Meadowlands: Analysis for Saturday 8/8

CHAMPIONSHIP MEET STATS: 200-56-37-32 / $288.70 (-$111.30)
BEST BETS: 15-7-4-2 / $29.00 (-$1.00)
BEST BET: SORELLA (9th)
SPOT PLAY: DONTTELLMEAGAIN (14th)

Race 1: Non-winners $20,000 in last 5 or 10 races life - Pick 6

(5) ANGERS BAYAMA couldn't be sharper right now and early speed tends to rule, especially early on the Hambletonian Day card. (7) SPRINGSTEEN rolled to his second straight score for new trainer Brett Pelling and should prove tough again here in what will likely be his last conditioned race before facing stakes competition. (1) IDEAL FEELING gets Tetrick back in the bike and figures to be competitive. (2) HARAMBE DEO finished like a rocket to win last week. If Zeron times his move right again, he can get a big piece.

Race 2: $90,525 Shady Daisy

(3) REFLECT WITH ME should take charge in this short field and get the job done as the heavy chalk. (4) PEAKY SNEAKY is capable of the upset with the right setup. (5) LADY LOU improved last time off a perfect trip.

Race 3: $166,550 John Steele Memorial - $75K GTD Pick 5

(5) MANCHEGO is the best trotting mare in the country and it is impossible to see her losing unless one of these gets a second faster overnight. (3) WHEN DOVESCRY should've won last Saturday. She seems like the most likely upset candidate if it is possible. (2) PLUNGE BLUE CHIP is hard to like after watching driver Ake Svanstedt baby her to a very narrow win versus much easier.

Race 4: $30,000 Continentalvictory

In by far the toughest race of the Pick 6 and early Pick 5, (6) DIP ME HANOVER showed a bit more late life last time and might be coming around. (3) LINDY'S STARDUST went one of the best miles of her career with Dunn in the bike last time. (8) SANS DEFAUT has won two straight and seems likely to be forwardly placed. (1) QUESO FRESCO has done well since shipping down from Canada.

Race 5: $50,000 Muscle Hill

(6) BEADS went a strange mile in the Hambletonian eliminations as he just sat on the rim near the back and never advanced while not losing ground either. Yannick Gingras jumps in the bike now and while he'll certainly be overbet, he's likely going to gun him to the top and never look back; adds Lasix. (8) CHESTNUT HILL closed willingly with no shot last time. This guy has talent and only needs the right trip to menace. (7) PATRIARCH HANOVER has been racing well and now tries his lucky back on the big track.

Race 6: $350,300 Jim Doherty Memorial

(5) DARLENE HANOVER was very impressive while winning her elimination and she just seems a bit faster than these right now. Expect to see early speed this week. (10) ALTAR is certainly talented but I'm not sure I like the fact that she has raced four straight weeks. The post isn't a concern because she has early speed. (4) MATERIAL GIRL brings a solid effort to the track each week but needs to find more speed to have a chance at winning.

Race 7: $229,660 Sam McKee Memorial

(2) DANCIN LOU has a huge set of lungs apparently and can go fast under pressure and live to tell about it. He's no lock in this field against a salty group, but he's clearly the one to beat and is worth odds over 6-5. (3) HURRIKANE EMPEROR has already proved he can pop a big mile at any time and the inside post gives driver Mark MacDonald options; using. (8) BETTOR'S WISH raced well in defeat last week after a three-week break and in his first start on Lasix. Can he flash early speed and have enough left? (6) NONE BETTOR A gets his nose on the gate this week and should be gunning for the front.

Race 8: $319,000 Peter Haughton Memorial - $100K GTD Pick 4

(4) TYPE A is not only fast off the gate but he is also capable of settling down quickly. That maturity will serve him well here. I also love the spacing on his races as many young horses are having issues because of the rapid-fire schedule due to COVID-19. (1) PLUMVILLE PRINCE displayed a very impressive quick burst of speed last week in a race that fell into his lap nicely. There is talent here but I'd still demand a decent price. (7) MOONSTONE S raced very well behind the former last time but lacked his acceleration. He can be a player with the right trip. (5) LOCATELLI clearly has talent and would be no surprise.

