Levy Mania Hits Yonkers Again

Take it Back Terry.jpg

Saturday night's fourth round of Yonkers Raceway's George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series, despite missing some old, familiar faces, played out in a trio of intriguing events.

Pole-sitting Windsong Jack (Brian Sears, $6.20) won the opening, $50,000 division, getting by Mach It So (Tim Tetrick) late and edging way by a length-and-a-quarter in a season's-best 1:52.4. Machs Beach Boy (Pat Lachance) was third.

It was 9-5 favourite Bettors Edge (Yannick Gingras) making the lead and setting sail through intervals of :27.2, :56.4 and 1:23.4. Eventually tackled by Mach It So, the leader broke in the final turn. Windsong Jack was able to extricate himself, then go past a stubborn Mach it So.

For second choice Windsong Jack, a five-year-old Santanna Blue Chip gelding trained by Jennifer Sabot for owner Little Bapa LLC, it was his second win in eight seasonal starts (1-for-4 in series).

Odds-on choice Take It Back Terry (George Brennan, $2.90) had few issues in the second division. Quarter-moving from post two, Take It Back Terry stole way a cheap second quarter (:27.1, :56.4), then easily held sway (1:25.2, 1:53.1) by a no-issues three-quarters of a length. A solid, first-up effort from Frankies Dragon (Sears) found him getting second, with Fat Mans Alley (Jason Bartlett) third.

For Take It Back Terry, a six-year-old Western Terror gelding co-owned (as Burke Racing Stable LLC) by (trainer) Ron Burke, Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Larry Karr and Phil Collura, he's now 4-for-12 this season (2-for-3 in series).

The evening's final series event saw a contested front end involving Clear Vision (Gingras) and Lucan Hanover (Tetrick). The former rebuffed the advances of the latter (:26.3, :54.1), with 7-10 choice Michaels Power (Dan Dube) in behind.

The early fractions made this a closer's contest, and after a 1:23 three-quarters, the back of the bus was heard from. A from-last Heez Orl Black N (Sears, $29.20), starting outside his five foes, prevailed in a hands-and-knees (:30.1) final quarter. He whipped another longshot in National Debt (Eric Carlson) by a length in 1:53.1. Lucan Hanover held third despite a brutal trip, while Michaels Power wound up last.

For fourth choice Heez Orl Black N, a seven-year-old Down Under gelding trained by Anita Vallee for co-owners Shaun Vallee and D P V Racing Stable, it was his fourth win in 11 '15 tries.

It should be noted that P H Supercam and Beach Memories, sitting 1-2 in series points after three rounds, were both given this round off for good behaviour, while Foiled Again, looking to regain his near-$7 million form, also was not entered.

(Yonkers Raceway)

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