Little Brown Jug on air personalities seems to be missing

[RaceTrackDaddy]

Like most things about this sport and the Jug, the best days are behind us.

One can really see the influence of Jeff Gural as the last two years this Jug has been different and lacking in so many ways. It took me a while to figure out what is different from back then to today and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

No more Ellie Sarama behind the microphone for the video streaming of this event. Sure, Wendy Ross is an up and coming figure in this sport but Jeff had to something to make way for Wendy to be on the show.

I for one miss Ellie and her stories of those years she and those around her in the business.

Add to this, the lack of races to wager upon as compared to past years and one can see that this is no longer the highlight of the harness racing season, just a visit to the oasis before regaining back on the road to the Breeders.

Just look at their Marquis races, Jugette and Jug, both had short fields and only two divisions of eliminations. You hear Sam McKee et all on air in their interviews from the backside that horse racing is doing very well with the slots, many larger purses, more horses...BUT where are they Sam? They sure as hell never made it to the Delaware Co Fairgrounds this year.

I don't know if Jeff Gural's influence will help the Jug or not, but so far, two years in and the place is on a step decline.

Bring back the cowboys of Ohio to operate the place. This Manhattan style does not work at all.

I am sure this post will cause some commotion but I just had to say it. The Jug misses Ellie Sarama and the way things were done during Jug Week. Bring back Trish (whatever her last name is now) but I knew her as Trish Sheppard when she worked on the MRN at the Meadows.

[cmp92]

Just my two cents, but having Wiggle It enter this year might have scared some people away. Sure he was a supplement, but I'm not sure many horsemen want to go two heats against him, especially since he's been so dominant. On the other hand, Dude's The Man and Artspeak are no slouches either.

With the Jugette, I was kinda surprised. There isn't a machine like Wiggle It in that division. So I have to agree with you; I thought there would have been more entries.

[RaceTrackDaddy]

Just my two cents, but having Wiggle It enter this year might have scared some people away. Sure he was a supplement, but I'm not sure many horsemen want to go two heats against him, especially since he's been so dominant. On the other hand, Dude's The Man and Artspeak are no slouches either.

With the Jugette, I was kinda surprised. There isn't a machine like Wiggle It in that division. So I have to agree with you; I thought there would have been more entries.

I enjoy hearing from all sides of an issue.
For me, I keep going back to the year where there were only two standouts (at least in my own mind). The Jug is limited to 30 starters and that year saw both Real Desire and Bettor's Delight work their way through two of the three fields of 10 starters to get into a nine horse final. Bettor's Delight won that contest over Real Desire but let me say it was the one year that sticks in mind when comparing other years. Can't recall what year it was but I caught the winner of the Jugette on Wednesday when she was warming up. Think the Jugette that year had three divisions of nine horses. Treasure Chest was jogging the wrong way in her last trip before the race and was flying using very little effort.

Back then, whenever it was, they had full fields for most races. Today's races, though we are told that racing is alive and well appear to be but a shadow of past glory years. What I think has happened over the years is that the sport is no longer a hands on job where the driver, trainer and owner are the same person. I have to thank my friend Dave for the term I will use now, the "Corporatization" of the sport where the rich have gotten richer and the small mom ad pop stables are no longer relevant. Just look beyond the Takter and Burke stables and tell me who has as many horses racing in as many venues as these two corporation?

That was not supposed to happen when we were promised slot revenue in Pennsylvania to help support the sport of harness racing. It made millionaires out of few and many small stables (like three of my close friends) to leave the sport.

As a side note, one of them said to me that the large stables get away with a lot on the backside as the tracks need all their horses. He did not elaborate on what it was but it was the main factor that he sold everything he had in the sport. Of course it was no great loss being a five horse stable when the larger one sports a couple hundred.

[cmp92]

I enjoy hearing from all sides of an issue.
For me, I keep going back to the year where there were only two standouts (at least in my own mind). The Jug is limited to 30 starters and that year saw both Real Desire and Bettor's Delight work their way through two of the three fields of 10 starters to get into a nine horse final. Bettor's Delight won that contest over Real Desire but let me say it was the one year that sticks in mind when comparing other years. Can't recall what year it was but I caught the winner of the Jugette on Wednesday when she was warming up. Think the Jugette that year had three divisions of nine horses. Treasure Chest was jogging the wrong way in her last trip before the race and was flying using very little effort.

Back then, whenever it was, they had full fields for most races. Today's races, though we are told that racing is alive and well appear to be but a shadow of past glory years. What I think has happened over the years is that the sport is no longer a hands on job where the driver, trainer and owner are the same person. I have to thank my friend Dave for the term I will use now, the "Corporatization" of the sport where the rich have gotten richer and the small mom ad pop stables are no longer relevant. Just look beyond the Takter and Burke stables and tell me who has as many horses racing in as many venues as these two corporation?

