Yonkers Raceway’s Saturday night brought with it the second round of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series. Five, $50,000 divisions featured all six opening-leg winners, and half of those repeated.
George Brennan had an embarrassment of riches, winning again with a pocket-ripping Take It Back Terry ($2.50) in a night’s-fastest 1:51.1 and a down-the-road Lucan Hanover ($3.50) in 1:52. The pair bookended the divisions in inverse order.
'Terry,' last season’s series runner-up, drew the pylons and sat a chilly two-hole behind Ideal Cowboy (Jason Bartlett). 'The Cowboy' led through intervals of :27.2, :55.4 and 1:24, taking a length and a half lead into the lane.
Terry, meanwhile, was all dressed up. He roared out of the pocket, winning by two and a half lengths. Ideal Cowboy saved second over 49-1 Dream Out Loud N (Yannick Gingras), with Doctor Butch (Tim Tetrick) fourth.
Take It Back Terry, a seven-year-old Western Terror gelding co-owned by trainer Ron Burke (as Burke Racing), Weaver Bruscemi, Larry Karr and Phil Collura, won his second race in three seasonal starts. The exacta (two wagering favourites) paid $6.90, the triple returned $39.40 and the superfecta paid $127.
Lucan Hanover, from post No. 6, won by neck (:27.3, :57, 1:24.4), with Texican N (Jordan Stratton) a pocket second. Te Kawau N (Dan Dube) was a three-hole in his North American purse debut.
'Lucan,' a six-year-old Western Ideal gelding owned by West Wins Stable trained by Andrew Harris, is now four-for-four to begin his season. The exacta (two wagering choices) paid $8.60, with the triple returning $34.20.
Bit Of A Legend N (Stratton, $2.80), from post No. 4, also doubled-up in the series, easily winning the third division (:28.3, :57.3, 1:25.4, 1:53).
Evenin Of Pleasure (Dube) was second — beaten a length and a half — in a two-speed number, with Western Rockstar A (Gingras) a first-up third and Santa Fe Beachboy (Bartlett) fourth.
Bit Of A Legend N, a seven-year-old Down Under son of Bettors Delight owned by Harry von Knoblauch and trained by Peter Tritton, has won four of his five North American starts. The exacta paid $25.40, the triple returned $228.50 and the superfecta paid $611.
“Best horse I’ve ever driven,” Stratton said.
Last season’s series champion, Domethatagain (Dube, $4.10), won Saturday night’s fourth event by skimming the cones. The pole-sitting people’s choice was content to sat a three-hole behind longshot Sunfire Blue Chip (Mark MacDonald) and Scott Rocks (Brian Sears).
'Sunfire' led through intervals of :27, :55.4 and 1:23.3, taking a length and a three-quarter in and out of the final turn. He hit the wall late, however, as Domethatagain was a deep-closing winner in 1:51.4. Bettor Rock On N (Brennan) was second, with Scott Rocks third. Sunfire Blue Chip faded to fourth.
Domethatagain, a seven-year-old son of Bettors Delight trained by Rene Allard and owned by Allard Racing, Bob Hamather and Bruce Soulsby, is now two-for-four this season. The exacta paid $31.60, with the triple returning $86.50.`
The evening’s lone non-chalky series result saw Melmerby Beach (MacDonald, $27) pick off 4-5 choice Foiled Again (Gingras) by a second-division, first-up neck in 1:51.3.
Away third from post No. 2, Melmerby Beach moved into soft sub-sections (:28.1, :56.4, 1:24.2). Despite that, Foiled Again could not close the sale, as a determined Melmerby Beach snapped him on the money. Texas Terror N (Kakaley), last week’s $100 winner, was third here...at 3-1.
Fifth choice Melmerby Beach, a six-year-old son of Somebeachsomewhere owned and trained by Ettore Annunziata, won his first race in eight ’16 starts. The exacta paid $90, with the triple returning $291.
“I’ve driven him before, and he’d raced better than what his lines showed,” MacDonald said. “To get by Foiled Again, even now, takes a good horse, and [Melmerby Beach] raced very well.”
(With files from Yonkers Raceway)