Harness racing’s
leading money-winner in 2016 ends season with $1.7 million in earnings
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ (November 8, 2016) – Co-owner
George Teague announced to the Meadowlands that Wiggle It Jiggleit, the top
money-winning horse in harness racing in 2016, will not be entered in
Saturday’s $400,000 TVG Free For All Final due to a minor foot bruise and bout
with sickness. The race was expected to mark the ninth and final showdown with
world-record holder and Breeders Crown champion Always B Miki.
“It is nothing serious, but you can’t continue like that,”
explained Teague. “He’s made 50 starts over the past two seasons with very few
hiccups so we definitely did not want to take any chances to hurt him or his
reputation if he was not 100 percent.”
Without Wiggle It Jiggleit, Saturday’s TVG Final will have a
field of seven, headlined by Always B Miki, who will be making his final career
start before being retired to stud at Diamond Creek Farm.
The rest of the field, in alphabetical order, is: All Bets
Off, Dealt A Winner, Mach It So, Melmerby Beach, Shamballa, and Take It Back
Terry.
For racing fans, the final image of the legendary rivalry
between Wiggle It Jiggleit and Always B Miki will be their epic stretch duel in
the Breeders Crown Open Pace. For the record, the horses faced each other eight
times in 2016 with Always B Miki winning four times and Wiggle It Jiggleit
winning three times. Shamballa upset both horses in the US Pacing Championship
in August at the Meadowlands.
“You always hear about what a tough transition it is for a
four-year-old to face older horses,” said Teague, “but I think Wiggle it put a
whole new standard on that argument. He’ll rest for about two months, get
plenty of field time with no jogging or training and if all goes well, we might
just try him again in the Levy next year.”
With no more races this season, the decision of which horse
deserves the nod as the top free-for-all pacer belongs in the hands of the Dan
Patch Award voters. To those voters, Teague offered his opinion with no
hesitation.
“I would say they should vote for the horse that made the
money, raced on all sized tracks, and made the most starts,” said Teague. “My
opinion is that Miki is a great horse, nothing but respect for him and his
connections. But if you go by body of work, my horse started in March and went
until late October, we beat each other three or four times apiece, and my horse
made more money while racing on halves, five-eighths, and big tracks. If it
were up to me, that’s just my opinion.”
“But this year was a lot of fun and I guarantee you that
Miki’s connections felt the same way. It was something that racing definitely
needed and my entire team and I were all so glad to have been a part of it. It
was something that nobody else gets to experience.”
OTHER TVG FINAL FIELDS
The other big development when entries were taken for
Saturday’s four TVG Finals was that three-year-old Breeders Crown champion Bar
Hopping accepted an invitation and will race against aged horses in the
$400,000 TVG Free For All Trot. The rest of the field, in alphabetical order,
is: Centurion ATM, Crazy Wow, JL Cruze, Lookslikeachpndale, Obrigado, Resolve,
and Wind of the North.
Breeders Crown winners Hannelore Hanover and Lady Shadow
headline their respective divisions.
The full field for the $200,000 TVG Mare Trot, in
alphabetical order, is: Barn Doll, Bee A Magician, Classical Annie, D’One,
Hannelore Hanover, Kelsey’s Keepsake, and Shake It Cerry.
The full field for the $200,000 TVG Mare Pace, in
alphabetical order, is: Bedroomconfessions, Frost Damage Blues,
Inittowinafortune, Katie Said, Lady Shadow, Sassa Hanover, Skippin By, Solar
Sister, and Venus Delight.
For more information, please visit www.playmeadowlands.com.
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