Meadowlands: Analysis for Saturday 9/9

2023 STATS: 25 - 135 / $231.70 (-$38.30)
BEST BETS: 6 - 10 / $20.00 (+$0.00)
SPOT PLAYS: 1 - 10 / $103.40 (+83.40)
BEST BET - LEGAL ATTACK (5th)
SPOT PLAY - SOARING NOW (13th)

Race 1 - MADC 1 Pace

(4) MASK ON MASK OFF doesn't have great form in his last few races but meets up with a similar-looking group tonight and was victorious the last time he raced in a MADC 1 event back in late June. (8) MY WISH CAME TRUE never got involved last Saturday but did finish with pace (27 1/5) last quarter and did take some wagering support in that event, too. (9) HARRY HANOVER rallied from last to first in a MADC 1 test on July 21 and comes out of a third-place finish a week ago.

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Race 2 - NW2000L4 Pace

(2) MAYOR OFTHEMOMENT went a big qualifier at Harrah's Hoosier Park on July 5 but has really done nothing since then. He finds a soft class here for a barn that can have one ready to fire. (5) MUSCLE FACTORY A makes his third start after a layoff. He hit the board in both of his outings at Tioga and was racing in a higher class when last seen at the Meadowlands. (4) GOOD INVESTMENT drops from the NW5000L4 level off a third-place result a week ago.

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Race 3 - NW3000L4/TrackMaster Rating 77 or Less as of 9-5-23 Trot

(4) FASHION FOREVER has been racing in much higher classes than this at Yonkers and Pocono, and despite his poor win record for the year (just one-for-20), I think he merits a chance here. (2) JIVE NINETY FIVE rallied to finish second at this level a week ago after getting trapped on the pylons in the third quarter. He moves inside on the gate from post six to the two-hole. (6) STARLIT RAMBO is a horse I used last time out at Yonkers, and he wound up fourth in a NW5000L5 event. This is a spot where he could get a confidence-boosting result.

Race 4 - MADC 1 Pace

(2) MV OK PALACIO BR owns a few victories in his career at the Meadowlands and invades from Tioga and Monticello in good form for trainer Rob Harmon. (4) LEAVE AND ROLL has hit the board in five straight outings over at Harrah's Philadelphia. He doesn't have a great lifetme win record, sitting at just nine-for-109, but I will use underneath. (5) TAKEITTOTHEFACE ended up first-over last week and tired. He makes his second start back after some time off tonight and was a winner of a MADC 1 race on July 21.

Race 5 - 2YO C&G NW2/20500LT / Maidens Drawn Inside Pace

(8) LEGAL ATTACK ships down to the U.S. from the Ontario Sires Stakes program where he was fourth and third to the top colt in the province, Funtime Bayama, in his last two outings. (9) MAGNIFICO HANOVER has looked the part thus far with a win and a second in his pari-mutuel starts and a nice qualifier over the oval last Saturday. (3) ZEPPOLE HANOVER drops out of the Pennsylvania Sire Stakes program. He was a gaining third in a track record mile at Harrah's Philadelphia most recently.

Race 6 - New Jersey Classic Final 3YO C&G Pace **$50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Pool**

(4) PEPPERMINT MAN finished out his mile in 26 and change from an outside post in the elimination last week and drew better tonight. Given that performance and his second in an Empire Breeders Classic split before that, I'll put him on top. (3) VOUKEFALAS is the one to beat given his prior efforts against this type of company but hasn't made a pari-mutuel start since Hambletonian Day and hasn't won since late May. I believe he's worth taking a shot against at an expected low price. (7) GALLIE GETAWAY has struggled to find the winner's circle but does often finish underneath like he did in the elimination last Saturday.

Race 7 - MADC 1 Pace

(4) FERDINAND A cut the mile and wound up third in a MADC 1 event last Saturday. I'll look for him to be sharper here as that was his first outing since August 4. (3) JUMPING JAKE gets post relief here off his last two efforts at Harrah's Philadelphia and performed well in MADC 1 races in June and July. (9) BANK SEA won by open lengths the last time he was in the MADC 1 class in early August and gained spots and ground in the final quarter of his mile a week ago.

