YONKERS, NY, Saturday, August 19, 2017 – Odds-on Bit of a Legend N (Jordan Stratton, $3.30) paid a price for the lead, then made his harness racing opponents pay the price for giving it to him Saturday night (Aug. 19th), winning Yonkers Raceway's $55,000 Open Handicap Pace.
In the hunt early from assigned post position No. 6, the 2016 George Levy Series winner took over from 21-1 shot Caviart Luca (George Brennan) just after a zippy :26.3 opening quarter-mile. A rated, :29.1 next substation (:55.4 half) was going to make the people's preference tough to catch.
Melmerby Beach (Greg Merton) and Mach it So (Brent Holland) tried it from first- and second-over, respectively, as Bit of a Legend N found a 1:24.2 three-quarters.
He widened to 2¼ lengths in and out of the final turn, then held Caviart Luca at bay. The margin was measured three-quarters of a length in 1:51.3. Bakersfield (Mark MacDonald) and Melmerby Beach hit the line together for third, with Mach it So settling for the final pay envelope.
For Bit of a Legend N, an 8-year-old Down Under son of Bettor's Delight owned by Harry von Knoblauch Stable and trained by Peter Tritton, it was his fifth win in 17 '17 tries. The exacta paid $33.50, with the triple returning $89.50 (Bakersfield third) and $92 (Melmerby Beach third).
Prior to the race, Tritton spoke of von Knoblauch, who passed away early this month at age 90. "Harry was a gentleman who enjoyed racing and not afraid to spend money to get good horses. His daughters want to keep the stable going, and I'm fortunate to train for them."
Bit Of A Legend's official lifetime record is as follows;
Down Under – 63 starts for 20 wins, 15 seconds and 4 thirds for $810,101
North America – 45 starts for 17 wins 10 seconds and 4 thirds for $1,101,920
Total – 108 starts for 37 wins, 25 seconds and 8 thirds for $1,939,521
Bit Of A Legend
Yonkers offers up the sixth of eight consecutive Sunday matinees (Aug. 13th), with a first post of 12:30 PM.
Frank Drucker