Wiggle It Jiggleit in first seasonal start

2015 Horse of the Year and world champion, Wiggle It Jiggleit makes his first start of his four-year-old season meeting the red-hot Rockeyed Optimist, a winner of four wins in-a-row, in a $60,000 Inviational/Handicap at Dover Downs on a power-packed Monday, March 28 harness racing card. Post time is 4:30 p.m.

Wiggle It Jiggleit, owned by George Teague and Teague Racing Partnership, takes on an star-studded field of rivals. In addition to Rockeyed Optimist are hard-hitting Bettor's Edge, the fast Dapper Dude, Bushwacker, a five-time winner early this season and two from Yonkers top class, First Class Horse and On Through Ten.

In addition to being the richest race of the early season in the sport, there is an outstanding supporting card to the $60,000 Preferred pace featuring a $36,000 Open Preferred pace, a $33,000 Delaware Special, two $18,000, a $17,500, a $16,500, two $14,500, a $13,700 plus two $20,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders stakes 1st leg divisions.

Rockeyed Optimist, a winner of his last four-in-a-row, timed in 1:49, 1:49.3, 1:49.4 and 1:50.2, made the pacer one of the hottest horse in the sport. Tim Tetrick will drive for trainer Steve Elliott and owners Perretti, Berkner, Battaglia and A&B Stables. The stellar field includes $1.8-million winner, Bettor's Edge, reined by Andrew McCarthy, who finished second in his last two starts to Rockeyed Optimist; Henderson Farm's Bushwacker, with Corey Callahan driving for trainer Chris Ryder, an early season standout winning five top features and $77,580 already this year.

Rich Pollucci's fast closer Dapper Dude with Vic Kirby piloting, has already two wins, a second and three thirds. Completing the lineup are Vince Laurenzo's First Class Horse, handled by Ross Wolfenden, an 11-time winner last season and One Through Ten reined by Tony Morgan, a winner of nearly $500,000 in his career.

On a power-packed undercard, Peter Venturini , Peter Venturini III and Brian Malone's Smart Rokker (Morgan) puts a three-race win streak on the line against Weaver Bruscemi and Burke Racing's Atta Boy Dan (McCarthy) in a $36,000 Open Proffered Handicap.

In the $33,000 Delaware Special, includes front-pacing Mustang Art (Sean Bier), the sharp Blazing Bobby Sox with trainer-driver and co-owner Art Stafford Jr., Little Ben (Tetrick),owned by Janet Hudson and JoAnn Looney-King, and Reg Hazzard and Legacy Racing's Bad Boy Matt (Allan Davis) lead the lineup.

On the rest of the outstanding support card are: two $18,000, a $17,500, a $16,500, two $14,500, a $13,700 pace plus two $20,000 Delaware Standardbred Breeders (DSBF) 1st leg preliminary divisions on the outstanding card of early 2016 in the sport.

DOVER DOWNS NEWS EXTRA                   

The biggest race of the early 2016 season is set for Monday at Dover Downs. 2015 Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit, makes his first start as a four-year-old in the $60,000 Invitational/Handicap pace. The $2.2-million winner meets streaking Rockeyed Optimist riding a four-race win streak, the tough Bettor’s Edge, fast finishing Dapper Dude and early season standout Bushwacker in a seven horse field. On 3/16, Wiggle It Jigglit recorded the fastest qualifying mile in Dover Downs history a 1:50.1 victory in a morning qualifying race. On the outstanding supporting card are: a $36,000 Open Preferred, a $33,000 Delaware Special .in his last three starts at Dover, he won the Matron Stake and the Hap Hansen Progress Pace to give his four starts at Dover, all winners.

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On the powerful Monday card, Options Are Adream, the only unbeaten three-year-old at the track, puts his streak on the line in the 5th race where he meets Voltaire, who has a three-race win streak. Another streaking horse, Smart Rokker, has won 3-ina-row and steps up to the $26,000 Preferred from post 1. Several newcomers have win streaks in their first local appearance, Jeneral Patton has won 4-straight and Art History, a 3-race win streak, in the 8th race. Meanwhile, in the 14th race, Go Collect N starts from post 1 looking for a fourth straight win.

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2015 DSBF Two-Year-Old Champion Chipoffthewall, a winner of 3-straight, leads off the 3-year-old $20,000 preliminaries, in the first of three events on the Monday card. The top 8 point-getters after two prelims return for a $100,000 DSBF Final. The rest of the week features filly pace and colt and filly trot prelims.

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In Monday’s 4th race, Doctor McSwing, the track’s richest maiden pacer seek his first lifetime win. So far in his winless career, the 5-year-old has won $62,800 in purses without winning a race in 70 lifetime starts showing15 seconds and 12 thirds.

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During the week, George Dennis had his best week ever at the track with 14 win on the four programs, 2.4.3 and 5. Tim Tetrick won 5 on Monday, Tony Morgan 4, on Wednesday. George Dennis won 4 on Tuesday and 3 races on Wednesday.

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In the driver standings, Corey Callahan has all but clinched a seventh-straight track dash-win crown; Callahan, with 155 wins, Tony Morgan has moved into second place with 126, Allan Davis now third with 120 wins. George Dennis moves in fourth place with 112 winners while Ross Wolfenden is fifth, 106 wins.

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Dylan Davis has iced his third straight leading-trainer titles. Davis has trained 62 winners.  Jim King is second with 47 wins. Wayne Givens is in third place with 39, while Josh Green and Kevin Lare are tied for fourth place haltering 36 winners each..

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A reminder, a horsemen’s family is in need. Layla Mosley, 5-year-old granddaughter of trainer Joe Hundertpfund was diagnose with Stage 4 Ewing Sarcoma, a rare and aggressive bone cancer. She is receiving treatment at A.I.DuPont Hospital for Children  and at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Donations are being accepted by calling Rich Ashley at 302-270-6480.

Marv Bachrad