Francis On Wiggle It Jiggleit's Return

Published: March 2, 2016 12:01 pm EST

After having compiled a season for the ages last year, the 2015 U.S. Horse of the Year, the incomparable Wiggle It Jiggleit, recorded his first charted line of the season during Dover Downs’ Wednesday morning (March 2) qualifying session.

After a scratch reduced the field to six starters, the now-four-year-old Mr Wiggles gelding lined up in Post 6 over a ‘fast’ track in Race 4. Presiding judges gave a one-second allowance

The Wednesday mile was Wiggle It Jiggleit’s first charted performance since November 30 of last year, when he roared to a 1:48.2 mile over Dover’s five-eighths-mile course.

With pilot Kevin Switzer at Wiggle It Jiggleit’s lines (for a vacationing Montrell Teague), the career winner of 23 of 27 starts fired to the lead and was up by two lengths at the opening quarter-mile marker (which was tripped in :28.2).

Wiggle It Jiggleit kept on rolling on the engine, as he passed the half-mile marker in :56.1 and cruised past the three-quarters of a mile station in 1:25.1.

The multiple stakes winner, who has only finished off the board once in his career, gave up the lead early in the lane during his Wednesday qualifying mile, as he was charted in third, one length in arrears of the leader when he hit the head of the lane.

The aforementioned leader was Getitoffyourchest (who was driven by Ross Wolfenden). The six-year-old horse came from well back in third during the third quarter to pass Wiggle It Jiggleit and lead the field into the homestretch.

The George Dennis-driven Remember Me Vk, who had been well back throughout the dash, was right there at the wire, as well.

Getitoffyourchest went on to hit the wire first in the mile, as the Teddy Baker-trained son of Tell All hit the wire in 1:55.1, just a nose in front of Remember Me Vk.

Wiggle It Jiggleit finished third, one and three-quarter lengths behind the victor. Wiggle It Jiggleit was individually timed in 1:55.3.

“The plan was to qualify him today and back again next Wednesday,” trainer Clyde Francis told Harness Racing Communications. “Today wasn’t a good day; the wind was blowing real hard. None of the races were really going that fast.

“The shadows are always bad from the light poles,” he added. “When I warmed him up he warmed up good, so I didn’t think the shadows were going to bother him, but he took a big leap. He seems to be all right.”

Another notable performer that strutted her stuff during the qualifying session was O’Brien Award winner Lady Shadow, who paced her first charted mile since a November 17 effort over Dover.

The five-year-old Shadow Play mare was dominant Wednesday morning, as the Josh Green-trained and Corey Callahan-driven bay went wire to wire from Post 7. She won by more than 17 lengths and hit the wire in 1:56.3.

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