Oct 31, 2021 4 min read

As Jujubee dug in down the stretch Saturday afternoon in the 3-year-old colt trot in the Breeders Crown final at The Meadowlands, trainer Greg Wright Jr. knew that in a few seconds the Meadows-stabled horse would either become a great champion or just a footnote for the 2021 campaign.

In those final few seconds, Jujubee proved just what kind of a champion he is.

With driver Andrew McCarthy steering him home, Jujubee held off some hard-charging trotters to not only win the Breeders Crown championship but also thrust himself into serious contention for harness racing’s Horse of the Year.

“He went a big first quarter (of a mile),” McCarthy said. “We wanted to take chance out of it. I wanted him to get (to the front) where he likes it. He dug in there.

“At the first quarter, I said: ‘Come on boy, slow it a bit.’ Down by the wire, he was getting tired. He knew there were horses on the outside of him and he wasn’t letting them go by. I knew I had the two best horses on my back. He’s so gutsy. He kind of looks at them and won’t let them go by. He’s always been that way. Mid-stretch he was a little tired, but they were tired too.”

Jujubee joined other Meadows-based or stabled horses – Dragons Lair (1984), Kentucky Spur (1988), Esquire Sour (1989), Foiled Again (2013) and Sweet Lou (2011), to name a few – to capture the Breeders Crown.

Wright decided to take Jujubee’s back shoes off to help give him some relief.

“We were able to get him back to as close to 100 percent as we could,” said the elated Wright. “He showed what kind of champion he is.

“I was a little concerned because it’s been a long year. It was not a good day to be on the front end, the wind, the track was still a little deep and not a lot on the front end held on to win.

“Andrew had him in the right spot.”

Jujubee trotted to the top for the early lead. McCarthy held him together and Jujubee’s resolve helped him claim the $650,000.

McCarthy asked for a lot making such a move. Jujubee delivered even more.

Jujubee, a $62,500 supplemental entry, scored in stakes record 1:51.2.

The son of Creatine, blasted from the gate, taking control from Ambassador Hanover and driver Ake Svanstedt prior to the 26.2 seconds opening quarter. Lucas Wallin positioned elimination winner Cuatro De Julio in third after leaving in the early going.

McCarthy slowed the trot going to the half in 55.3 seconds while Delayed Hanover and Fly Light were stacked on the outside in distant first- and second-over positions.

For owner Jon Erdner, from Florida, winning with a homebred horse was extra special.

“It’s wonderful,” Erdner said. “It makes it all worthwhile.”

McCarthy asked more from Jujubee on the turn as Cuatro De Julio – who bested Jujubee in the Breeders Crown elimination a week earlier – moved to the outside to go without cover but failed to draw up to the 3-5 favored Jujubee, who hit three quarters in 1:23.4 and appeared poised to open lengths on the field.

In mid-stretch, horses suddenly began to gain with Fly Light and In Range coming widest, and Ambassador Hanover and Cuatro De Julio breathing down Jujubee’s neck from the inside.

McCarthy asked for more and Jujubee responded, completing the mile with a 27.3 second final quarter and a one-length margin of victory.

Fly Light and Dexter Dunn, who were parked the entire trip, rallied for second; In Range came off the pylons into the homestretch and flew late for show.

“He felt great scoring down,” McCarthy said. “He was getting a little tired late, but he dug in. He’s a very gutty horse.”

Jujubee has won 14 of his 18 starts this year, adding the Breeders Crown to victories in the Kentucky Futurity and Pennsylvania Sire Stakes championship.

“It’s unbelievable what he has accomplished,” Wright said. “I was the least confident in him before the race as I had been all season. He had shown some signs that he’s a little out of whack. He wasn’t at 100 percent.

“He’s no fluke. He’s a freak.”

It was McCarthy’s fifth Breeders Crown winning drive.

The victory pushed Jujubee’s career earnings to $961,857 and earned him an invitation to the TVG Final, where he would face older foes should the connections opt in.

Erdner and Wright made no commitment to racing in the TVG Final.

“I was talking to (Hall of Fame driver) John Campbell after the race. As he said, sometimes it’s best to stop one race short rather than one race too many,” Wright said. “It’s been an amazing year.”