The fourth round of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series headlines action Saturday night at Yonkers Raceway with the fourth of four divisions of the event getting top billing as some heavy hitters get set to meet up.
Four of the top five horses in the series standings – Something For Doc, Forever Just, Casimir Jitterbug and Dancin Yankee – all drew into the night’s fourth Levy division. Add in Razzle Dazzle and Rockincam and the division features six horses with at least one win in the six-week series.
Something For Doc, who is three-for-three in the series, drew post No. 1 for trainer Ron Burke and driver Yannick Gingras and is the 8-5 morning line favourite. The five-year-old gelding has won six of nine starts and $130,300 this year. For his career, he has won 16 of 61 races and $479,284. He has raced 13 times at Yonkers, winning eight.
“He’s my most improved horse,” said Burke, who took over training Something For Doc last July. “I wasn’t even sure I was going to put him in the series, but he started to win some races and I began to think he was better than I thought. He fits Yonkers real well because with his speed he can control the races.”
Something For Doc, owned by Burke Racing, Weaver Bruscemi LLC and Strollin Stable, was trained previously by Brian Brown. As a three-year-old, Something For Doc picked up cheques in the Little Brown Jug, Tattersalls Pace and American-National Stakes.
Last week, Something For Doc won his Levy division by one and three-quarter lengths over Nob Hill High in 1:52.1.
Forever Just and Dancin Yankee also are coming off wins. Forever Just, trained by Linda Toscano for owners Stake Your Claim Stable and Fred Wallace, had two second-place finishes in the series before winning by one length over Shoobees Place in 1:52.3.
Dancin Yankee, trained by Gary Green for owners Larry Baron, Robert Briley and Richard Lombardo, had a second and third before winning by three-quarters of a length over Versado in 1:51.4. Dancin Yankee, driven by Tim Tetrick, was second behind leader Versado for the first half of the race and third entering the stretch.
“He looked good last week,” Baron said about Dancin Yankee. “He got a perfect trip; Tetrick drove him great. He’s a gutty racehorse. I think he races better from behind. He’s a force to be reckoned with if he gets a good trip.”
Forever Just drew post eight with driver Daniel Dube; Dancin Yankee got post five with Tetrick.
Casimir Jitterbug, trained by Tony O’Sullivan for owner Frank Bellino, finished second to Foiled Again in his Levy division last week. Casimir Jitterbug, who also has a win and third-place finish in the series, will start from post three with driver George Brennan.
Annieswesterncard, who is second to Something For Doc in the Levy standings, will race Saturday in the second division. He will start from post one for trainer Burke and driver Gingras.
Foiled Again, a two-time winner of the Levy series (in 2009 and 2010) and the two-time defending Dan Patch Award-winner for best older male pacer, got his first win in three starts this year thanks to last week’s triumph. He is tied with Casimir Jitterbug and Dancin Yankee for fourth place in the Levy standings.
Following are the top 10 horses in the standings for the Levy (with points). Horses receive 50 points for a win, 25 for second, 12 for third, eight for fourth and five for fifth. Horses also get 25 points per start.
1. Something For Doc (225); 2. Annieswesterncard (180); 3. Forever Just (175); 4., tie, Casimir Jitterbug, Dancin Yankee, Foiled Again (162); 7. Versado (158); 8. Nob Hill High (150); 9. Second Wind N (137); 10. Electrofire (133).
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.