Yonkers: Levy point leader Something For Doc sold; Foiled Again will start in $450k final
If you were betting on the final four preliminary legs of the George Morton Levy series Saturday night at Yonkers Raceway, you weren’t going to get rich. If you were buying horses, you may in fact become rich. That became apparent when news filtered out after the races that Something For Doc, the leading point winner following his fourth series triumph on Saturday, had been sold and will start in the $450,000 final for trainer Mark Ford.
“We probably paid too much,” said Ford when reached in the Yonkers paddock following the Levy legs. “But he’s so good on a half and we can race him next week in the final and then there are big races later this year at Harrington, Saratoga and Western Fair. I was on the fence about this for some time, but after I warmed him up tonight we decided to make the move.”
Ford, along with longtime owners and partners James Snyder and Dean Davis, will be the new owners for next week’s final. The move paved the way for trainer Ron Burke to start two other horses in the final, namely the richest pacer of all time, Foiled Again, and Annieswesterncard. Those two captured separated divisions on Saturday, both for driver Yannick Gingras, who will drive Foiled Again in the final. Foiled Again was unthreatened as a 1-9 ($2.30) favorite from the rail in his $50,000 division. The nine-year-old won for the 68th time in his storied career, going wire-to-wire in a 1:53 2/5 mile.
"We were able to get fair value for 'Doc' and in the process, give 'Foiled' a chance in the final," said Foiled Again's co-owner Mark Weaver.
Annieswesterncard also made exceptionally good use of the pole position on a down-the-road mission completing the mile in 1:51 4/5. The ageless son of Western Hanover paid $2.40 while winning his fourth of five series legs.
Razzle Dazzle was another front-end star on Saturday, scoring safely over pocket-sitting 28-1 shot Eighteen in a comfortable 1:52 mile. Second Wind N raced determinedly without cover in this division and earned a trip to the final with a third place finish.
Something For Doc made his last start for driver Gingras and trainer Ron Burke another masterpiece, getting the early lead and strolling to the half in :57 2/5 before sprinting off from his rivals in a 1:52 4/5 mile. The 1-5 favorite returned $2.50 in taking his seventh win of the season in just 11 starts. Versado earned a spot in the final tailing the winner throughout and finishing second.
The top eight eligible to the Levy final are Something For Doc, Annieswesterncard, Foiled Again, Razzle Dazzle, Dancin Yankee, Casimir Jitterbug, Versado and Second Wind N.
Unofficial George Morton Levy Point Standings
| Horse (Trainer) | Points |
| SOMETHING FOR DOC (M.Ford) | 337 |
| ANNIESWESTERNCARD (R.Burke) | 330 |
| FOILED AGAIN (R.Burke) | 312 |
| RAZZLE DAZZLE (M.Silva) | 250 |
| DANCIN YANKEE (G.Green) | 242 |
| CASIMIR JITTERBUG (T.O'Sullivan) | 228 |
| VERSADO (N.Surick) | 208 |
| SECOND WIND N (P.Tritton) | 207 |
| FOREVER JUST (L.Toscano) | 200 |
| NOB HILL HIGH (B.Saunders) | 200 |