by Paul Ramlow, publicity director, the Grand Circuit

This Week: Blue Chip Matchmaker and George Morton Levy series finals and consolations, Yonkers Raceway, Yonkers, N.Y.

Schedule of events: The Grand Circuit at Yonkers this week features the $609,000 final and the $100,000 consolation of the George Morton Levy series for open pacers, as well as the $309,800 final and $75,000 consolation in the Blue Chip Matchmaker series for open pacing mares. All four races will take place on Saturday (April 23).

Complete entries for the races can be found by clicking on this link.

Last time: It was as advertised Saturday night (April 16), with Yonkers Raceway hosting the fifth and final preliminary round of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series. The highly-anticipated first matchup between Wiggle It Jiggleit and Bit Of A Legend N was so stirring that neither one wanted to be left out of the picture.

Both were sent off at odds-on in the last of three $50,000 divisions and when the stone dust settled, the camera was unable to separate 3-4 favorite Wiggle It Jiggleit (Montrell Teague) and 9-10 second choice Bit Of A Legend N (Jordan Stratton) in 1:51.2.

Yonkers photo

Bit Of A Legend N and Wiggle It Jiggleit finished in a dead-heat in Levy Series action.

Bit Of A Legend N, a 7-year-old Down Under son of Bettor’s Delight owned by Harry von Knoblauch and trained by Peter Tritton, has won seven of his nine North American starts. Wiggle It Jiggleit, a 4-year-old Mr Wiggles gelding, is now three-for-four (two-for-three in series) this season and 26-for-31 in his $2 million-plus career. George Teague Jr. and Teague Racing Partnership co-own the horse, trained by Clyde Francis.

Saturday night’s opening Levy division was won by 6-5 choice Lettucerockthem A (Brian Sears). From post No. 2, he quarter-moved, then held second-choice P H Supercam at bay by a half-length in a life-best 1:51. All Bets Off was buried early, then picked off the rest for third. Lettucerockthem A, a 6-year-old Down Under Art Major gelding co-owned as Allard Racing by trainer Rene Allard, Bob Hamather and Bruce Soulsby, is two-for-seven this season (one-for-three in series).

The second series get-together was won by a pocket-sitting fave Mach It So (Tim Tetrick). From post No. 2, he tripped-out by a neck over a stubborn, first-up Texican N in 1:51.3. Te Kawau N was third. Foiled Again, in his 250th career start, cut the mile from the pylons, gave way grudgingly late and finished fourth. Mach It So, a 6-year-old Mach Three gelding owned by Bamond Racing and trained by Jeffrey Bamond Jr., is now three-for-five this series/season.

Yonkers Raceway’s Blue Chip Matchmaker continued Friday night (April 15), with a pair of $40,000 divisions comprising the fifth and final preliminary round.

The evening began with Krispy Apple (Jason Bartlett) eschewing an early pocket, then lasting on the lead. From post position No. 2, she was immediately seated early by Cinamony, but wanted nothing to do with that. She then took over before completing her rounds (:27.4, :56.3, 1:24.2, 1:52.2) for a second consecutive series victory. Sell A Bit N, as the 3-2 favorite, had left into a three-hole. She elected not to move first-up, then found herself wedged behind a tiring Cinamony. Sell A Bit N did get the passing lane, but not nearly in time to track down Krispy Apple, who — as the second choice — prevailed by three-quarters of a length. Carolsideal, an uncovered winner a week ago, was an uncovered third here.

Krispy Apple, an 8-year-old Western Ideal ma’am co-owned by Bamond Racing and Joseph Davino and trained by Jeffrey Bamond Jr., is now two-for-six this season (two-for-five in the series) after her 42nd career victory.

The second event saw a repeating Yagonnakissmeornot (Dan Dube) pick off a badly-drifting Mach It A Par. From post No. 2, the 13-10 fave worked around Yagonnakissmeornot and set tepid intervals (:28.1, :58, 1:26). Mach It A Par opened a couple of lengths entering the lane, but her desire to meet the crowd was about to cost her. Yagonnakissmeornot, as the second choice, stayed on the straight and narrow to win by a length in 1:53.2. Skippin By was a three-hole third.

Yagonnakissmeornot, a 7-year-old daughter of The Panderosa co-owned as Allard Racing by trainer Rene Allard, Yves Sarazain and Kapildeo Singh, is now three-for-six this season (three-for-six in the series).

Complete recaps of the weekend races are available at the Grand Circuit website.

Grand Circuit Standings: In 2016, the Grand Circuit leaders in three categories (driver, trainer and owner) will once again be tracked on a points system (20-10-5 for the top three finishers in divisions/finals and 10-5-2 for the top three finishers in eliminations/legs). Winbak Farm is the sponsor for the 2016 Grand Circuit awards.

Here are the leaders following the past weekend at Yonkers:

Drivers: 1. Jordan Stratton – 131.5; 2. George Brennan – 96; 3. Jason Bartlett – 88; 4. Daniel Dube – 68; 5. Tim Tetrick – 64.

Trainers: 1. Jeff Bamond Jr. – 123; 2. Peter Tritton – 99.5; 3. Ron Burke – 83; 4. Rene Allard – 73; 5t. Andrew Harris – 37; 5t. Richard Banca – 37.

Owners: 1. Harry von Knoblauch – 99.5: 2. Bamond Racing – 72.5; 3. Durazzano Stable – 30; 4. Allard Racing – 24.3; 5t. Burke Racing Stable – 22.95; 5t. Weaver Bruscemi – 22.95.

Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next weekend at Freehold Raceway, with $40,000 Dexter Cup eliminations (if necessary) for 3-year-old open trotters on Saturday (April 30).