Grand Circuit action continues at Yonkers with first round of Levy Series
March 19, 2017,by Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, for Empire City at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway’s George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series for Free-For-Allers began Saturday night (March 18), with a quartet of $50,000 divisions over a ‘sloppy’ surface.
Mike Lizzi photo
Missile J rolls from off the pace to nab the first leg of his Levy Series division at Yonkers Raceway on Saturday evening.
The opening event saw 3-2 choice Missile J (Tim Tetrick, $5) charge from sixth in the lane to win going away in 1:54.1. Unhurried from post position two, he rolled late, whipping a pocketed Blood Brother (Jason Bartlett) by a 1-1/2 lengths. Third went to a rallying Guantanamo Bay (Scott Zeron), with 78-1 Burning N (Ron Cushing) and a pace-setting Keystone Velocity (Dan Dube) settling for the remainder.
For Missile J, a 4-year-old American Ideal gelding trained by Scott DiDomenico for Hoosierland co-owners John McGill and Brian Carsey, it was his fifth win in six seasonal starts. The exacta paid $22, with the triple returning $76.50.
Saturday night’s second Levy grouping saw Long Live Rock (Dube, $38.60) author a decisive, first-over upset. Moving from fourth, from post two, he dismissed 1-2 favorite McWicked (Zeron), then drew off to win by three lengths in 1:54.1. Season-debuting All Bets Off (Matt Kakaley) couldn’t match the winner’s tow but finished second, with 62-1 shot Mattamerican (Mark MacDonald) third. Santa Fe Beachboy (Jordan Stratton) and Melmerby Beach (Tetrick) grabbed the minors. McWicked, caught three-deep early, wound up a badly-beaten seventh.
For fifth choice Long Live Rock, an 8-year-old Rocknroll Hanover gelding owned and trained by Rene Allard, it was his first win in six seasonal starts. The exacta paid $232, with the triple returning $3,014.
The evening’s third series soiree has Provocativeprincen (Stratton, $5.70)—from post two—prevail in a blanket finish. Away third, he engaged Bettor’s Edge (Brett Miller), then outgamed a pocketed, 8-5 fave Rockin’ Ron (Yannick Gingras) by a head in 1:54.2.
Mach It So (Tetrick) in his first seasonal start, was third, beaten a neck, with Bettor’s Edge and 77-1 Texas Terror N (MacDonald) earning the lesser loot.
For second choice Provocativeprincen, an 8-year-old Down Under Grinfromeartoear gelding owned by Harry von Knoblauch and trained by Peter Tritton, he’s now 4-for-4 to begin the season. The exacta paid $16.60, with the triple returning $62.50.
“He’s done nothing wrong since I’ve sat behind him,” Stratton said,.
The first round’s final foray offered the fastest feet as Soto (Kakaley, $14) pacing from the pocket, was able to get ‘first run’ against defending series champion Bit Of A Legend N (Stratton). The former, from post three, whipped the latter by a half-length in 1:53.3.
Bit Of A Legend N, as the 2-5 choice, was second-up and may have waited a tad too long. Pace-setting Somewhere In L A (Bartlett), Wakizashi Hanover (Tetrick) and Always At My Place (Gingras) rounded out the payees.
For third choice Soto, a 5-year-old son of Rock N Roll Heaven trained by Eric Ell for co-owners Kenneth Wood, William Dittmar Jr. and Stephen Iaquinta, it was his fifth win in nine ’17 starts. The exacta paid $23, the triple returned $55 and the superfecta paid $198.
“He’s just a versatile horse,” Kakaley said. “I would have been happy either cutting the mile or sitting second. It may have been different had Bit Of A Legend N been first-up, but my horse was very good.”
The Saturday night Pick-5, buoyed by a carryover in excess of $3,100, was taken down by one bettor. A winning combination of 2/3/8/7/3 returned $13,468.25 for that 50-cent wager.
Reminder that Sunday’s (March 19) live all-trot ‘French’ card begins at 12:30 p.m., the final Sunday card until the end of May.
- Grand Circuit season opens this weekend at Yonkers (Wednesday, March 15, 2017)
The Grand Circuit at Yonkers features three $40,000 divisions on Friday (March 17) in the first round of the Blue Chip Matchmaker series for open pacing mares. The Saturday (March 18) card at Yonkers will see four $50,000 divisions in the opening round of the George Morton Levy series for open pacers.
- McWicked seeks memorable Grand Circuit return in Levy (Thursday, March 16, 2017)
Moments after his purchase of McWicked at the 2013 Standardbred Mixed Sale in Harrisburg, Ed James was reaching into his pocket. On this occasion it was not to extract his wallet, but to answer his phone.
- Our Sky Major brings Marfisi back to North America’s big stage for the Levy (Friday, March 17, 2017)
For the past few years, Duane Marfisi has enjoyed life in New Zealand as an assistant trainer to Mark Purdon and Natalie Rasmussen, who operate one of the most successful stables in Australasia. Although Marfisi was an accomplished trainer in North America before moving Down Under, working with stars like Adore Me and Lazarus alongside great horsemen showed him he still had room to improve.