By Tom White
3/08/05

The fans have spoken. Life Sign, the 1993 Little Brown Jug winner, was chosen as the fans' all-time favorite and his dramatic win over Riyadh and Presidential Ball was voted as the favorite race in the 59-year history of the Delaware, Ohio Classic.

Life Sign edged 1980 Jug winner Niatross by 19 votes as the fans' all-time "Favorite Winner" in one division of the U.S. Trotting Association poll. Life Sign was a much stronger winner in the "Favorite Race" category, outpolling Niatross in the second USTA poll by more than 200 votes. A total of 1,295 ballots were cast in the "Favorite Winner" poll and 1,005 were cast in the "Favorite Race" division of the USTA poll. Bret Hanover was third in both polls.

The 60th Little Brown Jug will be raced Thursday afternoon, September 22 at the Delaware, Ohio County Fair.

In two awesome heats of racing Life Sign overcame almost insurmountable odds and the formidable opposition from the Bill Robinson-trained trio of Riyadh, Presidential Ball and Ready To Rumble to score two 1:52 victories to give his Ohio trainer Gene Riegle and his longtime owner George Segal their first Little Brown Jug victory. Life Sign's win gave driver John Campbell the second of three LBJ victories.

"I thought going into the final heat that we had to get to the rail to win. Boy was I wrong," said Campbell. "I left with Life Sign but we did not clear and were passed by Riyadh, then by Presidential Ball and then by Ready To Rumble and that left us hung on the outside.

"I had to give him a little rest," continued Campbell, "but it was only for a few steps. So I pulled out on the backstretch. At that point I did not think we could win because I had already used him real hard at the start. I was just hoping that Presidential Ball would win and we would have a race-off."

"Coming off the last turn Jimmy (Morrill) asked Riyadh for more speed and he didn't respond. I thought we had a chance to win and he did. That was the best effort I have ever gotten from a horse in any race. That was a special day, for me and for Gene."

For Riegle, the Jug trophy was a long time coming. In 1972 Gene trained and drove Jay Time but the colt got real sick on Jug Day and was scratched after one heat. Then, in 1991, Artsplace got sick a day before the Jug and could not race. And, in 1992, heavily favored Western Hanover was beaten by Fake Left.

"I was beginning to wonder if I would ever win the Jug...and I think George (Segal) was thinking the same thing. (Segal also owned Artsplace and Western Hanover and bred and owned Life Sign).

"I didn't think we had a chance when Life Sign was parked outside down the backstretch. He just went one helluva race. I knew he was good, but I didn't know he was that kind of colt. I think beating Robinson's three horse entry made it even more enjoyable."

Riegle, Campbell and Segal are all enshrined in the Hall of Fame at Goshen, NY and all three have been inducted into the Wall of Fame in Delaware, Ohio.

Life Sign climaxed his three-year-old season by winning the Breeders Crown and retired with earnings of $1,912,454. He is still owned by Segal's Brittany Farms and stands at Kentuckiana Farms of New Jersey.

Niatross devastated seven rivals to win the 1980 Little Brown Jug for trainer-driver Clint Galbraith in two World Record heats. Breeder Elsie Berger (Niagara Acres), Galbraith and Lou Guida campaigned Niatross as a three-year-old. He retired with 37 victories in 39 starts and lifetime winnings of $2,019,213. He also swept Pacing's Triple Crown and was "Horse of the Year" in 1979-80. Two weeks after his Jug triumph, Niatross became the first Standardbred to pace under 1:50, when he time-trialed in 1:49.1 at Lexington's Red Mile.

Bret Hanover captured the 1965 Little Brown Jug enroute to sweeping the Triple Crown series. Trained and driven by Frank Ervin for Ohio owner Richard Downing, Bret was "Horse of the Year" in 1964, 1965 and 1966. He won 62 of 68 career starts and became the sport's fastest horse when he time-trialed in 1:53.3 at The Red Mile.

Here are the final vote tabulations: