Meadowlands: Analysis for Friday 5/26
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MEET STATS: 22 - 109 / $118.90 (-$99.10)
BEST BETS: 6 - 8 / $20.00 (+$4.00)
2022 SPOT PLAYS: 0 - 8 / $0.00 (-$16.00)
BEST BET - MIND BLOWING (9th)
SPOT PLAY - FRANTASY HANOVER (12th)
Race 1 - MADC 1 Pace
(4) TOONIE TEEN doesn't have great form but has a barn change to one that's been sending out some live horses and picks up Yogi Sheridan, who is often aggressive in the amateur races. I'll give him a try. (3) SHORTYS GIRL disappointed as the favorite last Friday but closed well from post ten prior to that and could offer a better price this time. (1) BRUCE'S MAGIC returns to the Meadowlands after finishing third in one attempt down at Freehold. He did finish in a dead-heat for second in a TrackMaster 74.5 or Less tilt here back in mid-April.
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Race 2 - NW2000L4 Pace
(2) HP LIS SHADOW finds a much softer spot here than he's been in recently. That NW2 race he was in last time out was won by It's My Show, who is one of the favorites for the Meadowlands Pace and other Grand Circuit events. (1) STRAIGHT TALK closed with pace last Saturday and drops to the bottom level tonight. (4) GINGRAS BEACH was a closing second when he competed in this class at the Meadowlands on May 13.
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Race 3 - 3YO Fillies Winners of 1 but not more than 2 Ext. PM Races/NW20000LT/Maidens Drawn Inside Trot
(2) BABY TAKE A VOW made the Kentucky Championship Series final last year and comes over from Pocono off an easy win in their NW1 class. (3) ANOTHER LIKE ME has gone off-stride in two of her three career tries but switches pilots to Yannick Gingras and did qualify well here on May 5. (4) TOTALLY RELENTLESS has also been suffering breaking blues but went a nice qualifying mile at the Meadowlands last Friday with trotting hobbles on.
Race 4 - NW3000L4/TrackMaster Rating 77 or Less as of 5-23-23/TrackMaster Rating 74.85 or Less Drawn Inside Trot
(6) SOUTHWIND FROST came in third in a NW5000L5 tilt dominated by Nylander last Friday and gets to drop a notch on the class ladder here. (3) CONGRESS HILL EVA finished with plenty of trot again a week ago and has hit the board in four of her last five outings, including a pair of victories. (1) SWAN CAROL had little chance from the ten-hole last week but shifts back to an inside post tonight and won impressively two back.
Race 5 - NW2 Ext. PM Races LT/NJ Sired 3YO, NW2 in 2023 Drawn Outside Trot
(7) PURPLE LORD enjoyed a productive 2-year-old campaign that included a runner-up finish to Hambletonian winterbook favorite Volume Eight in the Kindergarten Series final. He prevailed over NW4's at Pocono most recently, and I'll swing with him. (6) ARI FERRARI J has been sharp thus far in his sophomore season but has won just once in his career, so I'll try and beat him. (3) BUDDY EARL is a stablemate to my top pick. He broke his maiden over NW1's at Pocono two back and then gave Grand Circuit company a try in the Bunker Hill at Plainridge. Unfortunately he miscued in that test, but I could see him rebounding.
Race 6 - MADC 1 Pace **$50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Pool**
(5) STOLEN ART showed plenty of pace in the final quarter of his race a week ago, and although he has just a single victory in 2023, it did come at the Meadowlands. (4) DOC SEMALU remains in search of his initial win this year but did finish second in a solid performance last Friday. Trainer Symon Spicer and driver Anthony Verruso are often a productive combo in the amateur events. (1) ROCK THE CASBAH exits the same contest my top two selections come out of. She advanced from sixth to fourth in the final panel and moves to the pole position here.
Race 7 - NW2 Ext. PM Races or 20000LT/Maidens Drawn Inside Pace
(9) GOLDIN GREATNESS drew outside but rallied to win over NW2's at the Meadowlands on 4-22 and then was fourth in a Grand Circuit test at Plainridge in a subsequent try. (7) CAVIART AIDEN won at The Red Mile last year and his last two qualifiers behind stakes types were solid. (4) GAZOO is back on a regular racing schedule tonight after having a gap in his lines before his fourth-place result a week ago.
Race 8 - F&M TrackMaster Rating 74.25 or Less as of 5-23-23/Not 3rd or Better in Last 5 Starts Pace
(7) BE BEST slides down to the absolute bottom class at the Meadowlands tonight. She closed well last Friday and driver Scott Zeron has been the king of value at this meet. (5) DIAMOND OFFICIAL was unable to deliver at the favorite a week ago, but I think that could boost her value here, and trainer Darran Cassar has been on a nice roll lately. (1) P L PORTIA has finished second in this class twice since coming over from Monticello. Last week's result was tough as she came up just a nose shy of victory.
Race 9 - 3YO Fillies/NW2 Ext. PM Races or 32500LT / Maidens Drawn Inside Pace
(7) MIND BLOWING picked up a quick mark as a 2-year-old at the Meadowlands in 2022 and makes her second start of the season here off a 25 and change final quarter last Friday. (8) LODESTAR hasn't missed the board in five lifetime tries (4-0-1 record) and captured the Bobby Weiss Series consolation at Pocono two back. (2) ALABAMA HANNAH added Lasix for her sophomore campaign and was third in the same race my top pick comes out of a week ago.
Race 10 - MADC 1 Pace **$50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Pool**
(1) YAYAS HOT SPOT N wound up with a tough trip last time out at Monticello and tired, but he did score at the Meadowlands back in early April. (5) ROCKABILLY CHARM went down the road to win an MADC tilt last Friday and gets to move in a few notches on the gate tonight. (7) TAKEITTOTHEFACE is just one-for-16 in the win column in 2023 but has been hitting the board regularly. I'll toss him in underneath.
Race 11 - TrackMaster Rating 74.5 or Less as of 5-23-23 Pace
(4) JOINT ACCOUNT is a newcomer to the Izzy Estrada barn, and that often results in improved performances. I'll fire with him in the hopes that happens again. (3) HOLY MOMENT is just two-for-100 in the win column lifetime but drops out of the NW3 class at Harrah's Philadelphia. (5) LOU ED ZEPPELIN ended a win drought of his own most recently at Tioga Downs, and that could have him full of confidence in this winnable event.
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Race 12 - F&M NW7500L5/TrackMaster Rating 83.5 or Less as of 5-23-23 Pace
(7) FRANTASY HANOVER exits tougher spots than this over at Pocono and might appreciate getting to stretch out on the mile track since her marks at 2 and 3 came at The Red Mile and Woodbine Mohawk Park. (6) MISS CHANTILLY N returns to the Meadowlands after one try at Harrah's Philadelphia. She was third as the favorite in this class two back. (3) SPEAK YOUR MIND makes her second start back after a layoff and had some late pace with the trainer driving a week ago. She's going to get a driver switch to Corey Callahan tonight.
Race 13 - MADC 1 Pace
(7) BLOODHOUND has been showing speed in higher classes out of town, and I think trainer/driver Mark Silva might try and bottom out the others in this tilt. (1) T DOG rallied to a nice win over TrackMaster 74.5 or Less foes last Friday and has been victorious with trainer Mike Kimelman before, too. (2) MCERLEAN tallied two back at Harrah's Philadelphia, and as mentioned earlier, trainer Darran Cassar has been doing well as of late.

