Special Report sets record

May 06, 2007

The sixth and final preliminary round of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series saw Special Report adorn the record book once more...same name, speedier time--1:51.

With Larry Stalbaum doing his usual honors for owner Hugo Iodice and trainer Kim Asher, Special Report won the evening's first of three, $50,000 Levy divisions. The mile was two-fifths faster than his own previous standard for aged pacing geldings---which lasted all of seven weeks.

Leaving from the pole, the 5-year-old son of Keystone Raider two-moved around I Can Only Imagine (Eric Goodell), then put up fractions of :27.2, :56.1 and 1:23.1 en route to rewriting his own manuscript.

Mister Big (Brett Miller), the favorite at 90 cents on the dollar, closed the final margin to a 1 3/4 lengths, with Predator DVM (Tony Morgan) third.

"I wanted to race him him hard this week,:" Stalbaum said. "He always races better the next start that way." Special Report returned $4 as the slight second choice, leading a $6.70 exacta and $19.60 triple.

A week ago, a recall and a slow pace almost proved costly, as Special Report lasted a by scant nose. "We scoped him after last week and he showed some redness, but I had no intention of giving him this week off," Stalbaum said. "He has the (Levy) final, the Molson (at Western Fair) and the (New Hampshire Sweepstakes) at Rockingham.

Then, he gets all the rest he needs."

Special Report's Levy prelim resume included four wins and two seconds. For the season, he's won nine of his 13 starts with three seconds for $185,875 in earnings.

The aforementioned $475,000 Levy Series final is scheduled for next Saturday night and Silver Almahurst's 1:50.4 all-age track record--set winning the '93 Levy--appears in serious jeopardy.

Odds-on favorite Keystone Rodeo (Tim Tetrick) easily dispatched his six rivals rivals in Saturday night's second Levy division. The 7-year-old son of Western Hanover was caught wide leaving, but controlled the tempo once he made the lead. Fractions of :27.1, :56.3 and 1:24.4 gave "Rodeo's" backers minimal cause for concern.

"I just wanted him to sprint home good, and he did," Tetrick said after a 3 3/4-length victory in 1:52. Truce Force (Jim Meittinis) saved second from a tiring pocket, with Cheyenne Hollywood (Miller) a pylon-skimming third.

Kevin Lare trained the winner--now 6-for-16 in '07--for co-owners Fred & Anita Fialkow. Keystone Rodeo paid $3.60, with the exacta worth $7.70 and the triple (three wageing favorites) returning $30.40.

Pacific Renegade, flying under the radar throughout this series, earned his second prelim victory in Saturday night's final Levy get-together.

Greg Grismore dipped the 6-year-old son of Cam's Card Shark deep in the passing lane to snap pocket-sitting Tarver Hanover (Pat Berry) on the money in a season's-best-matching 1:53.1.Grin Some More (Ray Fisher Jr.), a 65-1 proposition, rallied for third, beaten a half-length.

Tom Fanning trains the winner for owner Joseph Smith. Pacific Renegade entered the Levy 0-for-6 in '07, but notched two wins,. a second and third in his last four preps.

Pacific Renegade returned $7.60 as the second cbice, with the exacta paying $42.40 and triple good for $395.

Jereme's Jet (Morgan), the 17-10 choice fron the eight-hole, led to the lane before tiriing and finishing fifth.

Another track record fell by the wayside Saturday night when the 4-year-old pacing gelding Psiluvuheartbreaker (Meittinis) won a $30,000, winners-over event in 1:52.2 at a $6.40 mutuel. The son of Nobleland Sam, trained by Bruce Saunders for owner Frank Bellino, eclipsed the Stalbaum-driven Don't Fight. (Yonkers Raceway)

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