Delaware County Fair Racetrack Horse Racing

About Delaware County Fair Racetrack

The Delaware County Fair, located in Delaware, Ohio, plays host to a week of world-class harness racing, capped off by the Little Brown Jug. The Little Brown Jug is the most prestigious three-year-old pacing race in North America. Each year more people journey to Delaware to witness the "Jug" than to see any other harness race.

The first Jug in 1946 was won by Ensign Hanover with Delaware's Wayne "Curly" Smart driving. Curly was awarded a purse of $35,358.

The Jug is held once a year on the third Thursday after Labor Day, and many festivities take place in this small central Ohio town in the week leading up to the race. The All Horse Parade through downtown Delaware takes place on the Sunday before the race, where horses of many different varieties can be seen. The day also kicks off the Delaware County Fair. Every day before the race there are smaller horse races at the track.

Apart from the Little Brown Jug, featured events include the Jugette, the Old Oaken Bucket, the Buckette, the Ohio Breeders' Championships, the Winbak Farm Pace, and the Ms. Versatility.

The 1/2 mile track that provides the stage for harness racing was originally built in 1939, shortly after the Delaware County Agricultural Society decided to move the fairgrounds from nearby Powell, Ohio, to a tract of land at the northern edge of Delaware. Spectators and participants alike enjoy this track for its steep banks and lightning fast pace.

To walk through the backstretch at Delaware is a unique experience, as the backstretch stable areas are open to the public. There are few opportunities in harness racing, or at any other major sporting events, where the general public can get as close to the top stars of the sport as they can at Delaware.