Johnston and Northfork Racing Stable.
Chris Oakes trains the $500,000 Max Hempt Memorial winner and Sears was also listed to drive Shake That House.
Rounding out the first elimination contenders will be Stag Party, who has drawn Post 7. Although he is winless this season, he has earned $195,956 in 2019 and $865,445 during his 23-race career.
The bay Bettors Delight colt is owned by John Fielding, Mac Nichol, McKinlay & Fielding and trainer Casie Coleman’s West Wins Stable.
Coleman is a three-time Jug champ and has asked five-time Jug champion David Miller to drive.
The $500,000 Messenger Stakes champion, American Mercury, drew into the easier of the two eliminations, but will have to overcome Post 7 to advance to the $384,000 Jug final.
American Mercury has finished in the top three in all ten starts this season and has only missed the board once during his 17-race career.
Chris Oakes trains the American Ideal gelding for Crawford Farms Racing, Northfork Racing Stable, Chuck Pompey and Scott Bice. Jug rookie Tyler Buter was listed to drive.
(With files from the Little Brown Jug)
This has to be one of the
This has to be one of the weakest LBJ fields in the history of the race. Captain Crunch wasn't entered, Stag Party, one of the favorites in the first elimination, has yet to win a race in 2019, and Southwind Ozzi, probably the overall favorite, had never won a race for a purse outside the state of Pennsylvania.
Where is Captain Crunch? He's
Where is Captain Crunch? He's definitely eligible to the race.