Crafty Shaw won't be denied

Crafty Shaw overcame traffic trouble at the start and a five-wide trip on the first turn to win the Grade 3, $100,000 Turfway Park Fall Championship by three lengths. Rock Slide, the midstretch leader, held second by 1 1/4 lengths over Deferred Comp, who ran third in the 1 1/8-mile race. First Lieutenant, the 2-1 favorite, finished fifth in the field of seven 3-year-olds and up at the Florence, Ky., racetrack.

Rock Slide and jockey Willie Martinez stalked the pace of Frazee's Folly, who ran a quarter-mile in 23.89 seconds and a half in 47.84. Rock Slide took the lead with three furlongs to run, but Crafty Shaw and James Lopez wore him down in the final furlong.

Owned by Charles Cella and trained by Peter Vestal, Crafty Shaw returned $7.40 to win. He ran the nine furlongs over a fast track in 1:52.29.