Grove City, OH – It was a rare harness racing afternoon for Crist Hershberger at the Ashtabula County Fairgrounds in Jefferson, Ohio, Thursday, August 13. Hershberger was the trainer-driver for one of the two horses involved in a dead heat and trained the other winner in the Ohio Sire Stakes Fair.
Hershberger had the reins for Sheza Witch while Kurt Sugg drove Rose Run Wassup in the two-year-old filly race.
Hershberger took Sheza Witch to the lead and held the lead wire to wire. Sugg and Rose Run Wassup stalked her stablemate the entire race, getting up at the wire for the dead heat in 2:08.0.
"I've never had a dead heat for a win," said Hershberger, who has been involved in dead heats for place and show.
Hershberger was disappointed he didn't win the race outright, "I should have gotten a little more out of the one I was driving, and it wouldn't have been a dead heat."
Unfortunately for Hershberger, he doesn't have a winner's circle picture to remember the race. "I thought Kurt got me at the wire and I had to head back to the barn to get ready for the next race, so I didn't go to the winner's circle."
by Frank Fraas, for the OHHA