Delaware, OH — Wiggle It Jiggleit and Artspeak went toe-to-toe for much of the final half-mile of Thursday’s second $108,320 opening-round elimination of the Little Brown Jug for harness racing 3-year-old male pacers at the Delaware County Fairgrounds and in the end Wiggle It Jiggleit pulled away for a track-record 1:49.2 victory.
Artspeak finished second followed by My Hero Ron and Arque Hanover as the top four finishers advanced to the Jug’s second heat later this afternoon. Lost For Words won the first opening-round elimination and was joined by Yankee Bounty, Rockin In Heaven and Split The House in reaching the second heat.
If the winner of one of the first eliminations is also victorious in the second heat, he is the Little Brown Jug champion. If a non-elimination winner captures the second heat, there is a three-horse race-off.
Artspeak was able to take advantage of his inside starting spot, post one, to get the lead going into the first turn. Wiggle It Jiggle and driver Montrell Teague were content to sit in third place behind My Hero Ron as the field made its way up the backstretch for the first time on the half-mile oval, but began a first-over march prior to the half.
Scott Zeron and Artspeak remained in front at the midway point, reached in :54.3, but the battle was just beginning. Wiggle It Jiggleit was able to pull in front by the time the leaders hit three-quarters in 1:21, but Artspeak fought back on the final turn to draw on even terms with his rival. Wiggle It Jiggleit pulled away in the stretch, though, to win by 1-1/4 lengths and equal Rock N Roll Heaven's stakes record of 1:49.2.
The time set the track record for a gelding pacer, erasing Lucan Hanover’s mark of 1:49.4 set in 2013.
Wiggle It Jiggleit is owned by George Teague Jr. and trained by Clyde Francis. The son of Mr Wiggles-Mozzi Hanover has won 17 of 19 races this year.
"This horse has an incredible amount of spunk," said driver Montrell Teague. "To have a homebred be this kind of horse is something you never could imagine.
"I don't think there is another horse that could come first over like that on a half-mile track in 1:49.2. I did not know how fast I was going and was just worried about not hooking wheels. I'm still shaking but I don't have time to be nervous because I have to do it once more."
Lost For Words won the first of Thursday’s two $108,320 opening-round eliminations of the Little Brown Jug for 3-year-old male pacers, defeating Yankee Bounty by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:50.2 at the Delaware County Fairgrounds.
Rockin In Heaven finished third and Split The House was fourth as the top four finishers advance to the second heat later this afternoon.
Lost For Words, the 1-2 favorite, went to the front from post one, but yielded the lead to Yankee Bounty as the field made its way through the first turn. Driver David Miller, though, fired Lost For Words back to the top prior to reaching the quarter in :27. He received pressure from Dude’s The Man on the outside at the half, timed in :55.3, but rebuffed the challenge and was unthreatened the rest of the way.
A son of 2009 Little Brown Jug winner Well Said out of the mare Thou Shalt Not, Lost For Words is trained by Brian Brown and owned by Country Club Acres, William Robinson, Richard Lombardo, and Strollin Stable.
Lost For Words’ first-heat victory gave the colt five wins in 12 races this year.
"He was just so good last week and has been so good since the Adios," said Brown. "The only thing I was worried about were the fractions because I did not want him to have to go as fast as he did last week.
"But you have to give David so much credit. He was so patient and was cool as a cucumber out there. He allowed Yannick (Gingras with Yankee Bounty) to go and let him cross over and then just waited and waited to make his move. He gets along so well with this horse. I just can't say it enough."
The draw for the Little Brown Jug's $324,960 second heat was conducted after.
1 – Wiggle It Jiggleit – Montrell Teague
2 – Lost For Words – David Miller
3 – Artspeak – Scott Zeron
4 – Yankee Bounty – Matt Kakaley
5 – Rockin N Heaven – Trevor Henry
6 – My Hero Ron – Yannick Gingras
7 – Split The House – Tim Tetrick (scratched)
8 – Arque Hanover – Corey Callahan
— Kimberly French contributed to this report
by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
Lost For Words
Wiggle It Jiggleit