Yonkers’ Saturday highlighted by third round of Levy Series
April 2, 2016,by Frank Drucker, Publicity Director, Empire City at Yonkers Raceway
Yonkers, NY — Yonkers Raceway’s Saturday night (April 2) brought with it the third round of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series. Four $50,000 divisions featured something for everyone, as in a pair of series hat tricks, a Ron Burke double, the fastest local mile of the season and a locally-debuting Harness Horse of the Year.
Let’s start with apropos props for the series co-leaders, with Bit Of A Legend N (Jordan Stratton, $12.80) winning from an impossible locale and Take It Back Terry ($4.10) going down the road.
Mike Lizzi photo
Bit Of A Legend N found some room between rivals, then whipped Phil Your Boots by a half-length in 1:51.2.
The former, stuck behind the eight-ball, found himself last turning for home in the second division. Instead of fanning widest, Stratton found some room between rivals, then whipped Phil Your Boots (Sears) by a half-length in 1:51.2. Limelight Beach (Yannick Gingras) was a wide third, with 9-10 choice P H Supercam (Jason Bartlett) failing to successfully execute a second move and retreating to last.
Fourth choice Bit Of A Legend N, a 7-year-old Down Under son of Bettor’s Delight owned by Harry von Knoblauch and trained by Peter Tritton, has won five of his six North American starts. The exacta paid $50, with the triple returning $245.50.
As for favored Take It Back Terry, he did his damage from post position No. 4 in the final division, holding off pocket-prowling Mach It So (Tim Tetrick) by a half-length in 1:51.4. Doctor Butch (Bartlett) was a first-up third.
Take It Back Terry, a 7-year-old Western Terror gelding co-owned as Burke Racing by trainer Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, Larry Karr and Phil Collura, won his third race in four seasonal starts. The exacta (two wagering favorites) paid $11, with the triple returning $39.40 and the superfecta paid $127.
Burke’s first win of the Levy evening came when All Bets Off (Matt Kakaley, $17.60) bottomed out his foes in 1:51.3. From post No. 6, he gave himself enough separation to whip a storming home Wiggle It Jiggleit (Montrell Teague) by a length. Wiggle It Jiggleit, stuck seventh (from post No. 7) until the backside the second time, unleashed a torrid wide move but couldn’t get to the winner in a very good local debut. Rank outsider Forty Five Red (Mark MacDonald) lost the place photo at 64-1, with Te Kawau N (Tetrick) fourth.
Fourth choice All Bets Off, a 5-year-old statebred son of Bettor’s Delight co-owned as Burke Racing by trainer Burke, Weaver Bruscemi, Frank Baldachino and Panhellenic Stable, is now two-for-five this season. The exacta paid $64.50, the triple returned $793 and the superfecta paid $6,939.
“I was going forward regardless,” Kakaley said. “If (Wiggle It Jiggleit) had left with us, I was prepared to go with him. I heard him coming late, but my horse always tries.”
The evening’s first division found Sana Fe Beachboy (Bartlett, $15.20) go up and over pole-sitting, pace-setting Bettorever (Tetrick), then whip him by 3-1/2 lengths in 1:50.2, fastest eight furlongs of the local season. Lettucerockthem A (Stratton) closed from last to third, just ahead of a dead-heating 7-5 fave Foiled Again (Gingras) and Great Vintage (MacDonald). Foiled Again was under encouragement for much of the back half.
Fourth choice Santa Fe Beachboy, a 6-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere owned by Santa Fe Stable and trained by Richard Banca, is now two-for-seven this season. The exacta paid $121.50, with the triple returning $1,197.
“He’s fast enough, you just have to drive him right,” Bartlett said.