Pocono: Analysis for Sunday 7/26

MEET STATS: 18 - 56 / $76.80 (-$35.20)
BEST BETS: 3 - 4 / $7.80 (-$0.20)
SPOT PLAYS: 1 - 4 / $4.60 (-$3.40)
BEST BET - AMIGO VOLO (10th)
SPOT PLAY - MYSTICAL WYNN (8th)

Race 1 - PA Stallion Series 3YO C&G Trot

(1) CUPID HANOVER gained some in the last quarter against NW4's last Sunday and owns a recent win over the track. I'll use, though I'm not expecting much value. (7) DAYTONA DREAMIN raced in a fast NW3 contest at Harrah's Philly most recently and wound up third. Trainer Chuck Sylvester is always capable of having a trotter ready for a good performance. (3) KYRIE DEO is the horse in here with the most stakes experience, though he hasn't had much luck yet. He does switch pilots to Corey Callahan.

Race 2 - F&M NW3000L5 Pace

(4) GRANT ME THIS exits the F&M Open at Tioga to race at the bottom level at Pocono tonight. she was second recently against similar at Tioga, picks up Tyler Buter, and her trainer won a race here a week ago. (3) BRING ME DIAMONDS has picked up checks in all her tries against NW6000L5's locally since racing resumed and gets class relief tonight to make her a much bigger threat on the win end. (1) MARYMACISBACK went on an aggressive speed mission from post eight last Sunday and folded. She finally draws inside tonight and maybe can work out a nice, inside trip.

Race 3 - PA Stallion Series 3YO C&G Trot

(2) BARGAIN BOB has been racing well out at Hoosier and Hawthorne and looks like he should be logical in this spot. Tyler Buter got to know him last fall at The Red Mile and will be in the bike tonight. (3) BANG BANG BOINGA defeated NW3's down at Harrah's Philadelphia most recently when David Miller took over for trainer Joe Poliseno in the bike. Matt Kakaley steers him this time. (8) STICKLER HANOVER picked up a fourth-place finish in the Arden Downs at The Meadows last time out. He does have the outside tonight, so I think that might make it a little tougher.

Race 4 - PA Stallion Series 3YO C&G Trot

(8) TOWN VICTOR didn't race too badly in his last couple stakes tries and took his life's mark here at Pocono a year ago. I'll give him a shot and hope Kakaley puts him in play. (2) GRAND SLAM HANOVER just missed when favored against NW3's on 7-8 at The Meadows and then raced conservatively next time out against NW4's. This looks like a fairly soft group, and he might have a little more speed switching from The Meadows to Pocono. (5) LOYAL FOX HANOVER hasn't had any success yet in 2020 but had a very good rookie campaign that included a second-place finish in the final of the PA Stallion Series. Maybe he can turn a corner tonight.

Race 5 - PA Stallion Series 3YO C&G Trot

(5) S CLASS broke his maiden here on the 20th, and hopefully now that's he's done that, he can keep the ball rolling like sometimes happens. (8) ARCLIGHT HANOVER just missed against the razor-sharp Bella Ava last Sunday in a NW4 race. He's probably the one to beat in this race, but I didn't want to take a short price from post eight. (1) PRESIDENT finished with some interest in the same event Arclight Hanover comes out of and gets a driver change tonight to Tyler Buter.

Race 6 - F&M NW4/50000LT Pace

(4) SWEET ANNA BANANA scored a couple of second-place finishes out at The Meadows and now ships east into the hot Shane Tritton barn. I hope the barn and surface change pick her up a little and she can beat these. (8) GOLDEN QUEST N was handled very conservatively over at Yonkers on July 13 but did finish well. She won in their NW4 class two back and Bartlett handles the assignment. (5) ANNABELLE HANOVER gave the Mistletoe Shalee at the Meadowlands a shot and was a non-factor. She trounced NW3's at Harrah's Phialdelphia two back at 1-9, though.

Race 7 - PA Stallion Series 3YO C&G Trot

(5) SOLAR worked out a three-hole trip from post nine and defeated NW2's at Pocono on the 21st. Throw out that PA All-Stars event where he had no shot from an outside draw, and he's won two straight. I like that winning experience, and I don't think he meets a group here that's too tough for him. (6) SWIPE RIGHT is another Butenschoen horse tonight with a good deal of experience racing stakes horses but without any success. Two of his better efforts since coming back have been here at Pocono, though. (4) STEEL SCHOONER will probably get some attention coming off a third in the All-Stars on the 11th, but it's hard to accept a short price on a maiden in a stakes event, so I went elsewhere.

