by Keith Gisser, assistant publicity director, Northfield Park

Northfield, OH — Northfield Park and Cedar Downs Players Club members are receiving double points for all wagers placed on Delaware County Fair racing, which culminates in the $541,000 Little Brown Jug on Thursday (September 21).

Best of all, this year Northfield patrons can watch and wager on all the Delaware action at the track this year. Action kicks off at 12:00 noon on Tuesday (September 19) and at 11:00 a.m. both Wednesday (Jugette Day) and Thursday.

Patrons of Cedar Downs, Northfield’s off-track wagering facility in Sandusky, at the gateway to Cedar Point, have always had the ability to wager on all the Delaware action.

The Players Club offers double points promotions every month. In addition to the Jug this week, Players Club members get double points on Colonial Downs harness action and Turfway Park thoroughbred racing.

By the numbers: Greg Grismore continues to lead Northfield’s driver colony with 343 local wins, but Aaron Merriman, with eight winners this weekend, has closed to within 35 victories of the lead, after trailing by nearly 100 for most of the season.

Grismore, searching for his fourth consecutive local driving total, has tallied a total of 384 wins, good enough for ninth in all of North America, while Merriman, with 367 wins overall, is tied for 11th.

I’m Faster, a 3-year-old pacer who has split time between the county fairs and the Ohio raceways, including Northfield, leads the nation in wins with 17, while Northfield track record holder Dunkster tops all trotters with 15 victories.

Jugular predictions: It seems like half of Northfield’s staff is at Delaware this week (working). Renee Sheward is serving as paddock judge, the same position she holds here; Northfield program director Pam Kenney also fills the same position for Jug week; and, of course, simulcasting and publicity director Dave Bianconi is co-hosting the Delaware simulcast network.

Even though humble scribe is staying home this year, we’re going to go ahead and make some Jug predictions for you. Look for the little Canadian horse Doonberg, driven by Jody Jamieson, to win the first Jug elim. The second elim, arguably the toughest, will likely go to Total Truth, but Rolling Rock Cleveland Classic champ True North Hanover has great gate speed and will advance to the final — and could even beat the favorite. The final elim will see a longshot win, and I am going with Texas Shootout, who may be getting good at the right time.

Whoever wins the second elim will take the final, but if the third place finisher in that heat draws the nine hole, that horse might upset in the second heat, forcing a race-off. If that’s the case, look at Cactus Creek (my pick to finish third in the second elim) to win it all. He is proven in multi-heat action, but if my analysis isn’t right, the Jug is going back to Canada with Doonberg.

A reminder: We are looking for memorabilia from Northfield’s opening year, 1957, as we prepare for our 50th anniversary celebration in 2007.

In addition to hosting the $1 million Ohio Super Night, Northfield will feature a myriad of special events and themed promotions.

Contact Keith Gisser if you can help out.

For more information on items in Keeping Pace, contact Keith Gisser, either by phone at (330) 467-4101, extension 215, or by e-mail at info@northfieldpark.com.