Wiggle

The stallions Shifway & Biscawong were both out of Gay Wendy, an imported mare by Hook Money (by Bernborough).

Shifway sired Tulip Town & Robrick Star whle Biscawong sired Wonga Prince & Our Horizon.

They are probably not the stallions you are thinking of but they did have Bernborough in their pedigree.

Swiftly Morgan was another stallion that succeeded at Dawson Stud, but Garganey was a flop. Still have the old Turf. Onthly, Racetrack and Australian Thoroughtbred magazines of the day.

Brudder_A wrote: Wiggle II. Her win in the 6 furlongs Interborough Handicap ($29,900) was at Aqueduct (New York) on October 24, 1960 where she was ridden by the champion jockey of the time Eddie Arcaro winning by 2 lengths. ....

Getting back on track for this thread (and I'm not slugging on the divergence which was interesting reading from the posts) I thought I'd get a little bit more perspective about what Wiggle had achieved in the USA. She did race in the US more than in Australia so there must of been some intrigue.

So I did some research and thought I would share it here.

Soon after her win at Aqueduct, Wiggle II was next seen on Tuesday, November 8th at Garden State Park, at Cherry Hill, New Jersey in the feature event, the 6 furlong Princeton Handicap with stakes of $23,350. Here she ran into some tough competition facing males and she was gallant in defeat finishing 2nd to Tick Tock by 2 1/2 lengths in 1:10.40 who had won this same event in 1958 and was third the previous year. That's fairly fast!

Garden State Park at this time was one of the premier racetracks on the East Coast. Opened in 1942 by the 1960s the growth of attractions and shopping malls, restaurants were a prime of the growth that attracted fans and high quality racing. However, after a fire in 1977 the track tried to reinstall its glory but by the late 1990s its fate was sealed. I had visited the track several times in the late 1990s and by its last whimper all was left was a flea market. In 2001 it closed and later it was bulldozed. Only sign left is a Cherry Hill Train Station which is adjacent to some new housing developments and more shopping malls. Ironically I had just recently past it on my way to Atlantic City just last month enroute to my quarantine destination.

Ok, a bit of divergence, so lets get back to the details!

Three days after her running in the Princeton Handicap, Wiggle II was entered in the Friday feature at Garden State Park, The Vineland Handicap, an event for fillies and mares over a distance of 1 1/8 miles (~1800m) and the stakes were $52,800. In today's value taking inflation into account that would roughly be about ~$508,000. Hence no doubt that this event attracted an elite field and its worth going through who she was facing. The favourite Royal Native was carrying 124 lbs, Wiggle 119 lbs and Make Sail 118 lbs. Before I disclose the result lets a closer look who was this opposition.

Royal Native was no slouch. In fact she was the 3YO Champion in the US. Her wins included the Monmouth Oaks, Spinster Stakes at Keeneland (today a GI), Pageant Handicap and Ambassador Purse at Atlantic City. Her form coming into this race was also impressive. Winning Arlington Matron Handicap, Black Helen Handicap at Hialeah Park, Florida, Molly Pitcher Handicap at Monmouth Park, NJ, Colonial Handicap at Garden State Park. And her breeding was Blue as the get. Her sire was British 1946 Royal Ascot Queen Anne Stakes winner Royal Charger who was by Frederico Tesio's Nearco (ITY) out of Sun Princess a dam who produced 13 foals, 11 runners and 9 winners including stakes winners Tessa Gillian, Alassio, Flaneur II and Royal Justice. Royal Charger had major influence in the US in the post WWII after being sent to there in 1953. He commanded a fee of $10,000, the largest breeding fee through his time.

