by Frank Drucker, publicity director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway

Yonkers, NY — Jason Bartlett pitched a shutout — and not the good one — on Tuesday night (April 8) at Yonkers Raceway, leaving him two wins away from 2,000 in his career.

Yonkers’ leading driver, who sniffed the milestone after a five-win night Monday, was blanked in eight drives during Tuesday night’s 12-race program.

After a day of R&R, Bartlett, his friends and family, as well as Yonkers, are back at it on Thursday, with 10 races and a usual 7:40 p.m. first post.

It was not a total loss for all things Bartlett. R U Bartlett ($4.20) — the 5-year-old pacing gelding — did win the $7,000 eighth race in a life-best 1:55.4, one of Stephane Bouchard’s four victories.

Round 3 of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series is set for Saturday night, with a pair of $50,000 divisions. Post time for the dozen-race card is 7:40 p.m., with the Levy legs going as races eight and nine.

This week offers a bit of a different look, as Took Hanover (two-for-two in this series) and Mr Feelgood (third in the Classic Series at Dover on Monday) are both AWOL.

Leading Saturday’s first grouping is Palone Ranger (Catello Manzi, post seven), who went up and over opening leg winner Special Report (Larry Stalbaum, post four) to notch a 9-1 upset a week ago, his first win in nine ’08 tries. Psilvuheartbreaker (Jim Meittinis, post eight) was second to Palone Ranger at 78-1.

The other Levy legion finds ’07 series champ Maltese Artist (Greg Grismore, post seven), fourth to Took Hanover’s ’08 local-best 1:51.1 effort a week ago, and Panaramic Art (Driver TBA, post three), looking to rebound from a rare dull effort.

Mypanmar (Stephane Bouchard, post one), Looselipssinkships (Jim Pantaleano, post five) and Home Run Hudson (Bartlett, post eight) were each third in their respective events a week ago.

Yonkers offers a five-night-per-week live harness schedule, with first post every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:40 p.m. Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting around the NYRA schedule.