As the older pacing ranks appear to be much more competitive with the addition of downunder star Lazarus, one of North American harness racing's most popular and dominant performers will remain on the sidelines.
Wiggle It Jiggleit hasn't raced since October 28, 2016, and according to the horse's co-owner George Teague he won't race this year.
“I shut him down again and I’ll try him again the first of the year,” Teague told Harness Racing Weekend Preview. “It will probably be a couple more months until I try him again. One of these days.”
Teague told Trot Insider earlier this year that Wiggle It Jiggleit was paid into some late season stakes with the hopes and target of a return at the end of 2018.
Now six, Wiggle It Jiggleit was North America’s leading money-earning Standardbred in 2016 with more than $1.8 million in purses, pushing his overall earnings past the $4 million mark. Owned by Teague along with the Teague Racing Partnership, the son of Mr Wiggles - Mozzi Hanover won 15 of 24 starts in his O'Brien Award winning four-year-old campaign and finished no worse than third -- which he only did twice.