Dover: Wiggle It Jiggleit goes out a winner in Progress Pace

He finished almost exactly the way he started 2015. Wiggle It Jiggleit was simply superb in capturing the $300,000 Hap Hansen Progress Pace on Monday evening at Dover Downs in a track record 1:48 2/5 mile.

There were no anxious moments for driver Montrell Teague and the altered son of Mr Wiggles as the pair jetted from post six at the start and established control midway on the opening turn. A 26 1/5 opening quarter was done with little effort but the other contenders in the field weren’t going to play follow the leader.

Instead it was Dealt A Winner and driver Dave Miller taking to the outside less than three-eighths of a mile into the contest and moving aggressively towards the leader. Adios champ Dudes The Man followed that cover as the field got to the half in 54 flat.

A sprint down the backstretch ensued but at no point did the challengers appear to threaten the 1-10 favored Wiggle It Jiggleit as Teague sat comfortable in the bike through a 26 4/5 third quarter and then marched away from his rivals turning for home. The George Teague-owned sophomore was brilliant closing out a 26-race campaign with a 27 3/5 final quarter while well in front of Dealt A Winner and Dudes The Man. Americanprimetime and Rodeo Romeo also earned purse money.

“How he could go (1):48 in January and still be strong in November is unbelievable,” said Montrell Teague. “He put on a show every time he raced.”

It was win number 22 on the year for Wiggle It Jiggleit and most likely locked up Horse of the Year honors in the process.

Owner George Teague didn’t have any immediate plans on a timetable for the horse’s return in 2016 but he seemed anxious to find out what would happen next year.

“There’s a horse out there named Always B Miki that will be 5 next year and Freaky Feet Pete is a horse that beat us a few times. It should be a lot of fun when they run into each other and good for the sport,” George Teague said.