by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Wilkes-Barre, PA — Wiggle It Jiggleit made it look easy, capturing Saturday’s (Aug. 22) $500,000 Battle of the Brandywine for 3-year-old male pacers by three lengths over Wakizashi Hanover in 1:48 at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono.

Dude’s The Man finished third and Artspeak was fourth.

The winning time equaled Lucan Hanover’s world record for a 3-year-old gelding pacer on a five-eighths-mile track.

Curtis Salonick photo

Wiggle It Jiggleit won the Battle of the Brandywine in 1:48 for driver Montrell Teague.

Wiggle It Jiggleit has won 16 of 18 races this year and pushed his seasonal earnings to $1.43 million. His previous stakes victories this season included the Hempt Memorial, also at Pocono, Meadowlands Pace and Milstein Memorial. For his career, the son of Mr Wiggles-Mozzi Hanover has won 17 of 19 starts.

“You’re going to see a smile on my face for the rest of the year with this horse,” said Montrell Teague, who drove Wiggle It Jiggleit for his father, owner George Teague Jr., and trainer Clyde Francis. “He’s got 19 races under his belt and I can’t pick one that makes me more happy. He never has thrown out a bad mile. You’ve got to be happy with that.”

Artspeak, who started from post eight, went to the early lead with Wakizashi Hanover, who started from post seven, following behind. After reaching the quarter in :25.4, Teague began to move Wiggle It Jiggleit from fourth place to the front.

When Artspeak hit the half in :54.4, Wiggle It Jiggleit was 1-1/4 lengths behind, but gaining ground with every stride. By the time he reached three-quarters in 1:21.1, Wiggle It Jiggleit was in front by a length.

“I looked over (at the start) and saw a couple of them leaving on the outside; I wasn’t right up on them, so I wasn’t going to try to retake,” Teague said. “He’s good from off the pace too, so I try to do that once in a while too.

“I was happy. We weren’t going enormous fractions. Once I got beside the other horse, he just swelled up. When he looked him in the eye he was determined to go by.”

George Teague Jr. was unconcerned about Wiggle It Jiggleit’s early position and need to make a first-over charge to the front.

“I liked his spot there,” he said. “We always trained him off the pace and he’s got a great set of lungs. If he’s on his game, I don’t care where he’s at. He could be parked the whole mile and I think he could go a great mile from even out there.”

Wiggle It Jiggleit’s schedule includes the Little Brown Jug on Sept. 24 at the Delaware County Fair in central Ohio. His connections could supplement to the Messenger Pace (eliminations Aug. 29 and final Sept. 5) at Yonkers, but Teague Jr. said he was not inclined to go to that race.

“But I reserve the right to change my mind,” he said with a laugh.

Battle Consolations

The Somebeachsomewhere gelding Blood Brother swung wide in the stretch after a cutthroat early duel involving four horses, sprinting clear late to take the $200,000 Consolation I in a personal best of 1:50.

David Miller raced the normally-forwardly-inclined sophomore from behind tonight, and the change to second-over tactics worked perfectly as Blood Brother got the decision by a length for trainer Jimmy Takter (yes, this was a pace) and owners Diamond Creek Racing and J&T Silva Stables LLC.

Rollin Ring Afire, left uncovered as Rufo ducked into the pocket at the three-quarters, closed strongly to defeat that rival, who had gotten to the lead using the Pocono Pike passing lane, by a half-length while reducing his mark to 1:50.1 in Consolation II.

The son of Rocknroll Hanover gave driver Tim Tetrick half of the first four races on the card while winning for trainer Charlie Norris and owners Leonard Buckner and Rebecca Ewing. (By the way, the phrase “rollin ring afire” does not appear in the famous song by Johnny and June Carter Cash — but the check for the winner’s share of the $100,000 purse will cash very nicely, thank you.)

— PHHA/Pocono also contributed to this report