Meadowlands: Analysis for Friday 3/31

MEET STATS: 4 - 39 / $18.20 (-$59.80)
BEST BETS: 2 - 3 / $6.20 (+$0.20)
SPOT PLAYS: 0 - 3 / $0.00 (-$6.00)
BEST BET - UPTOWN LADY N (8th)
SPOT PLAY - SOUTHWIND MOROCCAN (13th)

Race 1 - Meadowlands Amateur Driving Club Pace

(3) PINEBUSHDRAGONROLL ships down from Monticello off a third and then a start from post eight where he paced a strong final quarter in 28 and change over the half-mile track. He landed an inside post this evening against a group lacking a standout, and I'll give him a try. (7) SNOOPY SNOOP hung around to finish fourth despite getting parked out last week. He gets to move in a couple notches on the gate here and hopefully can work out a smoother trip. (6) LOU ED ZEPPELIN also comes in from Monticello and while he hasn't won in a long time, he has hit the board in three of his last five appearances.

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Race 2 - Standardbred Retirement Foundation Event C 3YO Filly Pace

(1) ALWAYS B NAUGHTY won by open lengths last time out at Pocono and in her qualifier at the Meadowlands back on 2-18, she beat a top older pacing mare in Amazing Dream N, which caught my eye at the time. (4) C IS FOR COOKIE had to settle for second at 1-9 a week ago but won impressively on March 10 and looks to be one of the contenders. (3) SUPER GIRL was third in the same race C IS FOR COOKIE exits from last Friday and has been out of the top three just once so far in her career.

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Race 3 - Standardbred Retirement Foundation Event D 3YO Filly Trot

(3) SHEER FAITH enters this race off back-to-back facile victories over NW2's and even gets to start from an inside post this time. (4) THE EMPRESS ICE closed well to finish second in her 3-year-old debut a week ago and could definitely improve with that start under her belt. (5) BELLA MACCHIATO made a couple of stakes appearances in 2022 during her brief 2-year-old campaign and returned to action with a good-looking qualifier at the Meadowlands last Saturday.

Race 4 - TrackMaster Rating 74.5 or Less as of 3-28-23/7500CLM/NW2 Ext. PM Races LT Pace

(6) GAZOO remains in search of his first career win and will make his fourth start tonight. I think he's raced well in all of his appearances thus far, closing in 27 and change each time, and this is a beatable group he meets up with. (1) WOODROW F CALL is making his sophomore debut tonight off a qualifier where he closed with pace and wound up second. He made some stakes appearances in both New York-restricted events and against open company as a rookie. (4) ONLYTHETUFFSURVIVE jogged down at Freehold last Saturday and returns to the Meadowlands here. He was fourth as the favorite in an optional $7,500 claimer two back.

Race 5 - Meadowlands Amateur Driving Club Pace

(5) CLAYTONS BETTOR N left hard a week ago but wound up getting parked and tired. I think it's a good sign that he was handled more aggressively in that try despite the rough journey, and he gets some post relief tonight. (7) HUNTS POINT got up for second last week in an amateur event for a driver/trainer that's had a win and that runner-up result in limited starts at the Meadowlands. (3) IN THE HUDDLE gained spots and ground in the final quarter off a slow pace last Friday and moves inside on the gate from the eight-hole to post three.

Race 6 - Standardbred Retirement Foundation Event C 3YO Filly Pace **$50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Pool**

(3) SWEET PHENOMENA showed some talent at the Meadowlands in December of last year, scoring twice over NW2 foes, and she came back with a solid qualifier over a sloppy track last Saturday, cutting the fractions and missing by just a nose. (4) ULTIMATE LOULOU owns just a one-for-11 record but she has two solid final quarters in her last pair of tries, and I think this might be easier company she's facing. (1) ANNA'S WISH got up to defeat my top choice in their qualifier on 3-25 and grabbed a check in the top level New Jersey Classic final as a 2-year-old.

Race 7 - NW5000L5/TrackMaster Rating 80.35 or Less as of 3-28-23 Trot

(3) WORKOUT GIRL couldn't get involved from post ten a week ago but had been racing well prior to that, including a victory on February 24, and she has an inside draw here. (6) RIVER OF DENILE makes her second start out of the high-percentage Per Engblom barn tonight, and I could see a sharper effort coming from her. (8) SIDD FINCH hikes up from the NW3000L5 class but has gained several spots and a lot of ground in the final quarter in his last two appearances.

