Meadowlands: Saturday 1/18 Analysis

MEET STATS: 52-10-10-10 / $51.20 (-$52.80)
BEST BETS: 4-1-1-0 / $5.80 (-$2.20)
BEST BET: WHEELS ON FIRE (7th)
SPOT PLAY: MORE THE BETTER N (4th)
This card could definitely get knocked out by weather so check for updates Saturday morning. Early indications are that the track will see about three inches of snow Saturday. If they do race, the track will almost certainly be sloppy.
Race 1 - $7,500 Claiming - $25K GTD Pick 5
(5) KID PK moves into a barn that has started the meet off nicely and you can toss his latest line where he was used hard in a fast pace. Getting Teague is a nice plus in this Martin Luther King Jr. race. (2) WALKS OF LIFE has speed and form. Should be the chalk for new connections off the claim. (4) VILLAGE JACKSON is a capable horse who could light up the board with the right trip.
Race 2 – Non-winners $22,750 in last 5
(6) MUSCLE DIAMOND qualified very well, sitting behind the leader most of the stretch and sprinting home the final few yards to just miss. Eight-year-old has gone some big races here and might be ready to fire fresh. (5) JL CRUZE bested a similar crew last week and is the clear horse to beat. (4) MISSLAROSE has early speed that could be useful, but we haven’t seen her in over four weeks.
Race 3 – Non-winners $7,500 in last 5
This might be the toughest NW7500 they card all year. (4) JK WILL POWER found himself in start No. 2 for new trainer Andrew Harris and has the class to step up again. (3) DECOY and (5) BARIMAH A step down the class ladder one level and either could bring a big effort. (6) HAPPY TRIO is way down in class and scheduled to sell on Monday; form reversal?
Race 4 – Non-winners $5,000 in last 5
(8) MORE THE BETTER N threw in a rare break last time that can be ignored. Classy 7-year-old finds a great spot upon arrival from Dover. (5) BRING THE THUNDER is down in class and likely to be on the move from the word GO. (1) PARKLANE JET dropped to this class last week and now gets a decent post to help the cause.
Race 5 – Non-winners 3-6 races or $35,000-$82,500 life
(5) WESTERN EXPOSURE has a bit of an edge in this race with a likely clear shot to the front. Sure his connections will be looking for a big mile prior to the sale on Monday. (9) DUDDIE’S LOR has proven he can beat the top pick even from an outside post; dangerous. (7) THE FIRST STEP moves into the Burke barn but has a stale date; mixed feelings. (4) A MAJOR OMEN steps up off a big mile and deserves at least some consideration.
Race 6 – Preferred
(1) EFFFRONTE A came up with a monster mile in his second start on these shores. He loses Dunn here but who knows how good he is at this point? (7) FRANCO TOTEM N could be interesting if Dunn blasts off the gate. If not, I don’t love him having to pass most of the field. (8) ENDEAVOR comes off a nice win and has tons of class.
Race 7 – Non-winners $10,000 in last 5
(5) WHEELS ON FIRE is way down in class and has no excuses for failure. (4) FRANCO TRISTAN N kicked home in 25 2/5 in his most recent qualifier. Down Under import might be ready to shine. (1) JK WILDFIRE should push away well from the cones and get into the exotics.
Race 8 – Non-winners $15,000 in last 5 - $50K GTD Pick 4
(2) ITALIAN DELIGHT N charged home in his U.S. debut to win and looks like one to follow. (3) MACHIAVELLI has early speed and could be in a prime position. (10) MINDTRIP already has two wins in this class over the last four starts. The outside post is an issue, but don’t be shocked if he overcomes.
Race 9 – Trackmaster Rating 82.5 or less
(5) I’M AN ATHLETE chased too slow of a pace and when he finally kicked in it just wasn’t enough. Veteran only needs a decent pace setup to put him in winning position. (3) GYPSY LEATHER returns here at a reduced level. (1) WHATSTROUBLNUROCKY had dead aim and couldn’t pass last time; only needs slightly more to compete. (7) BARBADOS makes his final start before Monday’s sale. On paper, he’s good enough to upset.
Race 10 – Trackmaster Rating 79.5 or less
(1) WESTERN REDHOT raced well from an impossible spot in post 10 last week. He moves inside now and finds a field without too much early speed. (4) I AM THE COWBOY is moving in the right direction and only needs a decent trip to be in the photo. (8) MAYFIELD DUKE is down in class. Will Gingras gun him to the front?
Race 11 – Non-winners $10,000 in last 5
(4) SANTAFE’S COACH drops down in class for a barn that tends to do well on that angle. (9) INCREDIBLE SHARK is back at the level of his last victory. (6) INDEPENDENT ONE is a sharp horse moving up in class and picking up the hottest driver in town. (1) BAY RUM drops a level but strangely enters for the claiming price when he fits the Trackmaster condition; hmmmm.
Race 12 – Non-winners $7,500 in last 5
(4) CRUSADES drops for the Burke barn before the sale on Jan. 20 and I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t come up big or at the very least race aggressively. (1) LIVE ON moves inside and this veteran does well when in spots like this one. (3) DECISION DAY gets class and post relief. He’s dangerous as a wake-up candidate.
Race 13 – Trackmaster rating 74.5 or less
(3) BET ON JOE finished up the track after almost seven weeks on the sidelines. He got caught in an insanely fast mile for that class last week and should have a chance to show more versus this group. (1) SHARKNADO just missed against similar a week ago. (7) BIG ROCKY has a shot to play with these because of his early speed alone. (6) AUTOTUNE HANOVER exits the claiming ranks where he was facing much sharper foes.
Race 14 – Non-winners $3,500 in last 5
(6) BIG BAD BILL drops to the basement condition along with (3) SEEING EYE SINGLE and one of them has to wake up. The former gets the call because of a projected better price. (1) URBAN RENEWAL dropped last week but got parked out. A better trip puts him in play. (4) TWIN B JAYS just missed in this class last week and will offer a much better price tonight due to the driver change.