Pocono: Analysis for Sunday 8/30

MEET STATS: 41 - 126 / $196.90 (-$55.10)
BEST BETS: 6 - 9 / $12.80 (-$3.00)
SPOT PLAYS: 1 - 9 / $4.60 (-$13.40)
BEST BET - CATTLEWASH (10th)
SPOT PLAY - TALK SHOW CHICA (7th)

Race 1 - NW9000L5 Trot

(5) MEADOWBRANCH RICKY draws a much better post this time after having the eight two Sundays ago, and I don't think this is the strongest NW9000L5 group. He also gets Kakaley back in the bike. (1) TRIXAR came in third to a well-meant Mushana at this level on August 16 and switches pilots to Anthony Napolitano, who guided him to a couple of second-place finishes in July. (4) MANDELA BLUE CHIP hikes up from the NW6000L5 class, but he made up ground in the last quarter on the 18th of August and could add some value in tris and supers.

Race 2 - F&M NW3000L5 Pace

(8) LINCOLN'S GIRL N was 4-5 against NW6's at Pocono back in late June, so I'll hope this bottom-level NW3000L5 group is something she can handle with Scott Zeron going in the bike. (3) GATORS BEN WINNING woke up with a good performance last Sunday, finishing second. Tetrick isn't competing until later in the card, so Anthony Napolitano takes back over the controls. (2) LOTUS SEELSTER faced better on 8-17 and had no shot from post nine against NW3000L5's on August 2. She might have a better chance on this occasion from an inside draw.

Race 3 - F&M NW4/50000LT Pace

(5) SHE'S NUN BETTOR N has won three straight, including her one chance against NW4's here at Pocono. Tyler Buter is going to drive her for the first time tonight. (1) GOLDEN QUEST N was defeated by my top choice the one time they met on the 9th of August. She came back to win last Sunday, and I definitely respect her chances. (4) ANNE BONNEY N scored a victory over NW4's on August 16 when she got left alone on the lead and wired them. I can't see that happening here, but I will put underneath.

Race 4 - NW4/50000LT Trot

(9) REIGN OF HONOR finished second in the Graduate Series final earlier this summer and got a check in the Crawford Farms Trot most recently. A NW4 race should be a pretty easy spot for him based on that, but you may get a slightly better price than you otherwise would since he's in post nine. (4) INNISFALLEN rallied from eighth to second in the back-half of the mile last Sunday and gets an improved draw here. Scott Zeron piloted him a week ago and is back tonight. (2) CELEBRITY MIRACLE is two-for-two in recent weeks when piloted by Kevin Wallis, and that's the case here. I'll expect him to be somewhere on or near the lead again.

Race 5 - Pennsylvania All-Stars 3YO C&G Pace

(7) MANTICORE gets away from the best of the division that he's been facing off with and will probably be looking to take advantage. Stratton sent him down the road in a qualifier at the Meadowlands in late July and maybe he'll try that here. (3) ENOUGH SUN has picked up a couple of third-place finishes in the Pennsylvania Sires Stakes program in the last couple months when he's gotten David Miller to drive, and they're going to team up here from a good draw. (6) LYONS SKIPPER finished up his mile in 27 flat at The Meadows most recently against sire stakes foes. Hopefully he can move forward off that.

Race 6 - F&M NW6000L5 Pace

(8) LAUGHING EMOJI N didn't have a very good experience in her U.S. debut at Harrah's Philadelphia, but she's got that tightener under her belt now and trainer Kevin Lare should know her better. I like that she did get bet down in that one start, and I don't mind Tetrick taking over either. (3) LOVERS COVE finished third and fourth in this class two and three back from outside posts, so post three is a major improvement in that area. Kakaley drove her on August 2, so he has some familiarity with her. (2) GRANT ME THIS forged her way into the lead from first-over last Sunday but got caught. She has owns a win at Pocono back in late July, and any cleaner journey makes her pretty logical.

Race 7 - F&M NW4/50000LT Pace

(4) TALK SHOW CHICA defeated NW4's back in early July and gets away from the likes of Golden Quest N and She's Nun Bettor N here. She should also offer her usual good price. (1) PRINCESS SHARKTANK kicked home in 27 4/5 last Sunday and may have needed that race with the one month gap in her schedule. She's on a regular racing rotation tonight and moves inside. (6) ANTHEM N has a couple of recent second-place efforts in the Pennsylvania Stallion Series and closed in 27 seconds in a slow-paced race last time out at Harrah's Philadelphia.

