Special Report set to defend Levy championship

Thirty-four of the finest free-for-allers in training have been nominated to the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series, a staple of Yonkers Raceway’s stakes schedule. The 2009 Levy, with an estimated total purse of $1 million, begins with the first of five preliminary legs--each race worth $50,000--Saturday night, March 28. The series rolls through all April Saturdays, culminating with a $200,000 (added) final and $100,000 (guaranteed) consolation Saturday night, May 2.

Leading the list of nominees is defending champion—and millionaire--Special Report. The 7-year-old Keystone Raider gelding, who earned just under $600,000 a season ago, tries to become the first repeat winner of this event. Special Report’s 1:51 effort in the ’08 final of the Levy was a fifth of a second off the now-16-year-old all-age track record (Silver Almahurst’s 1:50.4 in ’93 Levy)

Riggins, a standout New York-bred, earned in excess of $200,000 in each of his first two racing seasons. In 2009, the 4-year-old son of Art Major has two wins, two seconds and a third in five tries.

Palone Ranger, a millionaire who won the ’06 Messenger here, and Share the Delight, fresh from matching his personal best (1:50.2), are also among the eligibles.

A companion event to the Levy—the Blue Chip Matchmaker—debuts this season, showcasing the best pacing mares. A total of 26 talented lasses have been nominated to the $750,000 (est.) series, which begins Friday night, March 27.

The Blue Chip Matchmaker offers five successive Friday nights of prelim legs—each race worth $40,000—leading to $125,000 (added) final and $75,000 (gtd.) consolation. Both the final and consolations are scheduled for Saturday, May 2, same night of the final of the Levy.

Double-millionairess Darlin’s Delight is the leading lady. The 6-year-old statebred daughter of Bettor’s Delight lists among her array of stakes wins the 2006 Lady Maud here. Chancey Lady is herself a seven-figure performer. The 4-year-old daughter of Camluck has won 18-of-34 career starts. Sportsfancy, thrice a winner in 2009 and closing in on $700,000 in career earnings, is also one of the nominees.

As an added bonus, the new distaff series comes complete with three free breedings—to Art Major, Bettor’s Delight and American Ideal--donated by Blue Chip Farms. The winner of the final gets first choice of stallions, with the second-place finisher getting the choice of the remaining two and the third-place finisher "matched" with the remaining one. (Yonkers)

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