Oct 20, 2021 4 min read

Forgive Greg Wright Jr. if he feels 10-feet tall and bulletproof.

Wright, a mainstay at The Meadows as a popular catch-driver many years ago and now as the trainer of 3-year-old rampaging colt trotter Jujubee, is ready to compete for a Breeders Crown championship beginning Saturday afternoon at The Meadowlands, in East Rutherford, N.J.

Jujubee is the first Meadows-stabled horse to win the Kentucky Futurity, which he did Oct. 10 at the Red Mile, capturing the 3-year-old colt trot.

“It was a dream come true,” Wright said.

So elated and excited was Wright that he posted the following on his Facebook page: “This journey that Jujubee has taken me on has been absolutely amazing. I couldn’t have even dreamed it up. I’ve been blessed.”

Not even in his wildest dreams could Wright have imagined training a horse like Jujubee, who stormed onto the national harness racing scene with his monster win in Lexington.

“He’s always been good,” driver Andrew McCarthy said of Jujubee. “I knew he was a good horse; I didn’t know he was a great horse. That’s why he wasn’t staked heavily.”

It is likely Wright would not even of dreamt of playing a part in a moment like that before taking over as Jujubee’s trainer in June 2020.

Wright, who has more than 2,000 career driving victories, is enjoying his first-in-a-lifetime experience with Jujubee.

So impressive was Jujubee’s win, he moved into the fifth spot in this week’s Hambletonian Society/Breeders Crown Standardbred Poll. Lyons Sentinel, a 4-year-old pacing mare, tops that poll.

Jujubee has won 13 of 16 races this season and finished second twice. He has 2021 earnings of $617,541, fifth among the poll’s top 10 horses.

He is one of only two 3-year-old colt trotters in the top 10. Captain Corey won five of seven races and $758,695, including the Hambletonian earlier this year. The horse then suffered a fracture in a hoof that ended his season.

“That would have been a real horse race,” Wright said of a matchup between Jujubee and Captain Corey.

While that won’t happen, there’s no shortage of challengers to Jujubee in the Breeders Crown. His opponents in the $25,000 elimination (from the pole out) include Johan Palema, Dancinginthedark, Delayed Hanover, Cuatro De Julio, Rattle My Cage, Balenciaga, Spy Booth and Inaminute Hanover.

The first elimination will feature Ambassador Hanover, Plumville Prince, In Range – who defeated Jujubee this year – Ahundreddollarbill, Ritson, Locatelli, Logan Park and Fly Light.

McCarthy likes Jujubee’s chances.

“I think he’s an outstanding horse – next level,” McCarthy said. “I haven’t sat behind a horse with that much power in a long time. He has a completely different feel than other horses I’ve driven. He does everything so easy. It doesn’t feel like he gets tired.

“I guess he hasn’t received the attention. Without being that flashy, he’s done his job all year. He’s only going to do what you ask him. He’s such a smart horse.”

The decision to supplement Jujubee to the Kentucky Futurity for $75,000 by owner Jon Erdner paid off in a big way, as the horse romped to a 1:49 3/5 victory in the $561,000 classic.

Erdner paid $62,000 to supplement Jujubee into the Breeders Crown.

Erdner believes in the horse and had no hesitation supplementing him into the Kentucky Futurity and Breeders Crown.

“Earlier this year, you could just see and feel the determination he has,” Wright said of Jujubee. “He just keeps better and better. He raced some huge miles. Every race he seems to get stronger and stronger.

“I think (Jujubee) can go faster. Andrew was amazed he got to the half (in the Kentucky Futurity) in 54.2. He thought it was a mistake on the timer. Andrew didn’t push him at all. I think he can go faster.”

Harness racing’s No. 1-ranked horse, Lyons Sentinel, and nine previous Breeders Crown champions will be in action Saturday when eliminations for pacers and trotters ages 3 and older are held.

The event for 3-year-old female pacers as well as the Open Pace, Mare Pace, and Mare Trot each will have a single elimination. The events for 3-year-old male pacers, 3-year-old male trotters, and 3-year-old female trotters each will have two eliminations. All eliminations will go for a purse of $25,000.

Winners of Saturday’s eliminations will draw for posts one through five for their respective final. The remaining finalists will participate in open draws for their starting positions.