A dozen set for 66th Little Brown Jug
For the 66th year, thousands of people will gather at a small county fair near Columbus, Ohio Thursday for the running of the Little Brown Jug, what some call the Kentucky Derby of the harness racing world.
This year, a competitive group of 12 pacers is set to participate in the event, which is a hugely popular social outing as well. The Little Brown Jug is always held the third Thursday after Labor Day, and locals are known to chain up their lawn chairs after the race to secure a spot for next year's running.
ESPN's Bill Finley expains how the racing works:
"The race is contested in heats. The first four finishers from each heat come back for the second elimination race. If a heat winner wins the second elimination, the race is over and the second elimination winner is crowned the winner. If not, the three winners return for a race-off. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes a horse has to race three times in a single day to win the Jug, making it among the most grueling tests in all of racing."
