By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – 2015 Horse of the Year Wiggle It Jiggleit finished second to the $590,000+-winning mare Diva’s Image in a Tuesday morning qualifier at Harrah’s Philadelphia, but he posted by far his best clocking, 1:52.2, in this, his fourth qualifier after being away from the races for over three years.

Driver Montrell Teague sent the now-seven-year-old altered son of Mr Wiggles to the lead in the qualifier and posted fractions of :26.4, :55.4, and 1:23.4, opening up a four length lead at the stretch call. But Diva’s Image, six lengths behind at the ¾, finished strongly for driver Tim Tetrick to go by by a length over the pacesetting “Wiggle.”
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Wiggle’s best time since his return had been 1:53.4, in winning his first qualifier back.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The Monday twilight card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono was jam-packed with quality racing throughout, with three $100,000 Championships of the Great Northeast Open Series for older fast-class performers, all at 1¼ miles over the 5/8-mile Pocono oval, along with eight $40,000 Pennsylvania Stallion Series Championships for Keystone-sired two- and three-year-olds who rank just below the national-caliber state Sire Stakes ranks.
 
$100,000 GREAT NORTHEAST OPEN SERIES CHAMPIONSHIPS
 
OPEN PACE
Perhaps None Bettor A had a bit of an experience edge by racing over distances longer than a mile Down Under, but he showed rare courage in holding the late charge of favored pocketsitter Backstreet Shadow in 2:20.1, a stakes record, with the last three-quarters of 1:22.3 extraordinary in an extended-distance contest.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​CHESTER PA – Wiggle It Jiggleit continues his journey back to the races on Tuesday morning, starting from post four in the seventh qualifying race at Harrah’s Philadelphia. That event should go gateward shortly after 11 a.m.
 
After being away from the races since October 2016, Wiggle It Jiggleit has appeared in qualifiers three times starting in August, winning his first start in 1:53.4 at Philly; finishing third, timed in 1:54.1, at Pocono; and then winning upon returning to Philly in 1:54.1 last week. Montrell Teague is expected to be in his normal seat behind the now-seven-year-old altered son of Mr Wiggles for trainer Clyde Francis.
 
The winner of $3.9 million, the 2015 Harness Horse of the Year who is owned by George Teague Jr. Inc. and Teague Racing Partners LLC, is being evaluated for racing prospects in both 2019 and 2020.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
​WILKES-BARRE PA – On the C.K.G. Billings circuit Bob Hechkoff may be known as “The Headhunter,” but at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Sunday night he was known as the longshot player’s best friend after guiding the Andover Hall gelding Five Towns to a $63.20 shocking victory in the $15,000 Billings #2 Eastern Sector Final.
 
“Smokin’ Joe” Faraldo was certainly smokin’ out of the gate with Tough Get Going, leaving from the rail in :27.4 to put the field in behind, then backing off the half to 1:00.1. The price of trotting went up down the backstretch as Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford moved up with favored Starsaboveallerage behind Super Manning and “Joltin’” Joe Pennacchio’s uncovered bid to the 1:29.3 three-quarters. Tough Get Going and Faraldo shook off the first-over, but Hechkoff, who had guided Five Towns into the two-hole early, rallied his veteran winner of $425,264 to go by Tough Get Going and Faraldo by ¾ of a length, with Oldford and Starsaboveallerage third, and the entire field of eight competitively and commendably separated by less than five lengths at the wire.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – The cream of the Pennsylvania-sired two-year-olds took center stage at Harrah’s Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon, contesting four $252,000 Pennsylvania Sire Stakes Championships, along with attendant $50,000 consolations.
 
The Championships were formful, with all four favorites winning, and three Philly track records were set, including one in a consolation, along with a world record and two stakes records.
 
Here is a summary of the main events, in the order they occurred, with a paragraph on the division’s consolation at the end.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA -- The redoubtable ten-year-old Atta Boy Dan won for the fifth straight time, and tenth in his last eleven starts, leading at every pole to take the featured $20,000 claiming handicap pace at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono on Saturday night. He was also claimed for the 13th straight start for $40,000, tying a local standard first set by R Gauwitz Hanover in 2015.
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George Napolitano Jr. got the winning Western Terror gelding to the front late on the first turn and posted fractions of :26.1, :54.2, and 1:22, crossing the wire in 1:50.1, 1¼ lengths ahead of pocketsitting Rock The Town, for his connections for this start, trainer Brandon Presto and the ownership of Spring Valley Ranch and Michelle Linnert.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – A trio of $16,000 contests shared the spotlight on a special Friday evening card at Harrah’s Philadelphia with driver Andrew McCarthy, who won four races, including the featured pace and the faster of the two featured trots.
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The Captaintreacherous sophomore filly Tarryn A Strip is now two for three since coming to the local oval and joining the barn of trainer Jennifer Bongiorno, winning Friday in 1:52, just a tick off her lifetime mark. Tarryn A Strip did not have an easy path to Victory Lane, being caught very wide early and not making the lead until the 3/8 for McCarthy, yet she still had enough to withstand the wide late burst of Ponder The Odds by a half-length for Glenview Livestock LTD and Cheryl Cherry.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – Joey Bats again showed his fondness for the Harrah’s Philadelphia oval, notching his third straight win in recent appearances with a 1:54.1 victory in the $18,000 trotting feature Thursday at the riverside oval.
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The four-year-old Holiday Road gelding made every pole a winning one, rattling off splits of :27.4, :56.4, and 1:25.3, then sprinting away from his competition in the last quarter. He won by four lengths over pocketsitter Ooh Rah, giving him eight wins on the year and a career bankroll of $231,207. Andrew Harris trains the sharp trotter for Scott Dillon, Michele Nelson, and Marc Reynolds.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
WILKES-BARRE PA – The top pointearners in the eight divisions of Pennsylvania Stallion Series, a class just below the Sire Stakes program, will be meeting during a Monday twilight card at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono to contest $40,000 Championship races.
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Perhaps the most interesting entrant in the Stallion Series Championships is the three-year-old Muscle Massive colt Kate’s Massive, who will attempt to become only the third Stallion Series Championship winner at two to repeat at three, behind trotting filly Migisi (2010-11) and pacing colt Nimble And Quick (2015-16).  Kate’s Massive made a break in his first StS start of 2018, then won two prelims before taking the final; this year he won all three of the prelims he entered and should be favored from post seven in race nine. In the companion filly event, race seven, Spring In Paris recorded three wins and a second in the prelims and figures the horse to beat from post four.

By: Jerry Connors, Jr. 
CHESTER PA – A pair of $14,000 featured paces bookended the Wednesday afternoon card at Harrah’s Philadelphia.
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In the first contest, driver David Miller and Voyager were blindswitched by a brushing So Much Bettor on the far turn, but Miller found a sliver of room with the sophomore gelding of Captaintreacherous-Shebestingin and got through to the inside of that rival to take a nose decision in 1:52.3. Joe Holloway trains the four-time winner for Brittany Farms LLC and Val D’Or Farms, and the triumph was the first of five on the day for Miller.