Keystone Velocity and Mackenzie A upset Levy and Matchmaker
April 22, 2017,by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications
Yonkers, NY — Keystone Velocity charged through the stretch to overtake pacesetting McWicked and then held off Somewhere In L A by a head to win Saturday’s $529,000 George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series championship for older male pacers in 1:51.2 over a track labeled “good” at Yonkers Raceway. Even-money favorite Missile J finished third and Bit Of A Legend N, the defending champion, was fourth.
McWicked led the field around the first turn, but Keystone Velocity moved to the front prior to the opening quarter-mile, which was reached in :26.1. McWicked regained the top spot prior to the halfway point, in :54.4, and set the pace from there until the top of the stretch when Keystone Velocity moved to the passing lane and kicked home to victory.
Keystone Velocity capitalized on swift fractions to capture the Levy final.
“We had to be up close,” winning driver Daniel Dube said. “It worked out real good. He was really good today. I was hoping (McWicked) could bring me to the top of the stretch because on the last turn I had a lot of horse. He was real strong; he’s a nice little horse.”
Dube drove Keystone Velocity for trainer Rene Allard, who owns the horse with Kapildeo Singh, Earl Hill Jr., and VIP Internet Stable. The 9-year-old stallion, has won three of seven races this year and earned $323,000 in purses. For his career, Keystone Velocity has won 22 of 95 starts and banked $863,971.
Sent off at odds of 11-1, he paid $24.80 to win.
Missile J was bidding to become the first 4-year-old to win the Levy since Whiteland Trouble in 1992.
Earlier on the card, Mackenzie A won the $310,600 Blue Chip Matchmaker Series championship for pacing mares by 2-1/4 lengths over Medusa in 1:53.1. Divas Image was third and favorite Mach It A Par finished fourth.
Jordan Stratton drove Mackenzie A for owners Harry Von Knoblauch Stable and Ellen Kinser. The 5-year-old mare is a daughter of Rock N Roll Heaven-Kept For Pleasure. Mackenzie A has won two of eight races this year and earned $205,800. Going off at odds of 5-1, she paid $12.80 to win.
Mike Lizzi photos
Mackenzie A was a determined winner of the Blue Chip Matchmaker final on Saturday.
“The trip just worked out perfect,” Stratton said. “Mach It A Par got used hard. She’s a tough mare, but she’s usually a little better from behind. But she had to make the move and it worked out for us. It was the plan to race (Mackenzie A) from behind, but I didn’t know it would work out like that. It worked out for the best I guess.”
Clear Vision won the $100,000 Levy consolation in 1:51.3. Mach It So was second and Caviart Luca was third.
Hidden Land won the $75,000 Matchmaker consolation in 1:54.1. Sell A Bit N was second and Krispy Apple was third.
- Matchmaker and Levy series finals top Grand Circuit weekend (Wednesday, April 19, 2017)
The Grand Circuit at Yonkers this week features the $529,000 final and the $100,000 consolation of the George Morton Levy series for open pacers, as well as the $310,600 final and $75,000 consolation in the Blue Chip Matchmaker series for open pacing mares.
- Kakaley enjoys new view of McWicked (Wednesday, April 19, 2017)
Matt Kakaley saw many of McWicked’s victories during the horse’s Dan Patch Award-winning campaign in 2014, but not from a favorable vantage point. Kakaley drove horses that lost nine times to McWicked that season, which culminated with McWicked being named harness racing’s best 3-year-old male pacer.
- Banca sends out two early favorites for Yonkers’ Grand Circuit action (Friday, April 21, 2017)
When trainer Rich Banca purchased Somewhere In L A at the 2016 Harrisburg Sale, he thought he was getting a solid older gelding with potential to race in the upper-level conditions at Yonkers Raceway. Instead, heading into Saturday (April 22) night’s $529,000 George Morton Levy Series Final, Somewhere In L A tops the leader board with 287 points earned in the series’ five preliminary legs and leads all standardbreds in North America by earnings in the young racing season with $180,750 on his card.
- Tritton stars primed for Saturday series finals (Saturday, April 22, 2017)
The final of the 2016 George Morton Levy Series was special for trainer Pete Tritton. He watched as Bit Of A Legend N, the race’s 1-5 favorite, swept to the lead after the opening quarter of the rich Grand Circuit stakes before holding off all challengers in the stretch, powering to a length victory in 1:51.0. One year removed from that win, Tritton thinks his star is primed for a series repeat on Saturday (April 22) in this year’s $529,000 edition of the contest.