Popped Ankle Fails to Stop Shadow Play in Jug
Black Colt Gets World Record With Miller In Pacing's Premier Race
Sep 20, 2008
In his elimination heat on Thursday in the Little Brown Jug at Delaware County fairgrounds, Ohio, Shadow Play, the dark, almost black colt driven by champion David Miller, outdid logic as he finished in world record equaling time but injured his right front hoof. Shadow Play went in 1:50 flat to share the record set by Mr. Feelgood in 2006. The colt snipped one-fifth off the standing record in the competition for three-year-old pacers.
Dislocated Hoof Worked On Between Heats
With just thirty minutes to go before Shadow Play would have to run his second heat to seek the Jug title, his owner, veterinarian Ian Moore of Prince Edward Island, and Eric Wilt, the colt's shoe-smith, worked on the popped gravel. They decided to apply a leather pad to the hoof, then sent him out on his post-race warmup to await judgment on the hoof's soundness.
Shadow Play paced along soundly in his preliminary test.
Miller had chosen his drive for the second heat between Lonestar Legend, his winner in the second elimination pace, and Shadow Play, who won the first elimination. Without hestiation from the winner's circle after the second elim, he said, "I came here to drive Shadow Play".
Miller's Choice Proves Golden
Shadow Play went smartly to the lead in the final heat from the No.1 Post Position, taking Miller willingly through the first quarter mile in :28.1 and the half in :56.1 before hitting the three-quarter pole in 1:23.4, while leading the field of eight.
Lonestar Legend had the second spot, reined by Dave Palone. Art Official, the day's third elim winner driven by Ron Pierce, was in the No.3 Post Position.
The top three finishers in each of the three elimination heats proceed to the final. Badlands Nitro, a top favorite who finished second in the first elim, was disqualified for the final by the track judge. No explanation was given for the decision.
But Shadow Play needed no help from circumstances. He flew away from the field in the last quarter mile of the final like a champion striding towards his title with commanding composure. He crossed the wire to raucus applause 6-1/4 lengths in front of his outpaced opponents in 1:50.1, one fifth under the Jug record.
Miller Last Won Jug With No Pan Intended
Raising his whip skyward as Shadow Play played out the final strides, Miller said after the victory, "It feels great to win the Jug because it's something you always dream about all your life. It's all because of the horse, though. He earned this win."
Miller's first Little Brown Jug win came in 2003 driving the season's Triple Crown of Pacing champion No Pan Intended of Peter Pan Stables in Pepper Pike (Cleveland area), Ohio.
(Resources: Author reporting from on the scene; Northwest-Signal newspaper, Napoleon, Ohio, sports pages, "Shadow Play Wins Jug", September 19, 2008)
