by Victoria Howard

Jessica Roegner is the trainer of Soft Shot, the winner of the 2024 Jugette.

Horsepeople dream of one day winning one of the top major races in the sport of harness racing with their standardbred, such as the Adios, Breeders Crown, Hambletonian, or Little Brown Jug.

The Little Brown Jug is part of the Triple Crown of harness racing; the premier pacing classic for 3-year-old pacers that provides a fascinating chapter in the more than a century-old history.

In 1956, the Jug provided the anchor for the Triple Crown of pacing to go along with the Cane Pace at Yonkers Raceway in New York and the Messenger Stake held at that time at Roosevelt Raceway in Westbury, NY.

The first LBJ was contested in 1946 — the purse was $35,358 — drawing fans from Canada, Florida, New Jersey, California and from everywhere in between. That was the first of decades to continue, drawing the best of the best four-legged athletes. The grandstand was packed with fans coming from all walks of live.

The winner of the first Jug was Ensign Hanover with Delaware’s Wayne “Curly” Smart in the sulky. But it took four grueling heats to determine the first Jug winner, with two colts and one filly competing in the final showdown.

From its humble beginnings, the Jug grew to become one of the most prestigious stakes on the pacing gait.

And what was good for the goose became good for the gander, when in 1971 the very first Jugette — for 3-year-old pacing fillies — was raced over the half-mile track in Delaware, OH, with Jefferson Time driven by Ben Webster crossing the finish line first in 2:00.1.

Throughout the years the finest drivers such as Bill O’Donnell, Stanley Dancer, William Herman, Billy Haughton, Glen Garnsey, John Campbell, Ron Waples, David Miller, and others graced the track at the Delaware County Fairgrounds to participate in one of harness racing’s greatest races.

This year, in 2024, the Little Brown Jug was won by Captain Albano and Jugette was won by Jessica Roegner’s filly Soft Shot.

“I was born and raised in Michigan but now reside in Ohio,” Roegner said. “My introduction in the business was from my mother Judy Roegner who was very good friends with the niece of one of the best — if not the best — horsewomen ever, Bea Farber.

“After my mother graduated from high school Bea gave mom her first standardbred to train. At that time, my mother worked for a couple of different trainers.”

Jessica always loved horses and showed them until she turned 13, deciding then to sell her show horses and try to earn money at what she loved to do the best.

“I bought a racehorse called Priority Mike — who was my priority — and have owned standardbreds since,” she said. “Today, I, along with my husband, train 18 horses that are stabled at Sahbra Farms in Streetsboro, OH. I mainly buy or claim horses but do own one broodmare named Crazy About NY.”

Jessica’s owner bought Soft Shot from OnGait for $30,000 with the intention of having a nice racehorse. “After qualifying, she won eight-in-a-row, starting in the NW 2 working her way through to the open,” Jessica said. “She is not very big, but she doesn’t know it.

“I’d say my favorite horse in the barn is my homebred Forky who I have bred and raised. He is a nice horse and quite a character. Unfortunately, he got hurt and is rehabilitating.”

Then there’s JC Onthebeach who retired from Jessica last year.

“When it came time that he would have to race in a claimer to be competitive I retired him where he now lives his days as a trail riding horse,” she said. “I try to do the right thing when one of my horses reach the point that he needs to retire from racing. I try to find them good homes and, yes, I’d have more money if I sold them, but I believe it brings good karma when I do the best thing for the horse, and it’s not always about money.”

Jessica said winning the Jugette was a dream come true.

“There are no words to say how it feels; it’s a magical feeling where lots of happy tears were shed,” she said. “We went into the race hoping to make the final and to win it was surreal, incredible and unbelievable.

“It was all such a shock. After winning the elimination came the worry on how to take the proper care in between heats. Do I walk her? Do I let her rest? But it all worked out for she won.

“I am very grateful that Soft Shot’s owners Paul and Patti O’Neal decided to take a chance with our little, but mighty filly.”

Jessica said the female that she admires most in the sport is definitely her mother.

“She’s self-made and has fought tooth and nail to be the horsewoman she is,” Jessica said. “Sadly, she doesn’t get enough credit. She does it all on her own – train, jog, ship and at times even shod herself. My mother is a great role model besides being a great mother.

“Yes, my mother is the one I admire the most and I am so happy she got to experience the once-in-a-lifetime win of the [Jugette] with me.”