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

Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway’s George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series, a leading event featuring the sport’s Free-For-All stars, attracted 38 nominees for its 2008 edition.

The Levy gets underway Saturday night, March 29, and offers five consecutive Saturdays of $50,000 preliminary races — regardless of the number of events for a particular night. The $200,000 (est.) final and $100,000 consolation are both scheduled for Saturday night, May 3.

The Levy, named for the founder of Roosevelt Raceway, returned in ’07 after an 11-year hiatus.

Leading the eligibles is 2007 series champ and soon-to-be double millionaire Maltese Artist, who won last season’s event in 1:51 — just one-fifth of a second off Silver Almahurst’s now-15-year-old all-age track record. Maltese Artist won 13 races and more than $1 million in 2007.

Special Report, second to Maltese Artist in the ’07 final, is also among the ’08 eligibles.

Mr Feelgood — the richest horse ($226,750) of the 2008 season — and Panaramic Art, he of the gaudy 20 consecutive victories (six-for-six this season), have also been nominated.

Mr Feelgood was a winner in last month’s $267,000 final of Pompano Park’s Isle of Capri, the wealthiest event of the ’08 season to date.

For a complete list of eligibles, click here.

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.