Since it’s founding 74 years ago, the Little Brown Jug has grown as an important part of Delaware County. Part of a week of harness racing during the Delaware County Fair, The Jug and Jugette are the signature events for three-year-old horses.

That Thursday is known as Jug Day, and the city shuts down.

Attendance estimates approach 50,000 people on Jug Day alone, and the Delaware County Fair race track becomes a place for friends and family like Steve Gramlich and his bunch to reconnect.

“When I was 14, my momma and daddy used to bring me up here, me and my six brothers,” says Gramlich, who now lives in Columbus. “This is like Christmas to me.”

Gramlich is one of the regulars. He and his family have been coming for decades. He, like many others, sets up a tailgate right on the fairgrounds. It’s a tradition he and his brothers continued from his parents long ago.

“Your brothers or your siblings, it’s the best quality,” says Gramlich, who had around 40 people in attendance. “I have three brothers that live out of town, I don’t see them that much, but the four of us that live here, it’s priceless.”

He says getting a space at the Jug takes early preparation, and spaces are marked well in advance of the event.

“You have to get here about 5 in the morning with a car full of everything to get your spot,” says Gramlich. “Which we have done for the last 25 years.”

Racing on Jug Day begins at around 11:00 a.m., but the fun begins much earlier. With the big races starting later in the evening, people have a lot of time on their hands. So Gramlich makes sure to keep his guests entertained with some giveaways, drinks, and games.

Wagering is a huge part of the Jug, and an income generator for the county.

“We’ll wager close to $3M on jug day alone,” says Little Brown Jug Publicity Director Jay Wolf.

In 2018, Ohio harness racing at county fairs took in more than $4M in betting, $2.5M from the Little Brown Jug alone.

More bets are made during jug week at the Delaware County Fair than all other county fairs combined according to state data.

But, it’s not just betting that brings people to the Jug. Some people just love horses.

“You know there may be richer races around the country, but the problem is you don’t get the up-close interaction with the animals and the participants that you do here,” says Wolf.

And some popular horses like the 2015 Jug winner Wiggle It Jiggle It travel with a fan club.

“This one horse Wiggle It Jiggleit, it's just like he has taken everybody’s heart by surprise,” says Wiggle It Jiggleit fan Joanne Smith. “There are other good horses out there, but I don’t think there’s any other as good as Wiggle it Jiggleit.”

And he’s got the record to prove it. Wiggle It Jiggleit made history in Delaware breaking the track record on his elimination run. And in the final heat, he won by a nose against rival lost for words. 

That year, Wiggle It Jiggleit won 22 of 26 starts and took home the prestigious Harness Racing of the Year Award.

“A lot of people been in the business a lifetime and never been fortunate enough to have quite a few races in it, but that was the first time we ever win it,” says trainer Clyde Francis.

But a back injury took the horse out for three years. Francis says coming back to Delaware is an accomplishment, win or lose.

“Didn’t think he was going to make it back at one time,” says Francis, who is based in Maryland. “Every time he’d get close, something go wrong we’d have to stop and start all over again. But then he finally made it.”

Four years and almost $4 million in winnings later, Wiggle It Jiggleit's race at Delaware in 2015 stands out. 

“We’re excited to see the old,nthe old guard come back,” says Wolf. “You know, despite all the tradition, there’s something new every year and new friendships new races new horses new participants some of the years. It’s better than a soap opera.”

Wiggle It Jiggleit came in second during his triumphant return to the Delaware County Fair, but his legacy lives on. 

“That race here at Delaware in 2015 was the greatest horse race ever,” says longtime race announcer Roger Huston. “I mean, they went at it head-to-head, toe-to-toe stride for stride, nose-to-nose for half a mile the top of the stretch. Many people say that that was the greatest horse race they’ve ever seen, and I think it’s the greatest horse race I’ve ever announced.”