Race 9: $600,000 Hambletonian Oaks Final

I absolutely love this spot for (7) SORELLA. Driver Yannick Gingras is no doubt heading to the front and should be able to control the action. Her connections have said she'll race barefoot again like in the Reynolds when she went the fastest mile of the year by a 3-year-old trotter (1:50 2/5). (4) MAY BABY showed me something by taking air and battling on last week. The only question now is whether she is fast enough. (3) REBA BLUE CHIP shook free very late last time and appeared to have something left. (12) HYPNOTIC AM got aggressive last time and coasted to an easy win. The road to the front is going to be much more difficult here and the price will be too short to play her. (11) PANEM is a horse I was looking to bet in this race, but her chances took a big hit in my eyes from post 11. If Dunn can work some magic, of course she's very capable.

Race 10: $291,350 John Cashman Memorial

(4) GUARDIAN ANGEL AS is a horse I rarely select, but I can't help but think he’ll be sitting in good position this week with every chance to win. While he has missed over a month of action, the return qualifier on July 31 was sharp and you know the price will be right with Gimpanzee and Atlanta in the race. (7) GIMPANZEE puts his perfect 2020 record on the line in his first start against older horses. Nothing fazes him, so if he loses it will only be because another horse was simply faster. (2) ATLANTA is certainly capable of a big mile, but I like her best when she can sit a trip and I don't see how she gets away without making two moves or coming uncovered. (5) SOUL STRONG should be ready for a peak performance in his third start of the year. The question remains whether he can handle these as a 4-year-old.

Race 11: $1,000,000 Hambletonian Final - $50K GTD Pick 5

Strategy is going to be key here as I fully expect Ramona Hill to either leave very hard or float and brush to the lead early. The question is how many other drivers are aggressive early and whether Andrew McCarthy behind 'Ramona' will consider yielding to a horse like Ready For Moni. My money says no, which leads me to (2) BACK OF THE NECK, who could very well be riding live cover from 'Moni'. We've seen Back Of The Neck on the lead twice now and both times he was caught, perhaps getting a bit "lonely on the lead" in the late stages. I'm thinking we'll see a different horse off a helmet. (5) RAMONA HILL was spectacular in her last two starts and she is clearly the filly to beat. I'm just not willing to accept around even money on a horse I don't think can win this race fifty times out of a hundred. (6) THREEFIFTYTWO impressed in his elimination with speed at both ends of the mile. With a small step forward he could be right there at the wire. (1) READY FOR MONI is clearly talented and capable of winning the race, but the inside draws presents problems in my view, though maybe Yannick will work some magic.

Race 12: $25,000 Vincennes Preferred Trot

(2) MISSION ACCEPTED seems likely to get aggressive in this spot and was a winner here on Hambo Day last year. (3) JL CRUZE charged home like a 6-year-old version of himself a week ago. If he does that again, he wins. (3) IT'S A HERBIE was going in the 1:53 range and got down to the 1:50 area last time. He should be ready for his best now.

Race 13: $273,125 Cane Pace - $50K GTD Pick 4

(6) TALL DARK STRANGER adds Lasix after a somewhat flat finish in the Geers last time. If he's back to full strength, they are racing for second. (5) CAPTAIN KIRK is certainly fast and capable of going a long way. (4) MANTICORE has been coming along late for smaller pieces against the best 3-year-old pacers in the sport. This looks like the right spot for Stratton to send him to the front.

Race 14: $61,540 Sam McKee Memorial - $109,280 Mandatory Payout Hi-5

(5) DONTTELLMEAGAIN never got involved last time. Two starts back in the Haughton, Tetrick was in the bike and he finished a good second. I'm expecting a top performance. (6) OUR MAJORDAN A went too fast on the engine last week and paid the price. He'll be tough against this somewhat softer crew. (3) GEEZ JOE has gone some brutal trips of late but remains in form. (1) JESSE DUKE N has a long string of second-place finishes to his credit; using in exotics.

Race 15: $177,100 Lady Liberty

(5) SHARTIN N rebounded in the Clara Barton and just seems to be too good for these when she is right. She did pace the fastest mile by a mare in this race last year. (6) TALL DRINK HANOVER has been handled conservatively in just two starts this year. Expect the screws to be loosened this week for a barn that tends to shine on the big stage. (8) WARRAWEE UBEAUT clearly wasn't right early in the year, but she seems to have turned the corner. We'll learn a lot about her this week. (4) SOHO BURNING LOVE A is sharp and consistent.

Race 16: Non-winners $10,000 in last 5/TM Rating 86.1 or less

(8) GODS SPIRIT N was sixth in this class last time but this field is much easier. He won in this class a few starts back. (6) EFFRONTE A dropped and won easily enough last Saturday; contender. (1) VANQUISHED N could be firing out from the pylons. (3) BLOOD BROTHER goes for a good barn that could have this classy veteran ready.