Race 8 - Mares NW7500L4/TrackMaster Rating 83.5 or Less as of 9-5-23/NW5000L4 or TrackMaster Rating 80.5 or Less Drawn Inside Pace

(9) GOO GOO WON slides down from the NW12500L4 class and was in the Open at Harrah's Philadelphia before that. I'll look for her to fire tonight, even with the outside draw. (8) WATCH ME NOW N was a gaining fifth in the same race my top pick comes out of last Friday and won at the Meadowlands back in late July. (7) LAURIE LEE picked up spots and gained ground from post eight at Yonkers most recently and has had prior success at The Big M.

Race 9 - NW10000L4/NW7500L4 Drawn Inside Pace

(10) ROCKIN ON VENUS is stuck with the outside post but has been facing tougher at other venues and won in 1:48 4/5 in this same class the last time he raced at the Meadowlands. (4) BURNHAM BOY N scored in 1:49 at the Meadowlands earlier this year and returns with three straight on-the-board finishes at Pocono and Yonkers. (8) BET A BUNDLE closed in 26 1/5 and change to finish second at this level last Saturday and tallied in 1:50 and change recently at Harrah's Philadelphia.

Race 10 - New Jersey Classic Final 3YO Fillies Pace **$50,000 Guaranteed Pick 4 Pool**

(2) SOUTHWIND BELLA came up a little empty last time at Tioga but had a good year in New York and against open company in the Nadia Lobell out at Harrah's Hoosier Park. I expect she'll offer some value, I think she'll appreciate getting to stretch out on the mile track, and I will bank on trainer Brett Pelling having her ready to go. (6) UCANDOIT BLUE CHIP has been a tough customer against New Jersey-restricted foes and seven of her eight career victories are at the Meadowlands. She's the one they'll have to beat. (8) ODDS ON CINAMON rallied in 26 1/5 to finish second to UCANDOIT BLUE CHIP in last week's elimination. She's hit the board in seven of her eight outings overall in 2023.

Race 11 - NW5000L4/TrackMaster Rating 80.5 or Less as of 9-5-23/17500CLM Pace

(5) WILL THE WIZARD A wound up with an impossible trip from the ten-hole last Saturday. He was well-supported by the bettors in that event, so I think he was well-meant and just couldn't overcome the journey. He gets significant post relief here. (1) STRAIGHT TALK closed from ninth to finish in the final quarter a week ago and shifts inside from the seven-hole to the pole position. (7) AUSSIE HANOVER drops from the NW7500L4 level and was a good second the last time he competed in this class on July 29.

Race 12 - NW10000L4/TrackMaster Rating 85.30 or Less as of 9-5-23/NW7500L4 or TrackMaster Rating 83.04 or Less Draw Inside Trot

(4) ARCHERY SEELSTER enters this race off a third-place finish against NW12500L4 company most recently at Pocono, making him the lone class dropper in this group. Given that and his good post draw, I'll make him my top pick. (3) SONOFAMISTERY minded his p's and q's last Saturday and defeated NW5000L4 company. He could be the one to beat again in this event if he'll stay trotting again. (9) TIMESTORM put in a game effort to finish second after taking the lead from first-up in a NW7500L4 tilt a week ago. He does move outside on the gate here, but that will probably only help his value.

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Race 13 - NW20000L4/TrackMaster Rating 92 or Less as of 9-5-23/NW14000L4 Drawn Inside Pace

(4) SOARING NOW makes his second start back after a layoff and finished out his mile in 26 and change in his comeback over at Harrah's Philadelphia. The connections thought enough of this horse earlier this year to put him in the MGM Borgata Pacing Series at Yonkers, so he has some class to him. (3) AMERICAN DEALER N had no chance from post eight against some tough customers at Harrah's Philadelphia on Sunday but won nicely in the corresponding class to this one at that oval prior to that. (6) DUKE OF CORNWALL N races out of a high-percentage barn and was second to well-meant rival in A Rocknroll Star last time out at Pocono.

Race 14 - MADC 2 Pace

(5) LYONS PRIDE gapped his cover last week but did close out his mile well enough to interest me and took some wagering action down to 4-1 off his 15-1 morning line quote. This horse had a couple of impressive wins over the oval earlier this year, so he's capable with a top performance. (9) RANDOM HANOVER woke up in a big way last Saturday as he stomped MADC 1 foes. He moves up to the MADC 2 class here but if he's that good again, the others are probably in trouble. (1) BIG BAD BILL also took a MADC 1 tilt a week ago and gets post relief off that effort here.