Race 8 - NW9000L5 Trot

(4) MORAIRTIME shows a pretty consistent good race-bad race pattern right now. I'll hope that holds tonight since she comes off a break and use since she's definitely good enough and fast enough to beat this class, especially with anything like that performance against NW20000L5's at Harrah's Philadelphia on July 23. (2) CRAZYCAT finished third against NW9000L5's at Pocono two back and might have picked up some confidence with that triumph over NW5000L5's at Yonkers from post eight most recently. (1) TWO AM gets some class and post relief in this spot. He's another one with a recent strong race at Harrah's Philadelphia (on August 6) that he'll be looking to find.

Race 9 - F&M NW6000L5 Pace

(6) BE BEST rallied from sixth to second in the last quarter a week ago. That was her second straight runner-up finish at Pocono, and she picks up Scott Zeron's services tonight. (1) AMATEUR HOUR has struggled to find the winner's circle in the last couple years, but she did win in facile fashion over NW5000L5's at Yonkers in early July and works her way down in class. (3) ALBANY GIRL closed well to finish second at Pocono on August 2. She returns east from The Meadows and has a good history at Pocono, having taken both her seasonal mark here last year and her life's mark over the oval in 2018.

Race 10 - Pennsylvania All-Stars 3YO C&G Pace

(1) CATTLEWASH took a PA Sire Stakes division at Pocono on August 11 and then was a good second to the talented No Lou Zing in his next PaSS appearance at The Meadows. David Miller has seemed to get along with him very well and is back in the bike tonight. (2) TELL THEM LOU won a NW4 race at Pocono last Sunday in impressive fashion from first-over. He does step back up to the stakes level here but seems to have turned a corner for Jim Campbell and has Zeron to drive again. (4) SERIOUSLY HANOVER made an uncharacteristic break at The Meadows last time out. Before that he had won three divisions of the PA Stallion Series and was fourth in his Adios elimination, so I think he's worth another look.

Race 11 - F&M NW18500L5/NW8 or 90000LT Pace

(4) ALEXA'S POWER wound up shuffled and then had to come first-over last Sunday. She drops a notch tonight, I'll bank on a smoother trip coming, and use on top. (5) LISPATTY brushed to the top aggressively and was a good second in that same race my top pick comes out of last week. She is in good form but hasn't been able to find the winner's circle recently. (6) IDEAL LIFESTYLE A had post eight last time out here at Pocono and was handled conservatively. She beat the Open class at Dover in March before the racing shutdown, so I don't think it's out of the question for her to perform better.

Race 12 - F&M NW12500L5/NW7 or 80000LT Pace

(2) ATTENTION HANOVER slides down from the NW17500L5 class after a fourth-place finish from first-over. She was a good second behind Vorst at this level two back and Allard has driven her with a lot of confidence when he's been in the bike. (1) ITS MESMERISE N brings a string of top-two finishes from Harrah's Philadelphia into this race. Their NW14000L5 group corresponds well to this one, and she's going to be driven by Andrew McCarthy's younger brother Todd, who is competing in the U.S. for the first time. (4) KOTARE YARRA N looked like she lacked room after that inside trip a week ago. She switches drivers back to Marcus Miller and was third against NW12000L5's two back.

Race 13 - F&M NW9000L5 / NW6 or 70000LT Pace

(1) TALL POPPY N came in third last time at Harrah's Philadelphia despite bleeding. She goes on the Lasix program tonight and has hit the board in her last four attempts. (5) SOMTHNGABOUTMARY N begins the ascent up the class ladder after she topped a group of NW6000L5's last Sunday. I did like the way she finished off cover and think she could get some pace to chase again. Matt Kakaley gets the call. (6) DRAMA ACT is one of three 3-year-olds in this race. She did win a Pennsylvania Sire Stakes split at The Meadows earlier this year and gets a chance to get away from the likes of JK First Lady, Lyons Sentinel, and Rocknificent here.

Race 14 - NW4/50000LT Pace

(7) BILLY LINCOLN N cruised over NW4's pretty handily on August 9 with Tetrick driving. He gets another crack at this group again tonight with Tetrick in the seat. (4) FLYINGEVENBETTOR N makes his U.S. debut tonight after qualifying nicely at the Meadowlands at Pocono. He was fourth in a Group 1 race in New Zealand in his last appearance Down Under. (3) REPEAL OR REPLACE dominated at the NW4 level two back and then made an uncharacterstic break when he stepped up to the NW6 class. He returns to meet NW4's here and is certainly a contender as long as he doesn't make another miscue.