Meadowlands: Analysis for Friday 12/11

MEET STATS: 31 - 142 / $181.80 (-$102.20)
BEST BETS: 4 - 11 / $12.80 (-$9.20)
SPOT PLAYS: 2 - 11 / $14.80 (-$7.20)
BEST BET - QUESTICHAP (5th)
SPOT PLAY - BIZET (11th)

Race 1 - NW4500L5/Winners Base Class NW3500 or Less or TMR 75 Last Start/15000CLM Trot *$50K GTD Pick 5 Pool*

(2) EXPLOSIVE RIDGE drops another notch in his third start back off the shelf, and I'll give him a chance at what should be a price. (3) BROADWAY BRUISER gets an improved post to work with tonight in his second attempt for trainer Williams Hernandez, and I'll include. (4) CASINO CUTIE IT had to work pretty hard to get to the point from post nine last Friday but held on well for third and slides inside on the gate here.

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Race 2 - NW2/25000LT / NW3/30000LT, NW Last 3 Starts Trot

(6) ST MARTINS managed to stay flat last Friday, which I'll take as a step in the right direction, and gets to move down a class. I'll give him another try. (5) GET LEGS has looked very impressive thus far in his two pari-mutuel tries and is probably the one to beat again. (7) FOCUS POCUS was second-best to Get Legs last time out in a good effort and is usable.

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Race 3 - F&M NW2500L5/TrackMaster Rating 73 or Less as of 12-8-20 Pace

(4) JEWEL LEHIGH A qualified pretty well at the Meadowlands on 11-28 and is in against bottom level foes tonight after not being able to get involved from post seven over at Freehold. (8) TALL POPPY N cleared to the lead in the lane from first-over on 11-27 but couldn't hold off the rally of Enduring Hope. It was a strong performance, and she's the probable favorite. (7) COWGIRLINTHESAND ships down from Canada into the hot Edwin Quevedo barn, and I'll include based on that.

Race 4 - NW2500L5/TrackMaster Rating 75 or Less as of 12-8-20 Trot

(8) FIJI recently switched barns to Noel Daley's and lands in a wide-open race tonight after competing in amateur events in all his recent appearances. He's won at the Meadowlands before, and I think is worth a chance. (3) IT AINT THE WHISKY just missed last time out in a big mile from post ten and gets significant relief in that department this time, starting from the three-hole. (5) EXS AND OHS hasn't shown much lately over at Yonkers but is another horse who has been victorious at the Meadowlands in the past and might appreciate getting off the half-mile.

Race 5 - NW4/50000LT Trot

(7) QUESTICHAP has been handled pretty conservatively by Smedshammer since the break at Harrah's Philadelphia on 10-22, but I'm going to bank on a more aggressive approach, or at least a more forwardly-placed one tonight. (5) BANZAI AS ran into a buzzsaw in Godspell Hall last Friday but put in a good effort to finish second to that one. He remains in against NW4's and should be in play with his early speed. (9) BARLEY had to settle for fourth as a 4-5 choice down on 12-3 at Harrah's Philadelphia but has hit the board in eight of his 14 tries in 2020.

Race 6 - F&M NW7500L5/Winners Base Class NW6000 or Less in One of Last 3 Starts or NW of a Race Since 2-1-20 Pace *$50K GTD Pick 4 Pool*

(7) SHEIKH YABOOTY N closed in 27 seconds on the 28th of November and showed the ability to grab a third-place finish against better than these at Harrah's Philadelphia in late September. (1) ALWAYS MINDY won the F&M Open up at Saratoga two back and then was third in a NW10000L5 (optional $20,000 claimer) over at Yonkers after that. She was Andrew McCarthy's pick of a pair in here. (2) ARNIE'S ANGEL rallied sharply again a week ago. She's been knocking on the door and is probably due to win one of these times.

Race 7 - F&M 10000-15000CLM HCP Pace

(7) EXOTIC DANCE put in another good performance a week ago to finish third. She seems to get along with David Miller, and I'll look for him to work out another good trip for her. (1) EDEN PAIGE N gained some spots after sitting in and getting shuffled last Friday and picks up Dexter Dunn tonight. (6) GOTTALOVEMYSHADOW kept her strong form from Plainridge and Saratoga going with a second-place performance in the same contest my top two choices come out of.

Race 8 - NW7500L5/Winners Base Class NW6000 or Less or an Amateur Race Last Start/20000CLM Trot

(6) ICINGON DE CUPCAKE returns to the level where he was victorious at on 11-20 and gets Dunn back to drive. He just needs some pace to set up his rally, and I think he should be able to get it. (4) BROADWAY PROMISE returns to the Meadowlands after winning two straight at Harrah's Philadelphia, including a victory in the corresponding class to this one on 12-3. (5) MUSHANA makes his second start off the bench here, drops, and gets an improved post to start from.

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Race 9 - NW10500L5/Winners Base Class NW8000 or Less Last Start/30000CLM/3YO's Trot

(8) GRACEFUL WINNER scored over NW4's when last seen on the 27th of November. She beat Godspell Hall on that night, who came back to win very impressively a week ago, adding some points to her column. (4) MCMATTERS has post relief after finishing second a week ago and has been good in all of his tries at the Meadowlands thus far. (1) JOEY invades from The Meadows, and the Zendts don't usually leave their home base unless they have confidence in the horse. He picks up David Miller's services, which doesn't hurt either.

Race 10 - NW14000L5/NW8 or 90000LT/50000CLM Trot *$40K GTD Pick 4 Pool*

(4) WARRIOR ONE made a break last week when he got jammed up on the far turn while attempting to angle out. I'm going to look for driver and co-owner Yannick Gingras to get him a much cleaner journey tonight and put on top. (1) GODSPELL HALL couldn't have won more impressively last week and showed a new dimension by going to the lead in the second quarter. This is a tougher spot, but I'll include. (8) JL CRUZE appears he might have tailed off just a bit since winning on 10-30, but he's capable of bouncing back at any time.

Race 11 - NW7500L5/Winners Base Class NW6000 or Less or an Amateur Race Last Start/20000CLM Trot

(1) BIZET starts from the pole position tonight after having outside draws in his last pair, and the post switch should allow driver Todd McCarthy to get this horse his preferred inside trip. (2) MANNY L gets a chance to partner with Dunn tonight, and that could mean he improves off that fifth-place finish in the same race my top pick was in a week ago. (10) SILVERMASS VOLO has to overcome post ten, but he was a gaining third behind the sharp All American N on 11-27.

Race 12 - 10000-12500CLM HCP for NW10 or 80000LT Pace

(4) IMAGEOFAROCKER lost Dunn to another one in here, but I liked the way he kept grinding from first-over last Saturday, and I don't mind Gingras getting the call. (6) STYLISH DANCER got tightened up in the same race my top pick was in as he blasted out from post ten and was then in the pocket through quick fractions. I think he could improve off that effort in his second start off a layoff. (7) CENTURY FERRARI wasn't George Napolitano Jr.'s choice, but I prefer him coming out of the Quevedo barn and his history of good efforts since coming to the Meadowlands.

Race 13 - 7500CLM Pace

(4) WALKS OF LIFE comes out of a number of good efforts in the GSY Series and draws an ideal post to work out the cover trip he usually fires off of. (6) ALWAYS A FORCE gained spots and ground in the final quarter against $10,000 claimers last Saturday night and drops a notch here. (8) S MCKEE had no chance when Victorias Maverick destroyed the $7,500 claimers on 12-5 but has won at the level a couple times lately and is in good form.