Yonkers Raceway's George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series offered up round two Saturday night with another six $50,000 Free-For-All divisions
.
The first division saw Legal Litigator (Dave Miller)--just about wiped out a week ago--take it the distance. Leaving from post position No. 4, he put up intervals of :27.2, :56.3 and 1:24.3, before winning by a length in 1:53.3.
Foreign Officer (Jim Pantaleano), last week's fastest winner and this week's 11-10 favorite, was being repeatedly reminded from the pocket. He angled out in the lane, but never came close. Foreign Officer was out-finished for second by a pylon-skimming Mr Massimo (Tim Tetrick), with a wide Gallant Yankee (Jason Bartlett) and McCedes (Yannick Gingras) completing the cashers.
Legal Litigator, a homebred six-year-old Camluck gelding owned by Bob Hamather of Exeter, Ont. and trained by Casie Coleman, returned $10.60 (third choice) for his second win in five seasonal starts. The exacta paid $57.50, with the triple returning $140.
The second Levy event was an impressive, two-move effort by third-choice Southern Allie (Gingras). Leaving from outside post No. 7, he dropped in fourth as 8-5 choice Valentino (Pantaleano) showed the way through early fractions of :27.1 and :56. Southern Allie made his move in and out of turn three, blowing right by right at the 1:24.4 three-quarters.
He opened two and a half lengths turning for home, then widened to four lengths at the 1:53 wire. Keystone Rideau (Bartlett) and a shuffled Shoobees Place (Tetrick) chased home the winner, with Handsome Harry (Miller) and Corky Baran (Pat Lachance) rounded out the payees. Valentino wound up last, beaten 19 lengths.
"Allie," a four-year-old Allies Western gelding trained by Ron Burke for co-owners Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi, returned $7.30 for his second win in 10 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $74.50, with the triple returning $253.50.
Saturday night's third Levy division saw Lucky Bettor (Gingras) the beneficiary of a perfect second-over trip to author a 9-1 upset. Leaving from post No. 5, he watched as Wholly Louy (Miller) step lively with fractions of :27.2 and :56.4. Blatantly Good (Bartlett), the 3-2 choice, then came from third, engaging "Louy" through a 1:24.4 three-quarters.
The pair paced on even terms in and out of the final, with Blatantly Good about to win the battle, but lose the war. Lucky Bettor tripped out, beating Blatantly Good by a neck in 1:53.3. Forensic Z Tam (Lachance), Real Gentleman (Brian Sears) and Wholly Louy grabbed the remainder.
Lucky Bettor, a seven-year-old Bettors Delight gelding and stablemate to Southern Allie, he returned $21.60 as the fourth choice for a third win in nine '11 tries.. He led a $75.50 exacta and $429 triple. The winner is co-owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi and JJK Stables.
The evening's fourth Levy meet-and-greet was decided by two participants who were so far back early, their presence in the race was a rumour. In the end, however, 32-1 rank outsider Mainland Key N (Eric Goodell) picked off Atochia (Gingras) in 1:54.
All this came about after Lahaye (catch-driver Miller), Doubletrouble (Bartlett) and Pangiorno (Dan Dube) mixed it up early (:27.3, :55.3). The back half was predictably slower (1:24.3 three-quarters), allowing for the back markers to get involved. Atochia went wide, with Mainland Key N, leaving from outside his six foes, even wider.
The latter whipped the former by a half-length, with Doubletrouble, Aliveandwell N (Cat Manzi) and Lahaye coming away with the remainder.
Mainland Key N, a six-year-old Down Under Shiney King gelding owned by Harry Von Knoblauch and trained by Peter Tritton, returned $67 for his fourth win in eight seasonal starts. The exacta paid $321.50, with the triple returning $1,088. A week ago, Mainland Key N was badly impeded in the same race as Legal Litigator.
Saturday night's fifth stakes event was won by a wrapped-up Giddy Up Lucky (Goodell) in 1:53. The 4-5 fave, leaving from post No. 3, sat a patient three-hole as entrymates Dreamlands Art (Gingras) and Dymond Joe Mindale (Bartlett) were inside leavers. "Art" led through fractions of :27.4, :57.2 and 1:24.3 before the people's choice made his move. He engaged, then disposed the leader around the final turn before winning by two and three-quarters lengths. Sharks Legacy (catch-driver Brent Holland), knifed through to snatch second, with Classic Rocknroll (Dube), River Shark (Tetrick) and Dreamlands Art also made some money.
Giddy Up Lucky, a six-year-old Camluck gelding trained by Josh Green for co-owners Baron Racing and David Rovine, returned $3.60 for his first win in a couple of seasonal sojourns. The exacta paid $118.50, with the triple returning $679. He ended last season with 11 consecutive wins before being out every step in the first round of this series.
The series final event of the evening found the Foiled Again (Gingras)--leaving from post No. 5--two-moving to the handiest of wins. Taking over from Go Go Solano (Dube) just after a :27.3 opening quarter, Foiled Again first hit the brakes (:57.1 half, 1:26 three-quarters), then hit the gas (:27.2 kicker, 1:53.2 mile) to enthrall the 15-cents-on-the-dollar chalk players.
Go Go Solano did hold second--beaten three and a quarter lengths--over the winner's entrymate, Versado (Miller), with Trueys Legacy (Mark Lewis) and This is Wyatt (Goodell) annexing the other door prizes.
Foiled Again, a seven-year-old Dragon Again gelding trained by Burke (his third series win of the evening) for co-owners Burke Racing and Weaver Bruscemi (sharing a third win) along with JJK Stables (second series win), he returned $2.30 (two-for-three for this season with a 46th lifetime victory). The exacta paid $5.60, with the triple (Trueys Legacy third for purposes of that wager) returning $17.40.
Saturday's card also featured five $12,500 divisions in the third and final preliminary round of the Sagamore Hill Pacing Series for three- and four-year-old colts and geldings.
The winners were:
- Code Word, 4 (by Western Terror); co-owners Burke Racing, Frank Baldachino, Weaver Bruscemi, Lawrence Karr/trainer Burke/driver Gingras; 1:53.4/$2.40;
- P L Dragon, g, 4 (by Dragon Again); owner James Snyder/trainer Mark Ford/driver Bartlett; 1:56/$8.50;
- Starspangledpanner, g, 4 (by No Pan Intended); owner Michael Casalino Jr./trainer Chris Marino/driver Bartlett; 1:56/$4.60;
- Manip U Lator BB, g, 4 (by Mantacular); co-owners Burke Racing, Frank Baldachino, Barbara Schneider, Marc Silverman/trainer Burke/driver Gingras; 1:55.1/$2.50;
- Urgent Action, 4 (by Artsplace); owner Marvin Rounick/trainer Jerry Silverman/driver Bartlett; 1:54.3/$2.20.
(Yonkers Raceway)