Fans of harness racing anticipating the return of pacing superstar Wiggle It Jiggleit will have to wait a little longer.
Owner George Teague Jr. has told Trot Insider that the 2016 O'Brien Award winner faced a setback preparing for his five-year-old campaign and will skip his first planned stakes event of the year which was going to be the Ben Franklin eliminations on June 24 at Pocono Downs.
"He went in 1:57 and has a little bit of a back issue so I won't make the first engagement, which is the Ben Franklin, but hopefully look forward to the Haughton on July 15," Teague told Trot Insider on Tuesday. "He won't be fit enough to go there [at Pocono] so I'm just going to buy a couple more weeks and try to get him ready for the other one.
"Our plans were to be there but it's not going to work out. That was our first projection of where we were going to be at."
Wiggle It Jiggleit was North America’s leading money-earner in 2016 banking $1.8 million and pushing his overall earnings past $4 million. The talented and charismatic Mr Wiggles-Mozzi Hanover gelding hit the board in all 24 of his starts while earning 15 wins during a season in which a rivalry with now-retired Always B Miki captivated race fans.
"When he goes back to race, he's got a reputation that I will try to protect," said Teague. "If he's not ready to go physically with the best and have a shot at winning, I can't put him in. Unfortunately, the other downside to having him is that there are no races unless they're stakes races. The Open is not going to fill enough so he can get races. The goal is to train him up at home, get him in two qualifiers and then proceed to race."
If his revised schedule goes as planned, Teague hopes to qualify once at Harrah's Philadelphia and then at The Meadowlands.
"He's a very popular horse, he's just got to make his way back and I think he will. It's a long season so we'll just pick our spots accordingly when we get there. I just want him 100 percent ready. It's always a challenge when you have to start up at the top, but it will be fine. He'll be ready when we get there."
His fans are willing to wait
His fans are willing to wait if it insures his health and soundness. Thanks for taking the time he needs to be at the top of his game.
I hope WIJI gets healthy. I
I hope WIJI gets healthy. I expected him to possibly go undefeated this year now that Miki has gone on to stud.
Unfortunately the week-in-and-week-out racing wears a horse out. They are only flesh and blood.
Come back strong and take a good run at HOY.
The next best older pacer is a a far cry from the likes of WIJI.
The only thing that stops WIJI from being best older pacer are injuries.
HOY - well we will have to see how the other younger divisions like Downbytheseaside stack up.
So do I, your trainer,
So do I, your trainer, yourself and your son do a great job caring for this horse and also protecting him, GOOD JOB and good luck in the future.
Thanks for the update George
Thanks for the update George .. I've been wondering what's up with him . I LOVE THIS HORSE