That was not supposed to happen when we were promised slot revenue in Pennsylvania to help support the sport of harness racing. It made millionaires out of few and many small stables (like three of my close friends) to leave the sport.

As a side note, one of them said to me that the large stables get away with a lot on the backside as the tracks need all their horses. He did not elaborate on what it was but it was the main factor that he sold everything he had in the sport. Of course it was no great loss being a five horse stable when the larger one sports a couple hundred.
The slot infused purses helps these big time stables buy up the competition that they don't own, which is another reason why we don't see these small stables in the big races. From what I've heard from local horsemen, guys like Burke come in and throw them incredible offers to buy horses, especially promising young ones. A few years again a local guy in WNY sold a 2 year old filly named Market Rally to Burke. She had a great two year old season and raced under new ownership for her 3 year old NYSS season.

[RaceTrackDaddy]

My friend David mentioned something to me that I have to agree with. The people calling these races during Jug Week are not the best announcer in the sport, they have him, Sam McKee running the background chatter (on air discussions in between races). We get Jason Settlemore (another Jeff Gural desciple) and Roger (who has seen his better days).

I am sure those BuckEyes will come out of the closet defending Roger but I am tired of his same old calls time after time. One should look to Tom Durkin as an example. Tom would handicap the race and come up with all kinds of descriptive phrases the night before the race card. He would write them down in his huge notebook of phrases. It takes a lot of work to be the best and Mr Durkin worked the hardest at his craft.

[chenoa]

Roger must be getting close to retirement one would think.

[charm city whizz]

About 5 years ago we made a trip to the meadows I was in the simulcast area roger came rolling through my friend went to tell him how much he likes his calls and he for lack of a better word nodded and walked away......just rotten you gotta 26 year old who put 3700 thorough the windows at meadows live and can't give him the time of day

Roger and Jeff gural in my opinion need attitude adjustments

[RaceTrackDaddy]

About 5 years ago we made a trip to the meadows I was in the simulcast area roger came rolling through my friend went to tell him how much he likes his calls and he for lack of a better word nodded and walked away......just rotten you gotta 26 year old who put 3700 thorough the windows at meadows live and can't give him the time of day

Roger and Jeff gural in my opinion need attitude adjustments
That is awful. I do know that on air, Roger is one extroverted person. But in the real world, he is really reserved and soft spoken. He acts very similar to a person with paranoia. Just because the person is diagnosed with paranoia doesn't mean that someone isn't after them.

It might have been something that he was afraid to be around the general public without a mike in his hand.

I had the fortune to meet up with Roger in a collision at first base. Back in 1976, the waiters, busboys and cooks at the Meadows (Harry M Stevens) had a softball team and we played the Meadows management team.

Pitching was Sandy Penrose, Roger in his first year at the Mea played first base, third base was Bill Efthemes, Tom Leasure (the current and long time Meadows Race Secretary) was behind the plate (at this time he had one horse, Hart O Brooks that he owned and trained), Doug Snyder in right and most of the others I forget other than Richard Stillings came late.

Anyway I was running out a ground ball hit and Roger was totally on first base with both feet waiting for the ball to arrive. I wasn't stopping, Roger ended up on the ground cussing me out, calling me a fat so and so and other things but I just laughed at him.

Most of all the players ended back at a local bar near the Meadows called Jigg's. That was when both sides of the track met up and got to know each other. I ended up helping out Bill Eftemes with his horses early in the day before I had to be at the track to work as a waiter. It is a different life that I was exposed and would not change a thing if I had to.

[charm city whizz]

That is awful. I do know that on air, Roger is one extroverted person. But in the real world, he is really reserved and soft spoken. He acts very similar to a person with paranoia. Just because the person is diagnosed with paranoia doesn't mean that someone isn't after them.

It might have been something that he was afraid to be around the general public without a mike in his hand.

I had the fortune to meet up with Roger in a collision at first base. Back in 1976, the waiters, busboys and cooks at the Meadows (Harry M Stevens) had a softball team and we played the Meadows management team.

Pitching was Sandy Penrose, Roger in his first year at the Mea played first base, third base was Bill Efthemes, Tom Leasure (the current and long time Meadows Race Secretary) was behind the plate (at this time he had one horse, Hart O Brooks that he owned and trained), Doug Snyder in right and most of the others I forget other than Richard Stillings came late.

Anyway I was running out a ground ball hit and Roger was totally on first base with both feet waiting for the ball to arrive. I wasn't stopping, Roger ended up on the ground cussing me out, calling me a fat so and so and other things but I just laughed at him.

Most of all the players ended back at a local bar near the Meadows called Jigg's. That was when both sides of the track met up and got to know each other. I ended up helping out Bill Eftemes with his horses early in the day before I had to be at the track to work as a waiter. It is a different life that I was exposed and would not change a thing if I had to.

Great story!!!!!! Meadows used to be such a popular signal back in the day

Those drivers you mentioned were household names at nj racetracks lolol