by Jerry Connors

Harrisburg, PA — Let’s recap — in the Battle of Lake Erie, we thought there’d be a lot of early action, and there were only two leavers and they sat 1-2 around the track most of the way. In the Berry’s Creek, we thought they’d mix it up early, and there was one (longshot) leaver, and the favorites battled to the wire.

So…they GOTTA mix it up early in the $475,000 Levy Memorial Final at Yonkers on Saturday, don’t they? All that money, a half-mile track where prominent positioning is invaluable, the cream of the aggressive younger sulkysitters…so I’m picking Mister Big.

Yes, he’s been a dead closer recently. Yes, he has post six. Yes, he’s lost his last three races…but look at those three races: 1) He had them stacked four-deep in front of him at the three-quarter pole in Cleveland and stayed inside; 2) he went first-over after a :28.3 first quarter on April 28 and held well in a :54.4 back half, and 3) the way the race shook out last week, he was going to have a tough time catching the virtually-unbothered Special Report.

If he can catch a good cover flow here (after a little front-end softening), I’m looking for him to pace over all of these in the stretch. We don’t think he’ll be 10-1, but he figures at best third choice (and look at his odds in his last two, and against whom) — and note whom he defeated on March 31 and April 7.

If there’s not a battle early, Pacific Renegade may get his preferred third-on-the-rail trip, Maltese Artist will be in pace-controlling position (I wouldn’t worry about last week off), and Special Report may again (eventually) march to the top. It could be 3-7, 7-3 most all the way…but they HAVE TO mix it up early this week. Don’t they?

Editor’s Note: The Levy Final will be the third stop on the USTA’s Cyber Circuit. Be sure to view the race replay moments after the “official” sign is posted. Follow the entire Cyber Circuit by following this link.