Stakes winners secure division honors

Standardbred racing fans were treated to a host of stakes races over the past three nights that enabled at least a handful of trotters and pacers to secure division honors.

Monday night at Dover Downs, Wiggle It Jiggleit (Montrell Teague) virtually led throughout to capture the $35,000 Hap Hansen Progress Pace prep by four lengths in 1:49.

A gelded son of Mr Wiggles owned and trained by George Teague, Jr., Wiggle It Jiggleit has won 21 of 25 starts this year and banked over $2 million. He has already secured divisional honors among three-year-old colt Pacers and is undoubtedly pacer of the year and the odds-on favorite for horse of the year heading into next Monday's $300,000 Hap Hansen Progress Pace final.

Saturday night at the Meadowlands in New Jersey, Mission Brief (Yannick Gingras) deliveres another stellar performance when taking the $144,000 Continentalvictory final by five lengths in 1:51.2.

Mission Brief has won 10 of 14 starts this year and earned just over $1 million and already secured divisional honors among three-year-old filly trotters after avenging a pair of setbacks to Wild Honey.

In fact, Mission Brief will be a serious contender for trotter of the year along with Hambletonian winner Pinkman. Mission Brief was actually the beaten favorite in the Hambo and settled for second after a first over journey.

Also on Saturday night Divine Caroline     captured the $175,000 Tarport Hap Stakes for three-year-old filly pacers. The Joe Holloway trainee sealed divisional honors with the determined win. Resolve (Ake Svandstedt) captured the $400,000 TVG Free-For-All Trot, but it may not be enough to vault him past JL Cruze for champion older trotter.