Rockincam made his 2013 debut a winning one – and in a historic way.
A six-year-old male pacer, Rockincam won his second-round division of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series in a dead-heat with Classic Rock Nroll at Yonkers Raceway on March 30. The time for the mile was 1:51.4, making it the fastest dead-heat for win on a half-mile track in harness racing history.
“I think he raced great for his first start,” trainer Richard “Nifty” Norman said. “He was very good. I think he was a little fresh, a little aggressive, but he should be better this week.”
Rockincam and driver Eric Goodell settled into second place in the early moments of last week’s race, but after Classic Rock Nroll cleared to the lead prior from post five, made their own move for the top spot as the field hit the opening quarter-mile in :27.4. Rockincam led by as many as three lengths from there, but Classic Rock Nroll was able to pull even at the wire.
“I don’t think being on the front is really his best game,” Norman said. “He’s always a little better with a target. He drew another good spot this week and probably will settle in, which suits him a lot better.”
Rockincam, who won seven of 22 races last year and earned $303,132 for breeder/owner Stephen Farrell, starts from post three in Saturday’s fifth of five Levy divisions. The seven-horse field includes Annieswesterncard, who is 2-for-2 in the series, as well as first-round division winners Versado and Code Word.
Annieswesterncard, Code Word and Versado are among the top five in the Levy point standings.
Rockincam won last year’s Dan Patch Invitational at Hoosier Park and Winbak Farm Pace at the Delaware County Fair in Ohio. His 1:50 victory in the Winbak was his first try on a half-mile racetrack and produced the season’s fastest time on a half by any horse age five or older.
After his first effort in the Levy series, Rockincam is undefeated in three starts on a half-mile track. He also won an open handicap at Yonkers in 1:51.4 on Nov. 17, his final start of last season. He qualified twice in March at Spring Garden Ranch in Florida to prep for the Levy.
“I wasn’t sure he would like a half, but he turned out to be real good on one,” Norman said. “I think he fits in (the Levy) real good. He got off to a late start because a qualifier at Spring Garden Ranch got rained out and pushed back his schedule. But it’s a long year and you don’t want to race every week anyway.”
Rockincam, who has won 23 of 51 lifetime races and $665,657, returned north from his respite looking bigger and better than ever.
“He came up here in real good shape,” Norman said. “It looks like he grew, which is an odd thing to say about a horse his age. But he looks bigger and stronger; thicker through his body. That should help him.”
Following are the top 10 horses in the standings for the Levy series (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., tie, Annieswesterncard, Something For Doc (150)
3. Code Word (125)
4. Casimir Jitterbug (112)
5., tie, Electrofire, Versado (108)
7., tie, Forever Just, Nob Hill High, Razzle Dazzle (100)
10. Classic Rock Nroll (92.5).
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.