Mike Farrell for Meadowlands Media Relations
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. George Teague Jr. was beaming as he
watched his son Montrell guide Wiggle It Jiggleit to an impressive victory
Saturday night in the $706,000 Crawford Farms Meadowlands Pace at Meadowlands
Racing & Entertainment.
The dominant horse in the division did it again, beating Dude’s
The Man by 1 3/4 lengths in 1:47 4/5.
The gelding posted his 14th win in 15 starts this year,
losing only the North America Cup to Wakizashi Hanover by less than a length.
George Teague had been here before, winning the 2007 Pace with
Southwind Lynx.
Seeing his son return to the winner’s circle this time elevated
the experience to a new level.
“Couldn’t be happier, I couldn’t be prouder of my son Montrell,”
George Teague said. “He speaks for himself. He’s doing a great job for the
horse as much as the horse is doing for him.
Wiggle It Jiggleit is certainly doing it. Stung a little bit by a 26 1/5 opening quarter, Wiggle It Jiggleit
cleared In The Arsenal to take charge down the backstretch The 2/5 favorite soon had company as Wakizashi Hanover ranged up
first over.
It was a classic battle around the final turn, the two division
leaders side by side.
Then it was over as Wiggle It Jiggleit shook loose in the lane
with Montrell Teague pumping his fist as they crossed the finish line.
“I’m always surprised,” Montrell Teague said. “Every week I look
forward to driving him. He’s the best horse I’ve ever driven. Driving for dad
and having all my family here is unbelievable.
At 24, Montrell Teague is the youngest driver to capture the
track’s signature event for 3-year-olds.
Wakizashi Hanover held on for third.
Wiggle It Jiggleit paid $2.80, $2.20 and $2.10, earning $353,000
for George Teague Jr. Inc. Clyde Francis, Teague’s long-time assistant, is the
trainer.
Dude’s The Man returned $17.40 and $9.20 while Wakizashi Hanover
paid $2.80 to show.
Dealt A Winner was fourth followed by Revenge Shark, Artspeak,
Rock N’ Roll World, In The Arsenal, Lyons Levi Lewis and Badiou Hanover.
THE STANLEY DANCER MEMORIAL
Pinkman won again, solidifying his standing as the favorite for
the $1 million Hambletonian for 3-year-old trotters here on Aug 8.
Last season’s Dan Patch winner is 5 for 6 this season following a
neck victory over Habitat in 1:52 2/5 in the first $157,250 Dancer division. Yannick Gingras wheeled Pinkman to the front midway down the
backstretch and they dictated the action from there. The final margin was a
little snug as Habitat made an inside move and stablemate Canepa Hanover
finished a close-up third.
“My colt was really strong,” Gingras said. “I was just playing
with him a little bit in the stretch to make him do his job, but he had so much
more.”
Pinkman, trained by Jimmy Takter, paid $2.60 to win.
The victory lifted the gelding’s earnings over $1 million for
Christina Takter, John & Jim Fielding, Joyce McClelland and Herb Liverman.
Takter was in the sulky as The Bank took the $159,750 second
Dancer division in a career best 1:50 4/5.
The 10-1 shot enhanced his Hambletonian credentials with his
second win in six starts this season, giving Takter a training sweep in the
Dancer. “This horse held on very well,” Takter said. “Pinkman is more of a
laid-back horse. He felt like had everything under control.”
The Bank, owned by Christina Takter and Goren Falk, paid $22.80 to
win.
The most amazing aspect of the race was the recovery by Centurion
ATM, getting second after making a break down the backstretch. He closed
relentlessly to finish only one length behind The Bank with French Laundry,
another Takter trainee, third.
$187,000 DELVIN MILLER MEMORIAL
Spirit To Win pulled a 48-1 upset in final prep over the track for
3-year-old trotting fillies heading to the $500,000 Hambletonian Oaks on the
Hambletonian undercard.
With Brett Miller urging her on, Spirit To Win swarmed past
Mission Brief, last season’s Dan Patch winner, by a nose for her first win in
four starts this season, and fourth win in 10 starts overall.
“We thought she was a top filly last year,” trainer Dustin Jones
said. “She ended up cracking a pastern so we had to stop on her. We were
really, really high on her last year.”
That potential is finally starting to show, putting Spirit To Win
squarely in the Hambletonian Oaks picture.
Owned by Frederick Hertrich and Noblock Racing, Spirit To Win paid
$99.40 to win, capping an early 50-cent Pick 4 for a $56,333.55 payoff.
The time was 1:52.
Mission Brief was a game second in her first start since late May
while Livinthefastlane, the even-money favorite, got third.
$430,600 WILLIAM R. HAUGHTON MEMORIAL
The longshot theme continued in the Free-For-All pace as Mach It
So prevailed by a neck at 17-1.
The 5-year-old gelding trained by Jeffrey Bamond, Jr. for Bamond
Racing got his second win in 12 starts this season.
Tim Tetrick worked out a second-over trip in the 1:48 1/5 mile.
“When he trips out like that, he’s pretty tough to beat,” Tetrick
said. “He proved that tonight.”
Mach It So paid $36.40 to win as State Treasurer outfinished
Foiled Again, the sport’s richest horse, for the place spot.
$213,450 GOLDEN GIRLS
Tetrick, trainer Bamond and Bamond Racing struck again with
another outsider as Anndrovette took the Free-For-All pacing mares at 36-1.
The win price was a stunning $74.20 for the four-time
defending Dan Patch Award winner who had not raced well here in the past.
It was only Anndrovette’s second win in 16 races at the
Meadowlands. Her previous triumph came in the 2012 Overbid final. Anndrovette rallied in the stretch to overcome Sandbetweenurtoes
and then held off Table Talk by one length in 2:02 4/5 for the 1 1/8 miles. “I think the mile and an eighth definitely helped her,”
trainer Jeff Bamond Jr. said. “You can definitely never count her out.
$207,350 MISTLETOE SHALEE
David Miller became the third richest driver in the history of the
sport, moving past Mike Lachance, when Moonlit Dance captured the $207,350
stakes for 3-year-old pacing fillies.
“That’s quite an honor, to do something like that,” Miller said.
“Mike has been a top, top driver for so many years. It’s quite an honor for me”
Moonlit Dance earned the victory the hard way: a brave first over
trip from post 10 to beat Divine Caroline by 1 ½ lengths at 7-1.
Moonlit Dance maintained her momentum through the stretch to get
the win.
“I can’t say enough about her,” Miller said. “She took a very
tough trip and still had horse left. It was not a great trip at all. She
overcame my drive.”
Moonlit Dance is owned by the David Goodrow Stable and trained by
Tony O’Sullivan. She paid $17 to win.
The time was 1:49.
$443,300 HAMBLETONIAN MATURITY
JL Cruze extended his winning streak to five in the stakes for
4-year-old trotters.
The gelding has developed into a winning machine for trainer Eric
Ell and owners Kenneth Wood, William Ditmar and Stephen Iaquinta with 16 wins
in 18 starts this season.
John Campbell guided JL Cruze to a neck victory over Resolve in
2:04 2/5, a world record for the 1 1/8 miles.
JL Cruze paid $4 to win.
Total handle for Meadowlands Pace night was $4,247,602.
The last race Jackpot Super Hi-5 Carryover swelled to $208,774.
Racing returns Friday, with first post time at 7:15 P.M.
