By Jay Wolf — Little Brown Jug Society president Tom Wright has announced some sweeping changes to future Little Brown Jugs and its filly companion event, the Jugette.
In 2022, the Little Brown Jug will start accepting supplemental entries with a payment of $45,000 (Jugette supplements would pay $15,000). Horses will no longer have to win either the Cane Pace, the Messenger, The North American Cup or the Meadowlands Pace to supplement.
Supplemental entries will be due using a five-day box and would be the first horse(s) eliminated should the field exceed the 24 horse maximum.
Future eliminations of the Jug will be raced for a purse of $50,000 each ($25,000 in the Jugette), with the balance remaining for the second heat.
All of the starters in the second heat will receive at least 1% of the second heat purse (starting with the 2020 LBJ).
The second heat will now allow for ‘also eligibles.’ Horses will be ranked based on their elimination finish position and then by highest lifetime earnings.
“We hope these changes will allow the best horses available to compete in the Little Brown Jug. Our goal is to make sure we have full fields and put on a great event for our fans,” noted Wright.
The changes were finalized by the LBJ Society executive committee and approved by the entire board.
The new conditions will start with the 77th Little Brown Jug to be raced in 2022.
Jay Wolf, for the Little Brown Jug Society, is an HRI Harness contributor
