Final Weekend Of Jug Prep Races

By Tom White
9/7/03

The preliminaries are over. On Saturday, September 13, entries will be taken for the $600,000-est. Little Brown Jug. Thirty-five three-year-old colt pacers eligible to the 85th Little Brown jug were in action at four different racetracks in Canada and the United States.

At Scioto Downs in the $250,000 Jug Preview, Art's Chip, Dr. Drew and Whatanartist all scored big victories. Art's Chip won in 1:52.3 for his seventh win of the season. Dr Drew won in 1:51.3 while Jug hopeful Coastocoast Yankee finished sixth. Whatanartist edged Allamerican Captor by a neck in 1:51, the fastest of the three divisions. Nick's Fantasy, in 1995, was the last of four Jug Preview winners to also win the Jug.

Three divisions of the $287,000 Simcoe Stakes at Mohawk Raceway were contested and Jug eligibles won three of them. Make It Brief defeated Last Call Crombie in 1:51.4, Meadowlands Pace champion Allamerican Theory beat Articulator in 1:51.3, and Pronger took his division in 1:51.1 as Jug hopeful Quality Western finished third. There have been only three Simcoe winners who have gone on to win the Jug including Blissfull Hall in 1999 and Bettor's Delight in 200l.

Quarter Carat won the $100,000 Pennsylvania Championship in 1:51.2 at Pocono Downs. Oragami Artist finished third and Nvincbl Artist was fifth.

Radar Sign upset North America Cup winner Yankee Crusier by a "short" neck in a $22,000 division of the New Jersey Sires Stakes raced at Freehold. Radar Sign won in 1:53. Jug hopefuls Cinch Hanover took a division in 1:54 and The Globe paced to a win in 1:53.4.

The Little Brown Jug will be raced Thursday afternoon, September 18 at the Delaware, Ohio County Fair. Delaware kicks-off it's six days of Grand Circuit racing on Saturday, September 13. Topping the opening day card is the $110,000-est. Buckette 3YO Filly Trot and the "Martha Riegle" My Lady Mare Pace.

Following is a list of 24 three-year-olds who are potential starters in the Little Brown Jug.