Levy and Matchmaker finals in Grand Circuit spotlight
April 18, 2018,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 $532,000 final and the $100,000 consolation of the George Morton Levy series for open pacers, as well as the $373,000 final and $75,000 consolation in the Blue Chip Matchmaker series for open pacing mares. All four races will take place on Saturday (April 21).
Complete entries for the races can be found by clicking on this link.
Last time: Yonkers Raceway on Saturday night (April 14) concluded the preliminaries, with the fifth round of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series. A trio of windy, $50,000 events featured many of the best Free-For-Allers in their final shot to be social climbers.
Mike Lizzi photo
Long Live Rock took advantage of an improved trip to capture his first win in the Levy Series.
Pole-sitting Long Live Rock (Dan Dube, $16), victimized by a series of bad fortune trips through the series, took matters into his own hooves here. He stuffed his rivals in behind in post position order, then finished his rounds (:27.3, :57.2, 1:25.3, 1:53.3).
Long Live Rock, repelling an early pocket pull by Bettor Memories, owned a 1-1/2 length lead into the lane. He held off a first-up Western Fame (Mark MacDonald) by a half-length. Missile J (Tim Tetrick) rallied, losing the place photo as the 6-5 favorite.
For fourth choice Long Live Rock, a 9-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding owned and trained by Rene Allard, it was his third win in nine seasonal starts (1-for-5 in series).
Driver and trainer doubled their pleasure as Keystone Velocity (Dube, $4.50), the defending series champ, prevailed in the second division. Winning the draw, he sat pocketed to Evenin Of Pleasure (Joe Bongiorno) and that one’s handiwork of :27.2, :56.2 and 1:24.2.
Keystone Velocity engaged the leader early in the final turn, then went by. He defeated Christen Me N (Tetrick) by 1-1/2 lengths in 1:52.1, with Mach It So (David Miller) third. Evenin Of Pleasure faded to fourth.
For Keystone Velocity, a 10-year-old son of Western Hanover co-owned as Allard Racing by trainer Allard, Kapildeo Singh, Earl Hill Jr. and VIP Internet Stables, it was his first win in five seasonal/series starts.
A down-the-road Killer Martini (Yannick Gingras, $16.40) was quite good in getting off the series schneid in the final division.
From post two, he didn’t give much else a shot (:27.1, :56.2, 1:24.2, season’s-best 1:52.4). Opening 3-1/2 lengths in and out of the final turn, Killer Martini defeated a from-last Bit Of A Legend N (Jordan Stratton) by 3-3/4 lengths. Dr J Hanover (Brett Miller), as the 4-5 choice, was a conservatively-raced third.
Killer Martini, a 6-year-old Camluck gelding owned and trained by Ricky Bucci, is now 3-for-12 this season (1-for-4 in series).
Complete recaps of the weekend races are available at the Grand Circuit website.
Grand Circuit Standings: In 2018, 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 Farms is the sponsor for the 2018 Grand Circuit awards.
Here are the leaders following the past weekend at Yonkers:
Drivers: 1. Tim Tetrick – 109; 2. Jordan Stratton – 89; 3. Yannick Gingras – 79; 4. Jason Bartlett – 77; 5. Daniel Dube – 43.
Trainers: 1. Peter Tritton – 72; 2. Richard Banca – 68; 3. Ron Burke – 66; 4. Jim King Jr. – 49; 5. Rene Allard – 43.
Owners: 1. Vonknoblauch Stable – 62; 2t. Brittany Farms – 25; 2t. Diamond Creek Racing – 25; 4t. Bamond Racing – 24; 4t. Richard Poillucci – 24.
Looking ahead: Grand Circuit action will take place next weekend at Freehold Raceway, with $40,000 (est.) Dexter Cup eliminations (if necessary) for 3-year-old open trotters on Saturday (April 28).
- Posts drawn for finals of Levy, Matchmaker Series (Monday, April 16, 2018)
Post positions have been drawn for North America’s two richest races of the season to date, Yonkers Raceway’s $532,000 final of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series and $373,000 final of the Blue Chip Matchmaker.
- It’s not easy bein’ Western Fame (Wednesday, April 18, 2018)
If Western Fame were human, Mark MacDonald could envision him fidgeting with his necktie while bemoaning a lack of respect. A multiple-stakes-winning pacer, Western Fame has not been the favorite in his most recent six victories (five at odds of 9-2 or higher) and has been the betting public’s top choice only five times in his past 39 races. When he was the favorite during that span, he produced three wins and missed a fourth by a nose. In his past three starts, all in preliminary rounds of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series at Yonkers Raceway, Western Fame won twice and finished second by a half-length. On Saturday, the 5-year-old stallion competes in the $532,000 Levy championship, leaving from post No. 1 with MacDonald driving for trainer Jimmy Takter.
- Pancleefandarpels, Stratton and the first Matchmaker (Wednesday, April 18, 2018)
With this Saturday night’s (April 21) $373,000 final going as the 10th Blue Chip Matchmaker, what better time — with apologies to Mr. Peabody and Sherman — to make use of the WABAC Machine? It was the first Saturday in May, 2009, merely hours after Mine That Bird pulled off a 50-1 stunner in the Kentucky Derby. The first Belle of the Ball turned out to be a 5-year-old daughter of Noble Ability named Pancleefandarpels. Mike Lizzi photo.
- Burke starters behind eight ball in Matchmaker and Levy finals (Friday, April 20, 2018)
Trainer Ron Burke will start one horse each in the Blue Chip Matchmaker and George Morton Levy Series finals Saturday night (April 21) at Yonkers Raceway and both will start from a disadvantageous post position. In a random draw, Lakeisha Hall and Rockin Ron were both burdened with post eight. Despite the bad luck, Burke is keeping a positive attitude and isn’t surrendering before races even begin.
- Shartin N looks to rebound in Matchmaker final (Saturday, April 21, 2018)
New Zealand-bred mare Shartin has proven to be aggressive by nature since arriving in the stable of Jim King late last fall. Described by her former trainer Dean Braun as a bit bossy, Shartin’s eagerness finally got the better of her in the last preliminary leg of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series April 13 at Yonkers Raceway. Shartin and regular driver Tim Tetrick will start from post one as the 8-5 favorite in tonight’s $373,000 Matchmaker Series final.
- Shartin N wins Blue Chip Matchmaker (Saturday, April 21, 2018)
An equipment change helped keep Shartin N going straight and propelled her straight to victory in Saturday’s (April 21) $373,000 Blue Chip Matchmaker Series championship for older female pacers at Yonkers Raceway. The mare, who won three preliminary divisions of the Matchmaker prior to going off stride last week, posted a 4-1/2 length victory over Sell A Bit N in 1:52.2. Motu Moonbeam N was third. Mike Lizzi photo.
- Keystone Velocity wins second straight Levy (Saturday, April 21, 2018)
Keystone Velocity won his second consecutive George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series championship, moving to the lead as the field reached the quarter-mile point and retaining the top spot every step of the way from there to defeat Bit Of A Legend N by one length in 1:52 at Yonkers Raceway on Saturday (April 21). Mike Lizzi photo.