Wiggle It Jiggleit, Purrfect Bags successful

Harrington-based horses drew the spotlight in Friday headliners at Northfield Park, near Cleveland, Ohio. Wiggle It Jiggleit set a track record in the tracks signature event, the $405,000 Milstein Memorial. Earlier Purrfect Bags took on older female pacers to set a new track record for her gender, to win a $20,000 Filly and Mare Open pace.

Wiggle It Jiggleit fought off a sustained challenge from another Harrington-conditioned three-year-old, the Tim Tetrick driven Wakizashi Hanover, saddled with post 8 on the half-mile track, to battle from the half until Wiggle It Jiggleit for Montrell Teague on the final turn to pull away to a 1:49.3 track record. Wakizashi Hanover held on to finish third.

The impressive triumph raised Wiggle It Jiggleit's career bankroll to more than $1-million winning for the 16th time in 18 lifetime starts. Ironically, Wiggle It Jiggleit broke the former Northfield track record for a gelding pacers of 1:52 set by Chuck Crissman-trained Gryffindor in 2005.

George Teague Jr. owns Wiggle It Juggleit, trained by longtime assistant Clyde Francis. The entire Teague family were in the winner's circle photo.

Earlier in the program, Delaware Standardbred Breeders Fund champion Purrfect Bags, owned by JoAnn Looney King, who also trains Wakizashi Hanover, received a picture perfect drive from Tim Tetrick en route to a track record 1:52.2 victory for a three-year-old mare pacer beating older females in another of the top events on Northfield's biggest program of the year.

A $2,000 yearling purchase at a Frank Chick's sale by long-time Harrington-horsewoman Mrs. King, the Delaware-bred daughter of Roddy's Bags Again, became an outstanding juvenile at age two and three. Prior to winning the recent $100,000 DSBF sophomore filly final at Harrington Raceway on the Governor's day card, Purrfect Bags won the prestigious Lismore Pace for filly pacers at Yonkers Raceway.

Marv Bachrad