Weekend’s ‘Levy,’ ‘Matchmaker’ Legs Set

Published: April 6, 2016 04:19 pm EDT

This weekend, Yonkers Raceway will host the fourth of five preliminary rounds of both the Blue Chip Matchmaker and George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series.

Three $40,000 Matchmaker divisions (Races 5, 6 and 7) are set for Friday evening.

Al Raza N (to be driven by David Miller from Post 7), the only perfect (3-for-3) participant thus far, has gotten both a rotten draw and a new date.

The six-year-old Down Under daughter of Gotta Go Cullect drew outside of her rivals in the final event, with Miller enlisted by owner (as Durazzano Stable) to take some of the embarrassment of riches away from Jordan Stratton. The latter had driven Al Raza N throughout the series, but opted to chauffeur For the Ladies N (Post 6) Friday for trainer Peter Tritton.

For the Ladies N closed to upset at 19-1 a week ago, while Stratton and Tritton also combine with Sell A Bit N (PP4) in the second grouping. The six-year-old has won her last two series tries and is Stratton’s choice for the April 23 series finale.

Venus Delight (Jason Bartlett, PP5), the defending series champ, landed in the opening event as she looks for her first Matchmaker win.

Four Levy splits (Races 6 through 9) will be contested Saturday night at the usual $50,000 per. Series co-leaders Take It Back Terry and Bit Of A Legend N – each 3-for-3 – once again have managed to avoid one another.

‘Terry’ drew Post 3 in the opening group, with George Brennan again set to drive. Among his foes is Sana Fe Beachboy (Jason Bartlett, PP6), who threw down the season’s fast local mile (1:50.2) in winning his series event last weekend.

Bit Of A Legend N, who won from an impossible locale a week ago, has landed Post 6 in the third division.

Wiggle It Jiggleit (Montrell Teague, PP1) will start from Post 1 in the stacked second division. ‘WIJI’ paced a vicious back half in his local/series debut in Round 3. He wound up second to a down-the-road All Bets Off. Those two will be ‘next-door neighbors’ Saturday, as All Bets Off and Matt Kakaley will start from Post 2. The race will also include P H Supercam (Jason Bartlett, PP4) and Lucan Hanover (Brett Miller, PP5).

Domethatagain (Dan Dube, PP3), the ’15 Levy winner, figures a contender in Saturday night’s final division.

Notably absent for this go-round is one Foiled Again, who has finished fourth twice (one in a dead-heat) and second in his three series starts.

(Yonkers)

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