Race 8 - Mares NW3000L5/TrackMaster Rating 77.5 or Less as of 3-28-23/12500CLM Pace

(5) UPTOWN LADY N drops a level in her third start of 2023, and she usually does her most damage when she works her way down to face NW3000L5's. I think she's pretty sharp, too, given her quick final quarters earlier this month. (4) KAITLYN N has a profile very similar to my top pick in that this is the class where she usually fires her best shots, and she gets a chance at it tonight after facing NW5000L5's in all of her recent efforts. (2) MILEY ROSE had much better luck at the post position draw this time after having the ten-hole and the nine-hole in her last two starts. She raced well to finish a close fourth last Friday.

Race 9 - NW7500L4/NW10401L6 Trot

(9) MOSTINTERESTINGMAN is a horse I gave a swing last time out at Yonkers and he lost all hope after making an early break. He went a monster mile in one appearance at the Meadowlands last year, taking his life's mark, and I'll hope he can deliver from the outside post tonight. (3) CHAMPAGNE HANOVER sat on the cones and finished with strong trot after angling out a week ago, finishing just a neck behind the winner. This should be a softer class than the NW4-NW8 group she was in against in that contest, so I'll include. (4) BROKNHEARTSVILLE dominated NW5000L5 company in her first start of 2023 last week for the Engblom barn and moves inside on the gate here.

Race 10 - Meadowlands Amateur Drivers Club Pace **$50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Pool**

(5) THNDRFRMTHETHRON N rallied from last to second when he was in an amateur race back on March 3 and has been facing much tougher TrackMaster 80.5 or Less foes since then. (3) ALWAYS A PANTHER won impressively back on 3-4 and gets away from the red-hot horse named Magritte in this spot tonight. (2) GO WEST GO FAST sat off-the-pace and then came on to finish third last Friday. He has some post relief this week and perhaps can be closer to the front.

Race 11 - TrackMaster Rating 74 or Less as of 3-28-23 Trot

(2) JARA couldn't hold on last Friday after setting a slow tempo, but she's the only horse with any victories in 2023 in this event, and perhaps she'll offer a bit better price tonight after she couldn't seal the deal last time. (5) ILUVMYMIUMIU'S was unable to threaten after starting from post nine a week ago, but she moves inside on the gate tonight and finished fourth and third two and three starts back in this same class. (1) SWAN CAROL is a stablemate to ILUVMYMIUMIU'S and comes into this tilt with back-to-back on-the-board results.

Race 12 - F&M TrackMaster Rating 74.25 or Less as of 3-28-23 Pace

(1) TARGARYEN EMPRESS gives this class a second chance tonight, and I'm hoping she can find a smoother journey from the pole position than the one she had a week ago where she wound up first-over and gave way in the final quarter. (3) TRANS MEANIE is probably the one to beat given her good closing efforts in her last two outings and the shift from post ten back to an inside draw tonight. (9) SHES A BULLVILLE landed an outside post but finds a softer spot here than the NW4 class she's been in at Pocono lately. I'll include.

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Race 13 - NW2000L5 Pace

(2) SOUTHWIND MOROCCAN roughed it first-over into a classy foe in Angers Bayama last week, and that didn't work out in this guy's favor in the final quarter. There's no one like Angers Bayama in here, and this horse was facing much better over at Yonkers before coming to the Meadowlands. (4) MEMPHISTENNESSEE N drops another notch on the class ladder this time and was fourth against NW5000L5's over at Yonkers two back. (7) BOBCAT BAY was very sharp earlier this winter but has tailed off since then. He could easily come to life in a spot like this, though.

Race 14 - NW3000L5/TrackMaster Rating 77 or Less as of 3-28-23 Trot

(10) FRANKIE HILL didn't have any fortune at the post position draw, but he was very good in his first start of the year last Friday, closing from ninth to fourth in the last quarter. I'll hope Todd McCarthy can work out some kind of trip for him and use. (2) TAD KRAZY HANOVER woke up when she dropped down to this class a week ago, coming up just a head short of winning. (7) ZLATAN didn't fire last Friday but was fourth against NW5000L5 company prior to that and has had plenty of success at the Meadowlands during his career.