Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Battle of Brandywine Renewed

August 14, 2007

The Battle of Brandywine, a major event for 3-year-old pacers last contested nearly 20 years ago at Brandywine Raceway in Wilmington, Delaware, will be revived and raced at Chester Downs on Sunday.

The $200,000 race will be contested in divisions if necessary, but one horse whose connections say he is "definitely" going is Always A Virgin. The son of Western Ideal won his Meadowlands Pace elimination and was the favorite in the Pace on July 14, but made an untimely break in deep stretch while contesting for the lead. Since then, he's rebounded to set a career mark of 1:48.4 in a 3-year-old open at the Meadowlands, followed by a 1:49.1 win after going three wide at the three-quarters to get the lead in the Oliver Wendell Holmes on Hambletonian Day.

"We weren't going to the Adios [on August 11]," said trainer Joe Holloway, “so I took the time to take him to Freehold [Raceway] to train him on a half-[mile track] to see how he'd be. He was just great; he's just a good horse. When they're good like that, there's nothing you did to make them way. The only other horse I've had who was as good on a half, maybe better than any other size track, was She’s A Great Lady [1:50.4, $973,302]. It doesn't matter where he is in a race, you just chirp to him and he goes on. From fourth, third, second, doesn't matter, he just goes.

"After that he has the Cane Pace eliminations [at Freehold Raceway on August 25] and hopefully the final nine days later [on September 3], then we get ready for the Jug."

The Little Brown Jug will be contested on Thursday, September 20 at the Delaware County fairgrounds in Ohio.