MEET STATS: 40-9-9-3 / $39.20 (-$40.80) BEST BETS: 3-2-0-0 / $5.20 (-.80) BEST BET: GRACEFUL WINNER (7TH) SPOT PLAY: NO DRAMA PLEASE (11TH) Race 1: $10,000 Claiming - Pick 5 (1) RATHER SWELL hasn't won in a long time, but also hasn't seen too many spots this soft, either. Outside posts have hurt his chances lately. I imagine he'll be put in play this week. (5) VICTORIAS MAVERICK got parked out in his first start for new trainer Williams Hernandez. He could be worth a look here. (4) IMAGEOFAROCKER is probably more of a trip player but certainly a horse who can compete with this group. (9) WAR DADDY picks up Dunn over #5, which surprised me. [DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card] Race 2: Non-winners 2-3 races life (1) R HERBIE BLUE CHIP was done in by a tough post and a horse with stakes potential last week. He moves way inside this week and shouldn't have to work as hard to make the front. (2) MANHATTANUP NO ICE seems to have turned the corner in recent weeks and almost went wire to wire last time. I'm not sure what happened with (9) LIGHT BLUE MOVERS last time but a return to form would make him a contender here. [DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Meadowlands card at DRF Bets.com!] Race 3: GSY Amateur Drivers - Survivor 7 (4) JUNIOR’S DEW finds a field without too much early speed and could fire off the wings of the gate here to find good position; upset potential. (8) SCIROCCO MISTYSAID is another with early zip and this guy is moving into a live barn this week. (10) TAILGUNNER HANOVER is capable of mowing these down from the back of the pack with a powerful late rally, so don't let the outside post scare you away. (6) WHATSTROUBLNUROCKY improved on the barn change last time and another step forward is certainly possible. Race 4: Non-winners $2,500 in last 5 (6) NUTCRACKER SWEET finds the basement condition in his fourth start back from a couple of months on the sidelines and finally draws well. He should destroy this group if he even vaguely remembers how good he once was in his younger years. (2) SMILEANDSAYCHEESE woke up on the drop to this class last time and has a history of doing well in lower classes here. (3) PREMIER ROCKSTAR is capable with a top effort and this barn was hot last weekend. (8) BUSH MAN N had no shot from post eight at Yonkers in his first two starts for Auciello, who won twice here last weekend. Race 5: Non-winners $4,500 in last 5/TM 78 or less/Opt. $15,000 Clm. (2) SOMEWHERE NORTH returns from Canada where opportunity doesn't exist right now. Yes, she’s missed more than a month of action, but she's won off the bench before and Norman tends to send them out ready. (4) ROYALTYWESTHO has enjoyed getting class relief but needs to seal the deal before I'll have extreme faith. (7) GOTTALOVEMYSHADOW has dangerous early speed in a field that seems to lack that quality on paper. (9) ARNIE’S ANGEL squared off against a much better group and found all kinds of traffic trouble most recently. If Todd McCarthy can get her in play, she's capable. (1) GOLD ORCHID N was completely uninspiring last week and while she drops, so do a bunch of these. The fact that her trainer is driving tells you all you need to know. Race 6: Non-winners $7,500 in last 5/TM 81.2 or less/Opt. $20,000 Clm. - $50K GTD Pick 4 (4) JUXTA COWGIRL has raced well in this class recently from tough posts and now she draws a spot where her road to the front should be smooth. (8) ITS MESMERISE N was parked every step after both horses directly to her inside left last week. With a smoother trip she can show much more. (1) IDEATION HANOVER was a bit short after missing a couple of months. Even though she is up in company, she fits here. Race 7: Non-winners $7,500 in last 5/TM 81.2 or less/Opt. $20,000 Clm. (7) GRACEFUL WINNER finds herself in a very soft spot and has no excuses. (3) SKYWAY KON MAN wore down a softer group last time but is still a player with these, especially if the top one doesn't show up. (4) LEVITATION has the early speed to make the top and figures to hang around for a good piece. Race 8: Non-winners $4,500 in last 5/TM 78 or less/Opt. $15,000 Clm. - Pick 6 (8) FIREFLY is just 3 for 35 lifetime but Burke saw fit to plunk down $36K at the sale for him last Monday. I'm expecting improvement and possibly a fair price considering the change. (6) THE DOUBLE DEUCE left, took back, wound up fourth over and had no shot last time. I have my doubts about how hard they'll push a 3-year-old filly versus older, but she fits. (3) POSTMODERNISM gets a better post to work with this week and may show a new dimension. Race 9: Non-winners $7,500 in last 5/TM 81.9 or less/NW3 or $50K life I’m going to take a shot here with (1) PIKACHU HANOVER. Seven-year-old is capable of stepping with any of these and many of these Canadian shippers have been racing well south of the border. (5) INFINITI AS and (7) ALEX THE GREAT are both dropping back down to the level of their last win. I'll give the slight edge to the former because he has tactical speed. (4) CARRICK lured Dunn off #5 and #7, which again surprised me. Maybe he sees something I'm missing. [DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Meadowlands card at DRF Bets.com!] Race 10: Winners over $11,500 in last 5/NW11500 or TM 84.30 or less draw inside - $50K GTD Pick 4 In what could be the toughest race on the card, let's try (10) IVANA FLYBYE N. She came down from Canada a couple of weeks ago and went a solid mile versus a powerful winner despite missing four weeks of action. She can be tighter now. (5) SHE’S NUN BETTOR N has been racing consistently well at this level and she's gonna gets a win sooner or later. (4) CALLMEQUEENBEE A finally gets a good post this week. Any decent trip has her in the picture. (3) SLY ELEANOR N arrives in the U.S. for new trainer Noel Daley. The question is whether she's ready after six weeks of inaction. (7) DBLEDELITEBRIGADE N showed what she can do on January 8 but then missed a couple of weeks due to sickness. Race 11: Non-winners $4,500 in last 5/Opt. $15,000 Clm. (3) NO DRAMA PLEASE takes a meaningful drop in class tonight and really should find a way to win. (7) GRUDEN and GOTWUTEVERITTAKES both have high speed and are likely to show it if they stay trotting. The former is also dropping out of the same race as the top pick. Race 12: Non-winners $2,500 in last 5 In a formless and uninspiring race, (7) GOLD STAR YODER probably lands in the best spot he has seen in some time and picks up an uber-aggressive driver who may fire him up. (9) EDDARD HANOVER is another that could be ready to roll at the word GO. (5) IN A SINGLE BOUND has produced some decent effort in this class. Race 13: $7,500 Claiming (6) BEBOP ON THE BLOCK is one of the few horses with some decent lines of late and a good mile over this track. (4) MCCITO returns to the east coast after a lackluster recent run in Ohio; barn change. (8) SIR MACHALOT has early speed but figures to be overbet on the driver change to Gingras. Race 14: Non-winners $2,500 in last 5/TM Rating 75.5 or less (8) DEPLORABLE TOM flashed good speed and was a solid second versus a runaway winner in his first start back from a break. Five-year-old should be flying off the gate again and prove very tough to beat. (6) MARVELOUSTRIX finds a softer spot here and my only concern is his typical lack of early speed. (1) CAMPBELLINI wasn't awful in his first start for this barn; can show more. (9) ICINGON DE CUPCAKE and (10) NAMJE are both capable in this class but stuck in tough posts with speed to their inside.