by Tom White, publicity director, the Little Brown Jug

Delaware, OH — Canadian trainer Carl Jamieson, winner of the 2006 O’Brien Award of Horsemanship, will have a colt racing in Thursday’s Little Brown Jug for the first time in his career.

Reserve Forces, who Jamieson co-owns with Ken Henwood of Mississauga, Ontario, will start from post position eight in the first elimination of the $480,000 Jug Classic.

“We certainly didn’t get a good post, but he can be competitive. We’ll take a shot and see what happens when the gate folds,” said Jamieson.

One of Reserve Forces’ main rivals in his elimination is Tell All, who will be driven by Carl’s son, Jody.

Reserve Forces, 20-1 in the morning line, missed almost three months after he was scratched from the $1,410,000 North America Cup on June 16.

“He had finished fourth in his Cup elimination. But, we had to scratch him when he came up lame the day of the North America Cup.”

The Brittany Farms-bred son of Real Desire qualified on August 31 and finished second, timed in 1:56.3. He then finished seventh in a division of the Simcoe Stakes on September 8, but, according to Jamieson, “he raced good, and seemed more like his old self.”

Jamieson also pointed out that Reserve Forces had finished second over Flamboro Downs’ half-mile track in early May, timed in 1:51.3.

“My colt can leave and it never does much good to take back in the Jug. I will let driver (Steve) Condren make that decision.”