Meadowlands: Analysis for Saturday 2/13

MEET STATS: 63 - 268 / $419.40 (-$116.60)
BEST BETS: 9 - 20 / $32.20 (-$7.80)
SPOT PLAYS: 4 - 20 / $75.80 (+$35.80)
BEST BET - NUTCRACKER SWEET (5th)
SPOT PLAY - LEVINE (8th)

Race 1 - NW2500L5/Winners TrackMaster Rating 73 Last Start Pace

(8) BICORNE HANOVER slides down to the bottom level tonight after pacing an encouraging final quarter from post ten last Saturday. (7) CHANGE STRIDE N kept Yannick Gingras despite a couple of off-the-board results in his last pair in this class. We've seen this horse wake up before, and I wouldn't be surprised if it came here. (1) ODDS ON LAUDERDALE bounced back after breaking in his first start fro trainer Michael Eaton with a gaining performance a week ago. He was third and fourth in a couple of appearances against NW2500L5's in January.

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Race 2 - Winners of 2 But Not More Than 4 Extended PM Races LT/4YO Non-Starters in 2021 Trot

(9) NO TIME TO PLAY has plenty of early speed to overcome this outside draw and gets to drop in class after facing better lately. (6) ROGER RABBIT gets to reunite with Dexter Dunn tonight and also slides down a level. (3) CHAPTIAMA qualified nicely here last Saturday and did well in the New York Sire Stakes program at 2 and 3. I'm going to anticipate trainer Trond Smedshammer will race him from off-the-pace and not have him fully cranked up yet, especially since he's driving, too.

[DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Meadowlands card at DRF Bets.com!]

Race 3 - NW7500L5/Winners Base Class NW6000 or Less Last Start Pace

(1) OUR MAX PHACTOR N paced home in 26 4/5 a week ago. He switches drivers to Todd McCarthy tonight, remains drawn inside, and trainer Andrew Harris has been sending out some live ones both here and at Yonkers. (6) SAYING GRACE N also kicked home strongly last Saturday, advancing from tenth to third in the last quarter. Scott Zeron is back to steer him again tonight, and he's been pretty good at bringing in some prices on the ticket lately. (2) THATSWHATISAID N looms as the favorite as he drops and was Dunn's choice of a bunch in here. I'll try and beat him for the win, but will include.

Race 4 - NW11500L5/Winners Base Class NW8000 or Less Last Start Trot

(6) GODSPELL HALL isn't exactly Mr. Reliable, as you can see by his three breaks on the page, but when he feels like trotting, he's capable of winning easily like he did in this class back on 1-8 or his good, rallying effort a week ago. I'll hope he minds his manners tonight and put on top. (1) DELTASUN A should be a big favorite in this race as he gets to drop after a third-place finish to Stormy Kromer and JL Cruze last Saturday. (4) HENDERSON SEELSTER made front from first-over at three-quarters last week but got caught in the last eighth. He remains pretty sharp, and trainer Paul Stafford is having a strong beginning to 2021.

Race 5 - NW4500L5/Winners Base Class NW3500 or Less Last Start/15000CLM Pace

(9) NUTCRACKER SWEET found some of his old back-class to trounce a field of NW2500L5's on 1-29. He moves up here, but I think this is another beatable group, and there doesn't appear to be an abundance of early speed, either, so hopefully Corey Callahan will fire him out again. (2) SWEET N FAST N drops after taking one shot against NW7500L5's and kept Todd McCarthy over a couple of others. (7) DUDDIE'S LOR has steadily been working his way back into racing shape against better, and his last two were encouraging. This is an easier spot, so he's definitely usable.

Race 6 - Winners-Over 11500L5 Pace *$50K GTD Pick 4 Pool*

(5) ITALIAN DELIGHT N saw his win streak end a week ago, but I thought he still showed he was sharp as he closed in 26 3/5, and he gets considerable post relief tonight. (8) WESTERN JOE battled back gamely after being passed on the far turn to win at this level last Saturday. He'll always be a big threat against these types and will probably be favored again. (1) HUDSON PHIL kicked home in 26 1/5 off cover to post a second-place finish to Western Joe last week and remains a usable horse.

Race 7 - NW11500L5/Winners Base Class NW8000 or Less Last Start/TrackMaster Rating 88 as of 2-2-21/NW Big Game Final or Consolation Starters/Not 3rd or Better Last 3 Starts/NW of a Race in 2021 Pace

(6) LACHIE MAGUIRE N wasn't Andrew McCarthy's choice in this race, but I thought his first-over win against NW7500L5's a couple weeks ago was excellent, and Zeron knows him pretty well having steered him two and three back. (2) INCREDIBLE SHARK did get the nod from McCarthy and remained in good form with a second-place finish, beaten just a nostril, last Saturday. (8) ROCKIN THE ACES needed the length of the stretch to get up and win last week against NW7500L5's. I think he remains a threat, especially with Dexter back in the bike again, but I will only use underneath.

