Wiggle It Jiggleit Dazzles In Mullin

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Published: May 29, 2016 04:09 pm EDT

Wiggle It Jiggleit came within one-fifth of a second of the world record for four-year-old male pacers and set an overall track record at Harrah's Philadelphia in a triumphant rematch with Rockin Ron in the Dorothy Mullin Invitational Pace, one of three $200,000 Invitationals on Sunday's (May 29) harness racing card.

Entering the final Invitational of the day off a victory in the Battle of Lake Erie, Wiggle It Jiggleit was facing Rockin Ron for the first time since that rival prevailed in the Confederation Cup. Their rematch produced record speed, ending in a time of 1:47.3 with Wiggle It Jiggleit in front at the wire this time out. The former track record, co-held by Artistic Fella and Mister Big, was 1:48.

Wiggle It Jiggleit (Montrell Teague) and Rockin Ron (Matt Kakaley) left together from posts two and three, respectively, with Luck Be Withyou (George Napolitano Jr.) also firing from the outer post seven. Rockin Ron cleared Wiggle It Jiggleit early while a persistent Luck Be Withyou eventually opted to take back to third coming off the first turn.

Rockin Ron reached the first quarter in a quick 26 seconds and raced to the half in :54 while JK Endofanera (David Miller), away fourth from the inside post, was flushed first over. But Teague pulled Wiggle It Jiggleit from the pocket down the backstretch and confronted Rockin Ron in a two-horse breakaway from the rest of the pack.

Wiggle It Jiggleit began to edge ahead outside of Rockin Ron as they raced by three-quarters in 1:20, but Rockin Ron would not surrender. The battle continued into the stretch, with Wiggle It Jiggleit ultimately drawing clear to a two-length victory over Rockin Ron in 1:47.3. Rockeyed Optimist (Brett Miller) finished over four length behind in third.

“It was unbelievable,” said Montrell Teague after the race. “I thought there might be a few more horses leaving and I’d have to take back a little further, but when you’ve got a two-hole, you’ve got to take advantage of it. I saw a horse coming on the outside of me and I didn’t want to get locked in. I was just playing my part and seeing what was going to go on and trying to be out before anyone got outside of me.

“When I warmed him up, he jumped over a couple [shadows]; that would have been another obstacle to overcome,” noted Teague. “The shadows were out pretty good until we went out, so it worked out perfect. The clouds worked out in our favour.”

Wiggle It Jiggleit is trained by Clyde Francis for George Teague Jr. Inc. and Teague Racing Partnership. The speedy son of Mr Wiggles and Mozzi Hanover lowered his lifetime mark by one-fifth of a second with the victory, which was his 29th career win from 36 starts. The $2.6 million-earner now has six wins this year and has finished no worse than second in his nine seasonal starts.

“He’s done so many races and all of them are spectacular, it’s hard to pick one that stands out,” said Montrell Teague. “This is right up there with all the big ones, I think.

“I thought I could have gone faster, but if I’m already in front, I just want to look back and see where they are and start celebrating.”

Wiggle It Jiggleit paid $3 to win at the heavy 1-2 favourite.

One race earlier, Obrigado and driver Mark MacDonald equalled the 1:52 track record for aged gelding trotters in an eventful edition of the Maxie Lee Memorial Invitational Trot.

With last year's Maxie Lee runner-up Bee A Magician scratched, the only other mare left in the field was Shake It Cerry (David Miller), but she broke stride trying to leave the gate. JL Cruze (Corey Callahan), the 8-5 favourite, assumed command from post four over Gural Hanover (Matt Kakaley), who also made a miscue early in the first turn. Il Sogno Dream (Scott Zeron) thus inherited the pocket spot and Obrigado followed in third.

JL Cruze led the field through fractions of :27.2, :56 and 1:23.1 before he also self-destructed at the top of the homestretch, leaving Il Sogno Dream to battle for top honours with Obrigado, who had launched a first over attack nearing the third quarter mark. After a stretch-long duel, Obrigado ultimately persevered by a neck over Il Sogno Dream in 1:52 flat. Maestro Blue Chip (Tim Tetrick) finished over five lengths behind in third.

“I thought his effort was great,” said trainer and co-owner Paul Kelley. “I don’t think he ever got ahold of the racetrack, to my liking anyway, but he’s a game horse and he just gives 110 percent every time you put him on the track. All the horses that race at this level are just tremendous athletes, and he overcame it."

Obrigado, who is now two-for-four on the season, notched his 36th career win and is just shy of the $900,000 earnings mark. The six-year-old Boy Band-Malimony gelding is co-owned by Kelley, Srf Stable, Linwood Higgins and Stable 45.

“His year has been really good. We dealt with some issues last year with his front feet stinging him and I think we have a better handle on what he likes and what he doesn’t like. Hopefully, he’s going to have a really good year," said Kelley, adding with a laugh, “I need a retirement plan and I don’t have one right now; not a good enough one. So this could be it.”

Obrigado paid $8 to win as the 3-1 second choice.

Venus Delight became harness racing's newest millionaire with a mild 9-1 upset victory in the Betsy Ross Mares Invitational Pace.

Bamond Racing's six-year-old Bettors Delight-Venus Killean mare earned her first win of the year in the rich Invitational, but 26th lifetime, and pushed her bankroll to $1,043,432.

Venus Delight, with Tim Tetrick catch-driving, was among a trio of early leavers from post three and settled in behind Devil Child (Brian Sears), who crossed ahead firing just to her outside into the first turn. Sell A Bit N (Jordan Stratton) also left well from post seven and tucked in third.

However, Yagonnakissmeornot (Dan Dube) was on the move early before the quarter pole, which was reached in :26.4, and rushed up from fourth to clear in front of the grandstand. Meanwhile, Sassa Hanover (Matt Kakaley) began to lead the outer flow.

Yagonnakissmeornot continued to front the mares through middle splits of :55.2 and 1:22.4 while Sassa Hanover advanced up to second-place down the backstretch, but stalled prompting 9-5 favourite Katie Said (Brett Miller) to fan wide of her cover.

Katie Said engaged in a duel with Yagonnakissmeornot turning for home and pulled ahead in the stretch while other contenders began to close in. Among them, Venus Delight was moved off the pylons and rallied outside to steal the spotlight in a 1:50.4 victory. Katie Said finished two and a half lengths behind in second, with Sell A Bit N third over Waasmula (Trevor Henry). Devil Child was fifth.

“If you’re going to get a first win of the year, this is a good one to get,” said trainer Jeff Bamond Jr. “I think she just came back a little slowly. She had a long year last year; she raced hard and just needed to get her legs under her a little bit. This definitely worked out today.

“Timmy made a great move and she just exploded today. I was very happy with the way it worked out.”

Venus Delight paid $20.40 to win for the mild upset.

Bamond Racing and Joseph Davino's Krispy Apple ($5) also won a $25,000 Mares Winners Over Pace on the undercard in 1:50 flat with Tetrick driving. Rose Run Parker ($2.80) won the Winners Over trotting event in 1:53.2 in rein to Matt Kakaley for Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi. Sunday's program also included a $50,000 Open Pace, won by Split The House ($3) and George Napolitano Jr. in a four-across finish. The time of the mile was 1:50 for the Chris Oakes trainee, who is owned by Crawford Farms.

(With quotes from HRC)

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