by Charlene Sharpe, USTA Web Newsroom Senior Correspondent

Charlene Sharpe

Seaford, DE — While the holiday technically isn’t until Friday, it’s felt like Christmas all year long to the connections of Jingle Bell Rocker.

The 5-year-old pacer is wrapping up the most successful year of his career with earnings of just under $40,000 and 16 wins in 2015. The son of Rocknroll Hanover-Blissard Of Oz took a new lifetime mark of 1:52.2 and nearly doubled his earnings from the previous year.

“He just likes to win,” said Orlando Greene of the Les Givens stable.

Second trainer Orlando Greene jogs Jingle Bell Rocker at Les Givens’ farm in Seaford, Del.

Greene, Givens’ second trainer, has handled the care of Jingle Bell Rocker since the gelding arrived at the Seaford, Del., farm. The pacer, who is owned by Tina Clark, is ending the year with a four-race win streak at Dover Downs. He kicked off the first week of the fall season at the five-eighths-mile oval with a convincing win in 1:53.1 and equaled that time in his most recent start. Members of the Givens Stable were particularly impressed with his latest victory on Dec. 10.

“He won in 1:53.1 after coming first over against Rocknroll Jim,” Greene said.

But was he surprised?

“No. I expected him to win,” Greene said. “He felt good that week. He’ll let you know when he’s off.”

Though the pacer found a fair amount of success in 2014, winning six races and earning slightly more than $21,000, Jingle Bell Rocker is a name that in 2015 has become synonymous with winning in Delaware. The pacer has spent more time in the winner’s circle than not this year, with 16 wins from 27 starts.

In fact, he came full circle, winning his first start of 2015 back on Jan. 7 at Dover Downs and ending the 2015 season with a victory at the same track. He had plenty of success at Harrington Raceway in between.

Greene says Givens made a shoeing change when Jingle Bell Rocker first arrived, replacing his aluminum shoes with steel ones, and that aside from that the pacer has required little special care. He jogs and trains him between starts and makes sure he gets plenty of time to himself in the field.

The basic regimen appears to be working, as Jingle Bell Rocker — a $5,000 claimer in 2014 — is now beating $10,000 claimers at Dover.

Charlene Sharpe photos

Jingle Bell Rocker has been in the holiday spirit all year, with 16 wins in 27 trips to the post.

Greene says the pacer’s best race was his Nov. 30 victory. He started from post four and was eventually moved first over by regular driver Ross Wolfenden. He took the lead at the top of the stretch and won by a length in a new lifetime best of 1:52.2.

Greene says the pacer has proven himself versatile, often winning regardless of the trip he receives.

“You can drive him any way,” he said.

His only complaint about Jingle Bell Rocker is the gelding’s tendency to occasionally make breaks. He recalls one race this spring when the pacer looked like a sure winner until a miscue at the head of the stretch.

“It seems like it’s either a win or nothing with him,” Greene said, referencing the less than a handful of times the pacer hit the board but didn’t win.

Nevertheless he and the rest of the horse’s connections are hopeful he’ll keep doing what he’s been doing in the new year.

“He’s one of the most consistent horses in the barn,” Greene said.