Race 8 - NW9000L5 Trot

(4) MYSTICAL WYNN raced in higher classes at Pocono and Harrah's Philadelphia since coming back. He was fourth against NW12000L5's two back locally and hopefully finds a winning spot here. (1) GOLDEN SON finished second when he dropped to the NW9000L5 level on the 12th and has post relief tonight, sliding to the pole position from the seven-hole. (2) FREDDIE MAC steps up off a win against NW6000L5's but was third against the NW10000L5 class at Yonkers on June 22, so I don't think he's out of his element.

Race 9 - PA Sire Stakes 3YO C&G Trot

(8) SWISS HOUSE ONFIRE changes drivers tonight to Dexter Dunn after two seconds here at Pocono, including the last one in the PA All-Stars. I'm going to hope the aggressive tactics shown most recently are coming again and give him a shot. (7) EL IDEAL made a very uncharacterstic break in the Stanley Dancer at the Meadowlands. He meets up with an easier group tonight and will definitely be the one to beat if he doesn't make a mistake. (2) HELL PATROL dominated NW'4 at Pocono on 6-28 and came back with a solid third against PA All-Stars company. He is drawn inside my top two picks, and Mattias Melander should probably try and use that to his advantage.

Race 10 - PA Sire Stakes 3YO C&G Trot

(5) AMIGO VOLO is just one-for-three this year after an award-winning rookie campaign, but he did triumph at Pocono two back and gets away from the best of the Grand Circuit group here. I'll look for him to step up. (1) DD'S REDEMPTION got up after a pocket trip to win his PA All-Stars flight at Pocono on the 11th and might be able to get a similar journey from the pole. Tyler Buter has the call. (8) NYLANDER closed with a nice kick in his Stanley Dancer division at the Meadowlands. He'll probably need some live cover to follow to get into contention.

Race 11 - F&M NW12000L5/NW7 or 80000LT Pace

(6) BLACKWELL RUBY IR kept the beat going on the 12th, stomping another group of NW6's. She hasn't raced against NW12000L5's before but did win in the NW9000L5 class before the shutdown and looks like the controlling speed again this time. (8) MADAME LEZA A races for a trainer who has won a bunch of races in the last few days. She comes off a sick scratch, but is still worth a look with Dunn taking over in the bike. (3) YOU SHOULD BE HERE kept George Napolitano Jr. over another horse he won with last week in this spot, and she drops in class from her recent appearances at Harrah's Philadelphia and the Meadowlands.

Race 12 - F&M NW9000L5/NW6 or 70000LT Pace

(6) APPLE HANOVER normally shows a lot of early speed when in against similar types at the Meadowlands. I'm going to hope that's the plan here and give her a chance with the hopes she can cut the mile or sit a pocket trip. (5) KOTARE YARRA N has found the NW12000L5 class a little too tough lately but did win in her one try against NW9000L5's on the 5th and draws the same post she had that night. (1) JUXTA COWGIRL is probably a notch or two too high to win but her early speed should get her a good spot from the rail and maybe she can follow along and hit the board.

Race 13 - F&M NW6000L5 Pace

(3) ALBANY GIRL remains winless in 2020 but did have a lot of success at Pocono a year ago and was Napolitano Jr.'s pick of a couple. Maybe he can coax a victorious effort from her. (2) J ROCKIN B finished with some interest in her first pari-mutuel start over the track a week ago and wound up fourth. She remains in the same class tonight and moves inside on the gate. (1) JUSLIKEAQUEEN got lucky to get off the rail last Sunday but took advantage when she got free, storming by to an easy win. She steps up here, but it's not out of her comfort zone.

Race 14 - NW4/50000LT Pace

(6) COLUMBO will be a play-back for me this week. I wasn't disappointed with his performance last Sunday but will hope for a better effort with Napolitano Jr. taking over the controls. (7) ACTON HANOVER will probably win one of these weeks but I will continue to use underneath here. (3) KEYSTONE DASH comes off a sick scratch but did get a check in the PA Sire Stakes on the 10th and was third against NW4's locally before that.