BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, March 21,
2015—The annual rite of spring known as the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing
Series began Saturday night, with Yonkers Raceway hosting five, $50,000
divisions for the best Free-For-Allers in training.
The featured foray did not disappoint,
as last season’s champ, P H Supercam (Jason Bartlett), picking off the
season-debuting, 11-year-old Foiled Again (Yannick Gingras) in the third
grouping.
Foiled Again, rounding the bend toward
$7 million and making his 225th lifetime start, was in play early
from outside post position No. 7. He worked around the two inside numbers—3-2
favorite “Supercam” and a bit-wide Apprentice Hanover (Jody Jamieson)--making
the lead just past a :27.3
opening quarter-mile.
After a
soft :56.4 intermission, Big N Bad (Dan Dube) moved from fifth, with Dancin’
Yankee (Brett Miller) in behind.
Meanwhile,
Foiled Again found a seemingly-comfy 1:25 three-quarters, taking a
length-and-a-half lead into the lane.
However, P
H Supercam ducked inside and snapped harness racing’s richest-ever horse late,
winning by a hard-fought head in 1:53. Third went to Dancin’ Yankee, with
Frankie’s Dragon (George Brennan) and Apprentice Hanover settling for the
remainder.
For P H Supercam, an 8-year-old
Million Dollar Cam gelding owned by Bamond Racing and trained by Jeff Bamond
Jr., he returned $5 for his third win in six seasonal starts. The exacta (two
wagering choices) paid $22.60, with the triple returning $90.50.
“A lot of things went right for him
tonight,” Bartlett said. “Obviously, the draw and the fact (Foiled Again)
wasn’t going much up front. The best thing about me horse is he can sprint, but
Foiled Again is a great horse and tough to get by. I thought we were going
right by, especially since (Foiled Again) was making his first start of the
season, but it’s always special to beat a horse that’s so good.”
Millionaire Warrawee Needy (Mark
MacDonald, $7.30). was left alone on the lead (:28, :57) and made ‘em pay
(1:24.2, 1:52.1) in the fourth Levy division. From post No. 2, he whipped a
closing 50-1 Windsong Jack (Eric Carlson) by three-quarters of a length. Clear
Vision (Gingras) was third, while 11-10 choice Bigtown Hero (Dan Dube) was a
tiring pocket sixth.
For Warrawee Needy, a 6-year-old son of
E Dee’s Cam co-owned by (trainer) Mark Ford, David Shea and Carl Jamieson, he’s
now 4-for-7 this season. The exacta paid $131.50, with the triple returning
$433.50.
Saturday night’s other Levy events were
won by…
--Beach Memories,g,5 (by
Somebeachsomewhere); co-owners Strollin Stable,AWS Stables,King
McNamara,Country Club Acres/trainer Ron Burke/driver Gingras; 1:52.2/$5.30;
--Polak A,7 (by Pacific Fella);
co-owners Frank Bellino & Sons,Frank J Bellino,Joseph Bellino/trainer Tony
O’Sullivan; (U-S parimutuel debut) 1:52/$5.30;
--Michael’s Power,g,6 (by Camluck);
breeder-owner Jeff Snyder/trainer Mark Silva/driver Dube; 1:52.1/$21.
Saturday night’s
$42,000 Open Handicap Trot went to Not Afraid (Dube, $3.20), overcoming an
assigned eight-hole (1:56.1) for a fourth consecutive victory.
The Raceway’s live season continues Monday night (post time 7:10 PM). After that,
it’s Tuesday (1 PM), then Thursday through Saturday (all at 7:10 PM). Note
Sunday matinees are done until November. Evening simulcasting accompanies all
night programs, with afternoon simulcasting available daily (save for Palm and
Easter Sundays, March 29 & April 5).
