Wiggle It Jiggleit did all the roadwork in Thursday’s $32,500 Preferred Handicap for pacers at Dover Downs, but Bettor Memories got all of the glory.
Bettor Memories sat last every step of the way in the featured affair for driver Dexter Dunn before exploding to the lead in the late stages of the six-horse affair.
Sent off as the 3-2 favourite, Bettor Memories watched Wiggle It Jiggleit throw down fractions of :27.4, :55.4 and 1:23.3 before setting sail from the backfield. Dunn unleashed Bettor Memories and the pacer roared home in :27.3 to win by 1-3/4 lengths over Qs Cruise in 1:51.4. Closing Statement, who did the first over work, was third.
Richard ‘Nifty’ Norman trains the seven-year-old son of Bettors Delight-Allamerican Memoir for owner Gus Dovi of Englewood, NJ. The 31-time winner improved his 2020 record to 3-0-1 from five trips to the track while pushing his career earnings to $660,755 with the win.
Proper One turned a two-hole trip into a narrow triumph in the $30,000 Blue Hen Open Handicap for pacers on the undercard.
Andrew McCarthy hustled the Carlo Poliseno pupil to the early lead and cut the opening quarter of :26.1 before relinquishing the top spot to race favourite Slick Tony. Once on the lead, Slick Tony sailed through middle panels of :54.1 and 1:22.3. Proper One went after the lead in the late going and his :28.2 closing kick was enough to earn the nose decision over Slick Tony in 1:51.1. Sicily was a lapped-on third.
The six-year-old son of Proper Respect-JK Glory Days is now 3-for-6 this season and 27-for-111 in his career. Louis Tomczak Jr of Dover, DE bred and owns the career winner of $277,364.
Mike, do you remember Foiled
Mike, do you remember Foiled Again?
I respectfully disagree with
I respectfully disagree with you, Jim. Cam Fella, Rambling Willie, and Staying Together all lived out their twilight years at The Kentucky Horse Park. WIJI deserves to have his own stall there as well.
I predict Wiggle It Jiggleit
I predict Wiggle It Jiggleit will be fine by June.
A little more information
A little more information about the Preferred Handicap: After cutting the fractions, WIJI tired badly and finished 6th (last) in 1:52.4, final quarter in 29.1. Since WIJI began his comeback almost exactly five months ago, he has won once. Rather than continuing to enter WIJI in the Preferred or dropping him down into conditioned races against non-winners, I think maybe it's time for George Teague to consider giving his horse a very well-deserved retirement.