Nijinsky and Legendary Hanover headline a field of 14 in the $625,000 Little Brown Jug, set for Thursday at the Delaware County Fair.
Nijinsky (1st Elimination – post four) comes into Delaware on a three-race win streak, all over the Woodbine Mohawk oval in Ontario. He has a career mark of 1:47.3 and earnings of $876,905.
Legendary Hanover (2nd Elimination – post three) is the fastest in the field based on his 1:46.2 effort in the $248,000 Cane Pace (Aug. 3). He has amassed $1 million in career earnings.
The two have squared off three times this season. Nijinsky won the North America Cup (June 15) and Simcoe Stakes (Sept. 7) and Legendary Hanover came out on top in the Meadowlands Pace (July 13).
West Wins Stable and Mark Dumain own both and they share ownership in Nijinsky with Eric Good and in Legendary Hanover with John Fielding. Anthony Beaton trains both.
Louis-Philippe Roy will drive Nijinsky and James MacDonald will pilot Legendary Hanover.
Captain Albano, winner of $955,223, will provide a major challenge in the first elimination. He will leave from post six and will have the services of Todd McCarthy.
He won the $350,000 Adios Pace Final at The Meadows (August 27).
The second $50,000 elimination will have Captain’s Quarter’s and driver Jody Jamieson leaving from the coveted rail spot. He was second to Nijinsky by a length and a half in the North America Cup.
The 21-race card will kick off at 11 a.m.
Twelve Enter $310,000 Jugette
Twelve three-year-filly pacers entered the 54th Jugette to be raced today at the Delaware County Fair.
The first elimination will feature A Few Choice Words (Jim Mahron, Jr.) and Dandy’s Mercy (Scott Zeron).
A Few Choice Words (post two) is the daughter of Little Brown Jug Champion Courtly Choice and is a winner of $354,767 for Clancy Farms.
She has won seven times in 13 seasonal starts, all in the state of New York.
She is conditioned by Blake MacIntosh.
Dandy’s Mercy, who was supplemented into the Jugette for $15,000, will leave from post three.
She was the runner-up in last weekend’s $252,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stake Final at Pocono Downs.
The daughter of Captain Crunch has five wins this season and has finished outside the top three just once in 11 seasonal starts.
She is trained by John Butenschoen for co-owners Hart Walker, Dandy Farms Racing, Ft Racing Stable and Douglas Overhiser.
The second elimination will have My Girl EJ (Dexter Dunn) and Odds On Platinum (Todd McCarthy).
My Girl EJ (post one) is coming off a win in the $252,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships (Sept. 9) in 1:49.2.
The homebred daughter of Sweet Lou has been on the board in 21 of 23 career starts and has amassed $1 million in career earnings.
She is conditioned by Ron Burke for co-owners Burke Racing Stable, Weaver Bruscemi, Ronald Burke and Elizabeth Novak.
Odds On Platinum (post six) won the $250,000 Lynch Memorial at Pocono Downs on Aug. 17 in a lifetime best 1:49.
She is conditioned by Dr. Ian Moore for co-owners Let It Ride Stables and Odds On Racing.
The first four finishers in each $25,000 elimination will come back for the $260,000 Jugette final.
Today’s 22-race card will start at 11 a.m.
First Elimination – $50,000
Horse (Listed Driver/Trainer)
1 Timeisonmyside (Anthony MacDonald/Tim Twaddle)
2 Captain Luke (Scott Zeron/Tony Alagna)
3 Escape To America (Dexter Dunn/Deborah Daquet)
4 Nijinsky (Louis-Philippe Roy/Anthony Beaton)
5 Huntingforchrome (Matt Kakaley/Travis Alexander)
6 Captain Albano (Todd McCarthy/Noel Daley)
7 Mirage Hanover (Dexter Dunn/Jake Leamon)
Second Elimination – $50,000
Horse (Listed Driver/Trainer)
1 Captain’s Quarters (Jody Jamieson/Herbert Holland)
2 Total Stranger (Dan Noble/Virgil Morgan, Jr.)
3 Legendary Hanover (James MacDonald/Anthony Beaton)
4 Rose Run Zane (Austin Hanners/Dan Venier)
5 Solid Character (David Miller/Ron Burke)
6 Play Action Pass (Dexter Dunn/Brian Brown)
7 Sweet Beach Life (Matt Kakaley/Travis Alexander)
Second Heat – $525,000
Top four finishers from each elimination
Jay Wolf is the Little Brown Jug publicity director.