Odds On Racing - Harness Racing

Five Levy Divisions Contested

March 31, 2007

The last night of March saw a first of sorts of Yonkers Raceway...the first renewal of the George Morton Levy Memorial Pacing Series in some 11 years. Once a stellar metropolitan area Free For All staple, the Levy returned with five, $50,000 opening-round divisions. Of the three dozen horses who came to play, Mister Big came to play the fastest.

With Greg (four winners on the 12-race card) Grismore doing the honors, Mister Big was short for Mister Big Mile. Drawing post position No. 4 in the fifth--and by far the toughest--Levy grouping, the 4-year-old son of Grinfromeartoear came uncovered against track record-holder (aged pacing gelding) Special Report (Larry Stalbaum) and wound up with a line in Yonkers' record book all his own.

Special Report did what he figured to do--grab the lead--gunning from post position No. 7 and setting fractions of :27.2 to the quarter-mile and :55.1 to intermission. Hot Delaware invader Roddy's Bags Again (Jeff Gregory) was in close pocket proximity, while Mister Big was away fifth.

Grismore waited until halfway into the third turn ask his charge, and the answers all came back good. Mister Big engaged Special Report--the favorite at 75 cents on the dollar--toward the 1:23.2 three-quarters before collaring him in early stretch.

He strode out to win by a length-and-a-quarter in 1:52. That effort clipped one-fifth of the previous Westchester record in the category of 4-year-old horse, which belonged to a pretty fair commodity named Artsplace and had lasted more than 14 years (Aug. 15, 1992).

Not bad for a horse that began his career with a pair of qualifiers at Maywood Park but had never been over a four-turn oval since.

I Can Only Imagine (Tony Morgan, three winners Saturday) was able to get by a no-excuse "Roddy" for third. Eyes On Kassa (Pat Berry) earned the final pay envelope.

Mister Big, who crossed the river after winning the $74,000 final of the Aquarius last month at the Meadowlands, now has six wins and a pair of seconds in eight seasonal starts ($150,996).

The winner, the 7-2 second choice, was trained by Virgil Morgan Jr.--he and Grismore duplicating countless Ohio successes--for owner Joe Muscara.

"He was tremendous," Grismore said. "I didn't have to move him for more than a half-mile, and once I did, I really didn't want anyone pulling in front of me.

"I knew Larry's horse had been super the past two starts, but when I came up alongside him, mine felt really good and I was sure I was going to go by."

Mister Big returned $9.10, leading a $24.20 exacta and $76 triple.

The four other first-round Levy winners were:

--Maltese Artist,g,6 (by Artiscape); co-owners Burke, Howard, Koran/trainer Mickey Burke/driver Grismore; 1:53.2 (27.2 home)/$2.90;

--True Force,g,5 (by Falcon Seelster); co-owners Larry Baron & VIP Internet Stable; trainer Bruce Saunders/driver Jim Meittinis; 1:53.2/$10.60; --Village Jate N,g,7 (by Village Jasper); co-owner Joe Alflen & (trainer) Kelvin Harrison/driver Morgan; (season's-best) 1:53.2/$20.20;

--Tarver Hanover,6 (by Ball and Chain); owner The Wiz Kids Stable/tirainerRoy Dinges/driver Berry; 1:52.3/$3.40.