Yonkers: Polak A hopes to stay unbeaten in Levy action

The George Morton Levy series in 2015 has become an even more interesting event week-to-week than it has in past years thanks to the arrival of Polak A. Unknown in these parts, the Australian invader has proven in two weeks that he’s more than just a Saturday night horse at Yonkers.

“He was racing at Gloucester Park in Australia,” said Tony O’Sullivan, Polak A’s trainer. “We watched his videos and he got around the tight turns there just fine.”

That helped convince the Bellino family to purchase the seven-year-old from the exported sire Pacific Fella with a design on racing at Yonkers on a weekly basis.

The owners elected to try out the Levy series since the Free For All event annually has a wide mixture of horses and at times some divisions are easier than others. And besides, the purse money is outstanding.

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Saturday’s eighth race at Yonkers finds the two-leg winning Polak A in a new position starting from post three after drawing the pole position in his first two U.S. races. Last week Polak A defeated Foiled Again in the toughest division and once again this week he drew into a field that includes Foiled Again (post two) and first leg winner Michaels Power (post six).

To many the victory over Foiled Again last week was a great sign that Polak A will be a force throughout this series and in the final. In that mile Polak A was cutting the mile and Foiled Again came up without cover, a signature move of his throughout much of his $6.9 million winning career. “I was expecting what everyone was expecting,” said O’Sullivan about watching the race and thinking that Foiled Again had Polak A right where he wanted him. “He showed me something (Polak A). He was fighting back and didn’t want the other horse to pass.”

Indeed that was the case as Polak A fought Foiled Again on his right flank and held off Michaels Power on his left flank for first time driver Brian Sears. With victories by just a neck of 1:52 and 1:52 4/5 in the first two rounds of the Levy, Polak A has shown his speed and toughness.

This Saturday’s contest could be a battle of quickness in the first turn, with the contenders scrambling for position in the early going. Foiled Again will likely need a victory to improve his chances of making the lucrative final while Michaels Power, a solid winner in the opening leg and just a neck shy a week ago, could assert his presence for red-hot Dan Dube.

O’Sullivan is hopeful that Aslan will get on the board in race six, the first of four Levy divisions. “We decided to put him in because he did so well at Yonkers when we first brought him here,” said O’Sullivan. “He won three of his first four starts at Yonkers.”

Aslan showed promise late last year defeating defending Levy champion P H Supercam in an Open Handicap at Yonkers.

“He raced well in the first leg,” said O’Sullivan. “Last week he drew the seven hole and there’s not much you can do about that.”

This week Aslan, a six-year-old by Mach Three, will try to turn the tables on P H Supercam (post two) with Brian Sears in the bike. P H Supercam found room in the passing lane last week to score for the second straight week. The field also includes the $2.3 million winning Clear Vision looking to improve on two third-place finishes in the Levy to date.

The tenth race Levy division appears to be a spot where two of last year’s finalists may need a victory to find a way into the 2015 final. Dancin Yankee (post one) and Mach It So (post three) will have to earn it in a field that includes two-leg winner Beach Memories (post five) and the speedy Warrawee Needy (post seven).

The Ron Burke-trained and Yannick Gingras-driven Bettor’s Edge should be favored in the other $50,000 Levy division carded as race seven. The six-year-old by Bettors Delight breezed to victory in round two action scoring in 1:53 3/5. He faces a field of seven that includes the consistent Sapphire City (post one).

The 12-race program on Saturday night at Yonkers commences at 7:10 p.m.