YR - STANDOUTS STAND OUT IN LEVY ROUND 2

BY FRANK DRUCKER, Publicity Director, Empire City @ Yonkers Raceway

YONKERS, NY, Saturday, March 31, 2012--Yonkers Raceway Saturday night hosted the second round of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series, with another six, $50,000 divisions...

...and, on the night before April Fool's Day, the big boys weren't fooling around.

Real Nice (Jason Bartlett), fresh from throwing down the fastest local mile of the season in Round 1, became harness racing's newest millionaire in Round 2.  Outdrawing his six rivals in the first division, he was in play early, as was Mainland Key N (Eric Goodell) and Dreamland's Art (Yannick Gingras), 

After a :26.3 opening quarter-mile, the short-priced fave was able to rate a :29.1 second quarter (:55.4) before an identical :55.4 back half for a 1:51.3 effort. Show Me Up (Mark MacDonald) rallied inside for second--albeit  6/1/4 lengths behind the winner--with Dancing Yankee (Tyler Buter) third and Valentino (catch-driver George Brennan) fourth.

For Real Nice, a 7-year-old Real Artist gelding co-owned by Beverly & Gary Paganelli and Anthony Scussel and trained by Rich Banca, it was his second win in five seasonal starts. The exacta paid $53, the triple returned $381 and the superfecta returned $1,487. The career bankroll for the defending series champion now stands at $1,024,189.

All last season's Pacer of the Year--and 2009 & '10 Levy winner and triple millionaire--Foiled Again (Gingras, $2.20) did in the evening's final series soiree was do Real Nice one tick better. Leaving from post position No. 2 as the 1-9 favorite, he was stuffed into a seat by Blatantly Good (Jordan Stratton). That one led through fractions of :26.3, :55 and 1:23.3.

Foiled Again was out by the three-quarters, meeting minimal resistance from the leader en route to a 2 1/4-length victory. The mile of 1:51 is now the local seasonal standard. Second went to Blatantly Good, with Rock to Glory (Goodell) third.

For Foiled Again, an 8-year-old Dragon Again gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi and JJK Stables, it was his first win in a pair of seasonal starts (second to Real Nice a week ago). the exacta paid $4.10, with the triple returning $12.20.  

Saturday night's other Levy groupings presented these outcomes...

2nd division--Like Real Nice and Foiled Again, odds-on, pole-sitting Atochia (Gingras, $2.40) was left to his own devices and--surprising very few--finished what he started (:28.0, 56.3; 1:24.2, 1:52.1)

For Atochia, a 7-year-old Dragon Again gelding trained by Burke for himself (as Burke Racing), Weaver Bruscemi, JJK Stables and M1 Stables, he's now 2-for-3 this season (25 career victories). The exacta paid $4.70, with the triple returning $14.40.

3rd division--Flipper J (Brian Sears, $5.60) flipped off cover, then edged away, winning by a couple of lengths in 1:53. Silent Swing (MacDonald), part of the early scrum, was a pocket second, with Urgent Action (Bartlett) third. One More Laugh (Ray Schnittker), who paid a price to secure the lead, then rated a soft second quarter, folded in the lane.

For Flipper J, a 4-year-old statebred son of Art Major owned by Fran Azur and trained by Kevin McDermott, it was his third win in nine '12 tries. The exacta paid  $20,40, with the triple returning $87.

4th division--A series-debuting, third-choice Sea Venture (Brennan, $8.40), from the pylons as the only leaver, crawled through early fractions of :28.1 and :57.2. He then held off pocket-sitting, 13-10 choice River Shark (MacDonald) by a neck in 1:53, with fave Southern Allie (Gingras)--who had left for a seat--a first-up third.

For Sea Venture, a 4-year-old statebred Western Terror gelding co-owned by (trainer) Lou Pena and Racing Team of America, it was his second (consecutive) win in nine seasonal starts. The exacta paid $16.60, with the triple returning $31.80.

5th division--Nob Hill High (Stratton, $5.70) left from the pole as the favorite, yielded to Summer Camp, then beat him up...the inside. The margin was a going-away two lengths. Power of a Moment (Brent Holland) closed for third, with Clear Vision (Gingras) a first-up fourth.

For Nob Hill High, a 6-year-old son of McArdle trained by Bruce Saunders for co-owners Robert Mondillo & Donald Robinson, is now 4-for-12 this season. The exacta paid, $13.60 the triple returned $191 and the superfecta paid $342.50.

Yonkers' five-night-per-week (Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday/Saturday) live schedule continues. First post for all programs remains at 7:10 PM.  Evening simulcasting accompanies all live programs, with afternoon simulcasting available around the NYRA schedule (note that NYRA is dark the next two Sundays).

Ppk5/8 - Appley Ever After Makes Connections Happy

The Saturday night on-track feature was the $8,000 purse Isle Mile-1 Handicap Pace, and it proved to be another showcase event in the meteoric rise of former $10,000 claimer Appley Ever After.

With Dan Clements at the controls, Appley Ever After darted to front and parked race favorite Talk To Tony and driver Fern Paquet Jr. to the quarter in 26.4. After pocket trip through the middle stages in 55.3 and 1:23.3, Appley Ever After found sufficient clearance in late stretch to stop the clock in 1:51.4. Red Star Paylater with Doug Brown in tow loomed bold out wide in the stretch but settled for third.

Appley Ever After was priced at $10,000 as recently as March 3. In his last four start in the track's top classes, the 5 year old Allamerican Ingot-Sandy Apple gelding has a pair of wins and a pair of runner-up finishes. Richard Noel of Livonia, MI owns the promising pacer along with trainer Mike Watson.

The current meet concludes on July 28. Post time in April and May is 7:15 p.m. Eastern every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday at The Winter Capital Of Harness Racing. In June and July, live cards will be held on Wednesday and Saturday evenings. Free race night live streaming, handicapping selections by Hall Of Famer John Berry, the replays archive and much more is available in the 'racing' tab at www.theislepompanopark.com .

Ppk5/8 - Florida Amateur Drivers Find A New Cause

The Florida Amateur Driving Club (FADC) has broadened the scope of their charitable giving and a trackside cheque presentation ceremony on Saturday evening, March 31 at The Isle Casino Racing Pompano Park served to cement the new relationship going forward.     

"Here in Florida we hadn't heard much about the Christian Harness Horsemen's Association (CHHA), but when we did, the view was unanimous that we would throw our support behind it" said Jamie Marra, a driving force behind the FADC. "Until now our organization had focused on making donations to equine based charitable causes in South Florida but we feel great about being able to reach to the CHHA even though much of their work until now has been focused on tracks in the northeastern United States" he added.

The FADC's mandate calls for the membership, all fully licensed drivers, to donate the customary 5% commissions earned from their weekly events to charitable causes. "A few months back we surpassed a major milestone of more than $100,000 in donations to South Florida equine based charitable causes" Marra explained. "The CHHA does such great work in reminding horsepeople on so many backstretches of the hope and guidance of Christianity. We're really proud of the chance to begin an alliance with the CHHA and are glad to help with defraying their monthly newsletter and website costs. The cheque we're presenting them with tonight brings to more than $112,000 the total of donations made by the FADC to date" Marra added. 

For more information on the Christian Harness Horsemen's Association visit www.chha.net .