The beauty of Jug Week just continues to slide as much as the business...... I like the $1500 purses this year..... I last raced there probably 6 years ago, but every year was the same thing, entry for overnights were 2% of the ADVERTISED purse which was bottomed at $2200.. Of course after the draw you would find out that you were racing for $1800 + some change, same for the other classes and over a 5 year span, the entries, the races, the days continued to decline.
Now my new beef is the big stake races going on this week, NOT associated with Delaware.
Monday
$216,500 pace for 3yo up Quillen Pace
3 divisions of 2yo Colt Pace at the Meadows going for around $47k apiece
I see there are other major stakes the remainder of the week......
** If the industry does not uphold how special Delaware week, Grand Circuit at Red Mile, Hambo Week, then is there any suprise that the fans feel the same way.... I admit, whether work or school, I have not been to Delaware, but friends who still treat the site as the Mecca of harness racing say that it's not the same. The crowds arent the same, the racing isnt the same, quality of horses definitely dropped off on a whole...... Pacing Triple Crown has little meaning.
I think as an industry, you need to take a few of the remaining gems our sport has and rally around those before we lose the last of the big traditions.