Race 8 - Winners of 4 But Not More Than 6 Extended PM Races or 80000LT Pace

(7) LEVINE ships over from Yonkers where he's been racing well in their NW6 and NW8 classes for an extended period for owner/driver Scott Zeron. I'll hope he likes the stretch out on the big track and put on top. (9) MCMIKE finished well to get third a week ago in a race he might have needed given he hadn't made a start since January 11. (3) WYATT J was victorious at this level a week ago from first-over and gets another shot at it tonight.

Race 9 - NW11500L5/Winners Base Class NW8000 or Less Last Start/TrackMaster Rating 88 as of 2-2-21/NW Big Game Final or Consolation Starters/Not 3rd or Better Last 3 Starts/NW of a Race in 2021 Pace

(1) GLOBALDOMINATION N should be ready for a good effort tonight as he makes his third start back off a freshening, drops, and was Andrew McCarthy's pick. (3) PADUKA N forged his way around Western Joe from first-over on the final turn last week but was unable to sustain his bid after that. This is a much more reasonable spot for him class-wise tonight, and he won over NW11500L5's on the 2nd of January. (8) GOOD ROCKIN is in strong form, as evidenced by his 26 2/5 final panel last Saturday. Gingras gets a chance with him tonight.

Race 10 - Winners-Over 11500L5 Trot *$50K GTD Pick 4 Pool*

(8) JL CRUZE starts outside again, but from the eight-hole rather than post ten like last week. That's probably enough to swing things back in his direction. (3) SCIROCCO ROB hasn't been able to beat JL Cruze when they've met at Dover or here at the Meadowlands, but he keeps racking up on-the-board finishes, and I certainly wouldn't leave him off your tickets. (6) PIKACHU HANOVER steps again tonight, but he's two-for-two since coming down from Canada for trainer Gregg McNair, and his victory last Saturday was impressive.

[DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Meadowlands card at DRF Bets.com!]

Race 11 - NW2500L5/Winners TrackMaster Rating 73 Last Start Pace

(5) ALBERT A'SCOOTIN picked up his game over at Freehold in his last couple and has won at the Meadowlands before. (1) DAVIDS COMING HOME got trapped in on the inside near the back of the pack but did finish with interest last Saturday. The NW2500L5's are probably easier than that spot was. (3) SOFER kept Zeron over my top pick, and he did gain positions in the final quarter a week ago in a race dominated by Somebeach Baron.

Race 12 - NW7500L5/Winners Base Class NW6000 or Less Last Start/TrackMaster Rating 82.5/20000CLM Trot

(6) MEADOWBRANCH RICKY ran into the likes of Pikachu Hanover a couple weeks ago, so that was a tough NW7500L5. I think this is a softer group, and his victory over NW10000L5's at Harrah's Philadelphia on Christmas Eve sticks out a bit. He also gets a driver switch to Zeron. (1) LEVITATION is just one-for-19 over the last two years, but he has hit the board in four of his last five, including a third in this class on 1-29. (5) ST JAMES GATE has been struggling since that trip to Yonkers on 1-15, but we've seen Ron Burke bring them back to form on many occasions before, and this is certainly a spot where he could wake up.

Race 13 - NW4500L5/Winners Base Class NW3500 or Less Last Start/15000CLM Pace

(2) SPORTS OBSESSION might offer a decent price since the connections tried to get Dunn and were unsuccessful. Simon Allard is not a bad replacement, and this horse a couple of third-place finishes in salty editions of the NW4500L5 class two and three back. (1) BECHERS BROOK A went to the front last Saturday but ended up in a duel in the middle-half and had to settle for fourth. I think that change in tactics showed positive intentions, and I will include. (4) YANKEE OSBORNE was in against NW11500L5's when last seen at the Meadowlands, and though he was only third against NW5000L5's at Yonkers on 2-5, he did have to do the hard work from first-up. He was Todd McCarthy's pick over others.

Race 14 - 10000CLM Pace

(1) SOSSY'S KING KONG rallied to finish second to a heavy favorite in War Daddy on 1-29 and moves inside tonight after having the ten-hole last Friday. (6) DULL ROAR picks up Dunn tonight and was third the last time he faced $10,000 claimers on January 23. (7) NA NA NA BAATMAN won gamely from first-over last Saturday, and trainer Izzy Estrada has a real knack for winning in these low-end claiming races.

Race 15 - NW4500L5/Winners Base Class NW3500 or Less Last Start/15000CLM Pace

(7) JOESSTAR OF MIA A is overdue for a win, especially given how good he was against better in Pennsylvania last year. Maybe it'll come here as he gets further class relief. (3) DUPLICATED N just missed by a nose to Rockin The Aces a week ago and looms as a big favorite here as he slides down and makes his second start off the bench. (1) BETTING EXCHANGE finished third to a classy foe in Lyons Steel two back at Freehold, and this is probably an easier spot than he's been in over there or at Yonkers recently.