BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY, Saturday, April 2,
2016—Yonkers Raceway’s Saturday night 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.
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 returned $245.50.
As for favored “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 returned
$39.40 and the superfecta paid $127.
Burke’s first win of the Levy evening
began 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.
WIJI, stuck seventh (from post No. 7)
until the backside the second time, unleashed a torrid wide move by 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 2-for-5
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 3½ 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 2-for-7 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.
