BY
FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway
YONKERS, NY,
Saturday, March 23, 2019—Saturday night’s (March 23rd) night second
round of Yonkers Raceway’s George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series didn’t do
a whole lot to establish a clear favorite, though some of the contenders did
indeed state their cases.
Another happy
half-dozen, $50,000, Free-For-All groups were contested, with a pair of
repeaters leading the way.
Here’s the
succinct story, not necessarily in chronological order…
Second division—Odds-on Rodeo
Rock (Andrew McCarthy, $3.50)—from post position No. 5--‘ran down’ loose leader
Gokudo Hanover (George Brennan), prevailing first-up by a head in 1:52.1. The
13-1 latter had open lengths through intervals of -:26.4, :56.1 and 1:24.
Rock the Nite (Mark MacDonald), More the Better N (Scott
Zeron) and Major Crocker A (Dan Dube) picked off the remainder, while an amiss
Bit of a Legend N (Jordan Stratton) lost tough from a pole-sitting pocket and
finished sixth.
For Rodeo Rock, a
6-year-old Rock N Roll Heaven gelding owned by Royal Wire Products and trained
by Robert Cleary, it was his third win in as many seasonal starts (2-for-2 in
series). The exacta paid $22.60, the triple returned $201 and the superfecta
paid $459.50.
“I was hoping
Scotty (Zeron, with More the Better N would pull from third, but he was happy
where he was and just had to go on with it,” McCarthy said. “It was a long way
(from fifth) in the wind, but he was actually more comfortable tonight than in
last week’s race.”
Fourth division—After wiring his
opening-leg rivals at 9-1, favored Ideal Jimmy (Brent Holland, $4.10) had a
more acquaintances at the windows.
From post No. 3,
it couldn’t have been less simple (:28,
:57.4, 1:26, 1:53.3), going the distance by 3¼ lengths. Polester Lochton
Luck A (Matt Kakaley), as the 29-1 outsider, and three-hole sitting Bellow’s
Binge (Jason Bartlett) finished the tickets, while Always at My Place (Brennan)
and Bettor Memories (Jim Marohn Jr.) settled for the remainder.
For Ideal Jimmy, a
6-year-old homebred Western Ideal gelding owned by D R Van Witzenberg and
trained by Erv Miller, it was his fifth win in eight’19 tries (2-for-2 in
series). The exacta paid $49, the triple returned $136 and the superfecta paid
$1,379.
“I thought he
should have been the favorite last week,” Holland said “He’s very handy and I’m
not surprised he’s stepped up in this series.”
First division—A week after
Western Fame (Dube) traversed the fastest local mile (1:51.1) of the season, he
was 15-cents-on-the-dollar to do it again.
JJ Flynn
(Brennan, $43) was not impressed. After Western Fame led through early
fractions of :27.1 and :56.2, JJ Flynn moved—with purpose—from post No. 4. He
hooked Western Fame by the 1:24 three-quarters, fighting him off from there.
The final margin
was three-quarters of a length in a sharp 1:51.3. Duplicated N (Tim Tetrick)
was a pocket third, with Ballerat Boomerang (Joe Bongiorno) and Lyons Steel
(MacDonald) also making appearance fees.
For fourth choice JJ Flynn, a 6-year-old Western Ideal
gelding co-owned by (trainer) Josh Green, Richard Lombardo and Charles Cochran
III, he’s now 6-for-8 this season (1-for-2 in series). The exacta paid $119.50,
the triple returned $191 and the superfecta paid $362.50.
Third
division—Anythingforlove A (Bongiorno) saw his quest for the series two-fer
implode from pole-sitting Endeavor (Tetrick, $4.90) pulled from third and
rolled right past.
The former offered
early foot (:27.3, :57.1), but was backpedaling buy the 1:25 three-quarters.
Endeavor, meanwhile, opened a pair of lengths in and out of the final turn,
eventually winning by 2¼ lengths in 1:52.4.
Control Tower
(Austin Siegelman) was a loose-second-up second, with a trapped Dr. J Hanover
(McCarthy), Nocturnal Bluechip (Zeron) and the fading 11-10 fave
Anythingforlove A settling for the minors.
For second choice
Endeavor, a 6-year-old American Ideal gelding co-owned by (trainer) Jeff
Cullipher and Pollack Racing, it was his first win in a pair of seasonal/series
starts. The exacta paid $24.40, the triple returned $149.50 and the superfecta
paid $530.
Fifth division—The Downtown Bus
(Zeron, $17.20) took the always-popular fourth-over route to redemption,
snapping 11-10 choice Beckham’s Z Tam (Tetrick) by a head in 1:53.1.
The closers, from
post Nos. 5 and 3, respectively, had numbers to chase after Sam’s a Champ A
(MacDonald) set a contested pace (:26.1,
:55.3, 1:23.4) after getting stung early and softened by a first-up The Wall
(Bongiorno).
Rodeo Romeo
(Bartlett) was an outkicked third, with The Wall and Whittaker N (Holland)
grabbing the smaller envelopes.
For fifth choice
The Downtown Bus, a 4-year-old Mach Three gelding co-owned by (trainer) Jeff
Gillis and Ellen Ott, he’s now 1-for-2 this season/series. The exacta paid
$90.50, the triple returned $196.50 and the superfecta paid $540.
Sixth division—A two-speed
number, where second choice Somewhere in L A (Bartlett, $6.10) edged past
just-over-even-money I’marocnrollegend N (Brennan) in 1:53.1.
Pocketed from post
No. 4, ‘L A’ earned a 40th career win, the margin three-quarters of
a length. Don Domingo N (Stratton) was a ground-saving third, with I’m Some
Graduate (Kakaley) and Mar Nien A (Greg Merton) earning the remainder of
available coinage.
For Somewhere in L
A, an 8-year-old Somebeachsomewhere gelding co-owned by D’Elegance Stable IX,
Carmen Iannacone, T L P & Gandolfo Stables and trained by Richard Banca, it
was his second win in five seasonal efforts (1-for-2 in series). The exacta
paid $14.60, the triple returned $126.50 and the superfecta paid $572.
The series
standings, as dutifully compiled by Bob (OUTP) Miecuna, accompany this release.
Saturday night’s
$44,000 Open Handicap Trot was won by 31-1 rank outsider New Heaven
(Stratton, $64) in a season’s-best 1:55.3.
