Delaware to honor Waples

Ron Waples, a two-time Little Brown Jug winner, has been elected as the 22nd Little Brown Jug Wall of Fame honoree.

The Toronto, Ontario.native was elected by a panel of national and international harness racing enthusiasts and is the sixth Canadian to be honored. Waples will be officially inducted and presented a commemorative gold ring at the Little Brown Jug breakfast at Ohio Wesleyan University’s Hamilton-Williams center on the morning of Sep.20, the date of the 36th Jugette Filly Pace.

“This is quite an honor to be elected to the Wall of Fame. My goal was always to win the Little Brown Jug. It was unbelievable when I drove in my first jug in 1982,” said Waples, who is also a member of Canada’s Hall of Fame and the Living Hall of Fame in Goshen, NY.

Ron’s first Jug drive was with Coal Harbor in 1982,and he finished third to fellow Canadians John Campbell (Merger) and Herve Filion (Icarus Lobell).

The following year Waples captured the Jug with Ralph Hanover, who went on to sweep Pacing’s Triple Crown. “I would have been very disappointed had Ralph Hanover not won the Jug. He was such a fine horse.”

Waples won his second Jug with Fake Left in 1992, shocking Western Hanover in a raceoff. “That was really a surprise. Trainer George Sholty really had him ready for that race.”

The 2006 Wall of Fame honoree also won the 1991 Jugette with Sara Loren Road. Other Delaware victories have included Deal Breaker and Insufficient Funds in divisions of the Standardbred and a heat of the Buckette with Northern Princess. Waples has driven 16 colts and geldings in the Jug.

Waples began his harness racing career as a groom for his cousin, Keith Waples, the Canadian legend who drove Strike Out to victory in the 1972 Little Brown Jug. Ron has 6,889 career victories through May of 2006 and purse winnings of $73,875,569. Waples has a son, Randy, who also has driven in the Little Brown Jug.

Tickets to the Mayor’s Breakfast are available for $25 each by phoning (800) 335-3247 or by writing The Mayor’s Breakfast, PO Box 1278, Delaware, OH 43015.

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