BY FRANK
DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Thursday, April 21,
2016—We’re not condoning identity theft, but c’mon, which one of the other
4,247 currently-licensed U-S harness drivers wouldn’t change places with Jordan
Stratton this Saturday night?
That’s because Stratton has
better-than-legitimate shots to win both of Yonkers Raceway’s series finals,
the $609,000 George Morton Levy Memorial and $309,800 Blue Chip Matchmaker.
These are the sport’s two richest races of the season to date.
Since we believe in Ladies First, let’s begin with the seventh race
(approximate post time 9:10 PM) and Sell a Bit N in the Matchmaker. The
6-year-old Down Under daughter of Julius Caesar wears head No. 4 and leaves
from post position No. 3.
After winning legs two and three of the five-week trial period, Sell a Bit N
found herself trapped in “No Woman’s Land” the last two weeks, shuffled behind
the tired and the stopping before finishing third and second, respectively.
“The best thing about her is I can’t hurt her feelings,” Stratton said. “She’s
shown more gate speed than we anticipated and she can also take air. It doesn’t
seem to faze her. With the draw, I’m expecting we’re near the front Saturday.”
The 28-year-old Stratton, who won the inaugural Matchmaker in 2009 with
Pancleefandarpels, tries for his first Levy (ninth race, approx. post 9:50 PM)
with another Kiwi expatriate, Bit of a Legend N.
Both of Stratton’s charges are owned by Harry von Knoblauch and trained by
Aussie Peter Tritton.
Bit of a Legend N, a 7-year-old Down Under
son of Bettor’s Delight completed a perfect (5-for-5) prelim performance,
wrapped by a scintillating dead-heat with reigning Harness Horse of the Year
Wiggle It Jiggleit.
“He paced right through the wire,”
Stratton said of the two-time (ages 2 and 3) Australian Breeders Crown winner
How consistent has “Legend” been? He’s
danced the last three dances in exactly 1:51.2. For the season, it’s seven wins
and a pair of seconds in nine starts ($146,750). In the final, he wears head
number 2 and leaves from that same venue.
“The best horse I’ve ever driven. He’s on
the small side, which helps here (Yonkers) and he has a good mouth, which helps
make very handy.
“Even though he raced every week in the
series, he wasn’t used all that hard. He obviously drew well, but I’ve found
the worst thing is to have a game plan before the gate opens, since they never
seem to work out.”
Asked if he thought about what winning one
or both of Saturday’s races might do for his career, Stratton was quite
level-headed.
“I’ve learned in this business, it’s
possible to go from the top to the bottom very fast,” he said. “I just try to
do the best job I can.”
First post for Saturday’s 13-race, $1.3
million card is 7:10 PM
