by Marv Bachrad, publicity director, Dover Downs

Dover, DE — Wiggle It Jiggleit kicked off his 4-year-old season by breezing to an easy 1:51.4 victory in the $60,000 Invitational Handicap on a windy Monday (March 28) at Dover Downs.

Fotowon photo

Wiggle It Jiggleit and driver Montrell Teague went wire-to-wire to post a 1:51.4 win in a $60,000 Invitational Handicap Pace on Monday at Dover Downs.

The 2015 Horse of the Year, Wiggle It Jiggleit was driven to the early lead by Montrell Teague and cut out all the fractions in the mile (:27.1, :56.3 and 1:24.3). Tim Tetrick got away second with Rockeyed Optimist and stayed there, ending a four-race win streak. Buckwacker and Corey Callahan rolled out of fourth and got up for third.

After the race, driver Teague said, “I really didn’t have a plan of what to do, which is normal for me driving Wiggle It, but I made the front easily and had it my own way.”

George Teague, Montrell’s father, who owns the brilliant young gelding, remarked, “We’ll see how he comes out of the race, and I’ll drop him in to race on Saturday in the Levy (at Yonkers).”

Wiggle It Jiggleit, an altered son of Mr Wiggles-Mozzi Hanover, is trained by Clyde Francis for George Teague Jr. and Teague Racing Partnership. He won for the 24th time in his 28-race career and now has earned $2,218,495 lifetime.

Driver Tony Morgan (four wins on the card) and trainer-lessee Syl King teamed to win both ends of the Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund 3-year-old male trot in the first of two preliminary legs.

Chippofftheway, the freshman champion, an altered son of Master Levac-Off The Wall, won the first race in 1:59.2, his seventh lifetime win in 12 races and upped his earnings to $111,440. Mondello (Art Stafford Jr.) broke stride early and rallied to finish second in front of Samuel J (Vic Kirby).

In the second DSBF prelim, Outside The Line, a CR Commando-Bonfire Hanover gelding, was the Morgan-King winner with a 2:02.3 upset victory. Boston Malibu (Allan Davis) and Elton J (Carlo Poliseno) were second and third, respectively.

On a standout undercard, Andrew McCarthy guided Atta Boy Dan to his second win in three weeks at the track, winning the $36,000 Open Preferred Handicap in 1:51.4 for Weaver Bruscemi and Burke Racing Stable, his third win of the year in eight outings, banking $72,600. The Western Terror-Dropitlikeitshot gelding won for the 40th time and now has earned $538,792 in purses. Jeneral Patton (Callahan) was second, ending a four-race victory skein. Smart Rokker (Tony Morgan) also saw a three race win streak end, finishing third.

Allan Davis steered Reg Hazzard and Legacy Racing’s Bad Boy Matt to a 1:51.1 triumph in the $33,000 Delaware Special. It was the third win in his last four and fourth win of the year for the Badlands Hanover-Mattercycle gelding, now a $75,395 winner this year. Mustang Art (Sean Bier) finished second for the second time in a row. Sparky Mark (Jonathan Roberts) closed well for third.