Delaware connections still in national spotlight

While the top rated horse in harness racing, Wiggle It Jiggleit, took the week off, three other Harrington Raceway based three-year-olds scored impressive victories in major stakes action last Saturday.

Wakizashi Hanover and Yankee Bounty race in the $350,000 Pensylvania Sire Stakes Final while another Delaware-owned colt, Dude's The Man drew the rail for this week's $500,000 Messenger Stake at Yonkers Raceway, one of the sport's Triple Crown of Pacing.

Last weekend, Wakizashi Hanover, arguably the second best sophomore pacer in the sport, dominated in a $61,472 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes division at the Meadows, near Pittsburgh, while race-favorite Purrfect Bags won her second major event at Yonkers, the $116,430 Lady Maud stakes in 1:53 with regular driver Vic Kirby in the bike for owner JoAnn King and her husband, trainer Jim King.

Earlier this Summer, Purrfect Bags won the Lismore Stakes at the New York half-mile track.

The other Harrington connection, Yankee Bounty, also won his Pa. Sire Stakes division.

For Purrfect Bags, a Delaware-sired daughter of Roddy's Bags Again, purchased by Mrs. King for $2,000 at the 2012 Chick's sale, it, it was her fifth consecutive victory and eighth win in 10 starts this season.

She has now won 15 of her 18 lifetime races.

After recording his victory last week at the Meadows, this Saturday, Wakizashi Hanover heads to North East Pa. to race in the $350,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship at Pocono Downs , where Pocono will host four $350,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championship for three-year-olds on a total program boasting $1,770,000 in purses.

In addition to Wakizashi Hanover in the male final, another starter owned-in-part by Harrington entrepreneur Frank Chick, is Yankee Bounty, the 2014 defending champion two-year-old.

Much of the attention in the sophomore division final will be focused on Wakizashi Hanover, already a winner of $948,238, including the $1-million North America Cup Final in Ontario.

He is regarded as second-best soph pacer behind the amazing Wiggle It Jiggleit.

Yankee Bounty come off a 1:49.3 win in his $61,472 Pa. Sire Stakes prelim.

Wiggle It Jiggleit's next start comes in the famed Little Brown Jug pace in Delaware Ohio, Sept. 24.

At Yonkers, Dude's The Man, another standout three-year-old leaves from post 1 in the prestigious Messenger.

The colt is owned by long-time harness patrons, M&L Of Delaware, the nom-de-course, of Ralph, Roz and Doug Paul and their partner Victoria Dickinson, all of Greenville, near Wilmington.

Marv Bachrad