Pacing Triple Crown Bid Fails in Photo Finish
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Fake Left ended Western Hanover’s chance for a pacing triple crown with a strong stretch run to win the 47th Little Brown Jug in a photo finish Thursday at Delaware, Ohio.
Fake Left, handled by substitute driver Ron Waples, won in 1:54 4/5 in only the sixth raceoff in Jug history.
It was the first raceoff involving four horses at the Delaware County Fairgrounds.
Waples, in the sulky because Mickey McNichol was injured in an accident earlier in the day, was the last driver of a triple crown winner. He guided Ralph Hanover to victories in the Cane Pace, Messenger Stakes and Little Brown Jug in 1983.
“Mickey’s misfortune was my good fortune,” Waples said. “I feel I am the luckiest guy here today because I hadn’t planned on driving in the Jug.”
Western Hanover had forced the raceoff by winning the final, holding off Fake Left in 1:53 3/5 in another stretch run. The two 3-year-olds had also dueled in the third elimination, with Fake Left winning another close showdown by a neck in 1:54 2/5.
McNichol was injured when his sulky flipped over during an earlier race. He was taken to a hospital for observation and released.
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