Make Sail was also impressive mare. She was bred by Harry F. Guggenheim a notable breeder and founding member of the New York Racing Association. Make Sail was bought by Cain Hoy Stable trained by Woody Stephens and as a 2YO she won one of the divisions of the Schuylerville Stakes at Saratoga (now G3) and the following year captured the Kentucky Oaks (now G1) and later winning at Saratoga the prestigious Alabama Stakes over 1 1/4 miles. Make Sail's breeding also has a European twinge to it. Her sire was the French bred 1948 2YO Champion Ambiorix who was sold by his breeder Marcel Boussac to Claiborne Farm for $250,000. (That would be right up there with what some of the champs these days would get!) On her dam's side Anchor's Aweigh, she had Sir Gallahad (had 3 Kentucky Derby Winners) and Man O' War.

So the event was a really high profile one. A nice crowd of 24,660 gathered as reported by the Camden Courier Post. The tabloids headlines posted that Royal Native midfield early rallied by jockey Bill Hartack (winner of 5 Kentucky Derbies including 1960, 3 Preakness Stakes & 1 Belmont Stakes including 1960) and came from behind to take over from Make Sail winning by 1/2 length who took the lead from pace setter My Dear Girl (1959 2YO Champion and winner of the Frizette Handicap at Belmont Park) who finish in fourth with "the Australian Invader" Wiggle II who was ridden by the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame (1963) jockey Steve Brooks four lengths away in third. Time for the 1 1/8 miles was 1:50 4/5.

Wiggle was not finished running in November.

On Thursday, 24th November 1960, which happened to be Thanksgiving Day, Wiggle II was entered in the featured event the $28,420 Firenze Handicap over 1 mile at the Big A - Aqueduct. One has to remember that in 1960 Aqueduct was a brand new spanking track taking over from the old Jamaica Racecourse that was several miles north from Ozone Park in Queens.  The Firenze Handicap was inaugurated in 1948 but has had an evolution which sees it today run as the Grade I Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga during the summer meet.

The NY Daily News reports a crowd of 24,870 came out to Aqueduct to see the races for the first running of the Firenze Handicap at Aqueduct before the fans went home to eat some turkey. I have been to the Thanksgiving day meet at Aqueduct several times - never a crowd like that. I recall that post time for the first race was something like 10:15 so that the meeting would finish early. Wonder if that was the case.

Anyway, The Firenze Handicap, 7th race on the card was won by longshot Clear Road owned by Ogden Phipps starting at 25/1, defeating the Argentine mare Soldadesca and Brookmeade Stable's Big Effort in third. Sister Antoine was fourth and Wiggle II as the disappointing favourite finished fifth.

The rest of the field was Who's Ahead, even more disappointing the second favourite Make Sail,

Frimanaha and Royal Lady last. Wiggle carried 124 pounds - Clear Road 111 pounds. Big difference!

Some follow up on the runners. Clear Road had chased Make Sail twice at Saratoga earlier that summer in the Test Stakes and Alabama Stakes and made clear amends on Thanksgiving. Soldadesca sire was Timor (FR) who was bought from Marcel Boussac in France and taken to Argentina's Haras EL Turf Stud in Buenos Aires. Her biggest win in the US was the Miss America Turf Handicap at Atlantic City, New Jersey in the summer of 1960. Atlantic City had one of the best turf tracks on the East Coast and my heart twinges every time I drive past that track. Even more so how the casinos shuttered that track back in the 1980s & 90s and today to see how the casinos are all closed!

Big Effort was a 5yo at the time and ran beyond her form in the Firenze. Her best win was as a 3yo in the Delaware Oaks in 1958.  Sister Antoine biggest win was the following year when was shipped to the West Coast and won the 1961 Santa Margarita Handicap (now G1). The 3yo filly Frimanaha improved immensely in the following years. As a 4YO she won the Vineland Handicap at Garden State Park defeating Shirley Jones and once again winning in the Walt Whitman Handicap the following year at GSP. As a 6YO she won the Diana Handicap (now G1) at Saratoga. In the breeding shed whe was also successful with 7 foals 6 to race, all winners, including Bohemian Grove who won the G3 Dalgety (Hotham Handicap) in 1980 at Flemington - Anyone remember that? I've made it back to OZ!

Enjoy!