Pocono: Analysis for Sunday 9/6

MEET STATS: 42 - 140 / $205.50 (-$74.50)
BEST BETS: 6 - 10 / $12.80 (-$5.00)
SPOT PLAYS: 1 - 10 / $4.60 (-$15.40)
BEST BET - GOLDEN QUEST N (13th)
SPOT PLAY - NARCIAN JEWEL (5th)

Race 1 - 15000CLM Pace

(1) SPANISH ART returns to Pocono after finishing second against $15,000 claimers at Harrah's Philadelphia. He races for a high-percentage barn, and Allard has handled him well in recent weeks, including a narrow defeat in a fast mile in a $12,500 claimer here back on August 10. (4) JOHNNY Q drops a notch off a gaining third against $20,000 claimers most recently. He's in sharp form, having finished in the top three in all of his lines on the program. (5) ROCKABILLY CHARM entered the Bongiorno barn last month and dominated a group of $15,000 claimers down at Harrah's Philadelphia in his second start for Jenn. He found the $20,000 claiming company a bit too tough in a subsequent appearance, but should be well-suited back in against $15,000 claimers here.

Race 2 - 7500CLM Pace

(3) CARMENS BEST owns just the one win thus far in 2020 but does seems to be the most consistent of this group. Napolitano usually has him on the lead or brushes him there at some point, and those tactics should be coming again this time. (2) WESTERN ALUMNI scored a win two back when he got to cut the mile, then was just an even fourth in the same race Carmens Best is exiting. I think he might have to settle for a following trip again here, and I will use underneath. (7) MR DISOMMA hasn't shown much since being claimed by Daniel Renaud, but he does get some additional class relief and was Simon Allard's choice. He was second as the favorite against $10,000 claimers down at Harrah's Philadelphia in early July, so maybe he can get back to that sort of performance.

Race 3 - NW4/50000LT Pace

(1) NOTWITHOUTAFIGHT comes out of a couple of tough NW4 tries at Yonkers from outside posts. He shifts inside here and might offer a bit of a price in this wide-open looking race. (5) ACTON HANOVER is still winless this year but has finished second or third in six of his ten tries, including last time when he was third to Tell Them Lou, who went on to win a PA All-Stars race in his next appearance. Allard takes over the driving this time. (3) EHRMANTRAUT has been beaten as the favorite at the NW4 level a couple times in the last few weeks and couldn't gain in the final quarter last Sunday, so I will slot him underneath again tonight.

Race 4 - NW4/50000LT / NW5 who are NW of a Race since 6-20-20 Trot

I think (3) P L NOTSONICE is the most talented horse in this group, but she has made breaks in her last two. She had no apparent issues in her qualifier at Tioga, and I'll hope she minds her P's and Q's here. (5) PRACTICAL CAT has a trainer change tonight as he's now with Charlie Norris. He has a third and a fourth in his last pair of efforts at the NW4 level and has post relief here after starting from the nine-hole most recently. (4) TRIXAR slides over to this class after a couple of thirds against NW9000L5's. He hasn't won in 2020 and has a lot more second and thirds lifetime than victories, so I'll use underneath in tris and supers.

Race 5 - F&M NW6000L5 Pace

(1) NARCIAN JEWEL crossed the wire first against a group like this one at the Meadowlands on July 17 but got placed back to third. Drawing the inside post should allow her to get the kind of inside, stalking trip she does her best work with, and I'll put on top. (5) LINCOLN'S GIRL N took advantage of dropping to the NW3000L5 class to take a front-stepping win last Sunday. Scott Zeron isn't driving here tonight, so Mike Simons takes over, and maybe he'll try to wire this group, too. (3) PRAIRIE WESTERNGAL was in against NW12500L5's when last seen at Pocono in late July, so this is an easier spot than that. She won one of her four tries up at Tioga since and now ships back here.

Race 6 - NW3000L5 Trot

(2) AUTEUR HANOVER posted his last win in this class back on June 23 and returns to it tonight after battling against tougher since then. (3) A LISTER has something else no one else does in this race - a victory in his program lines. The veteran has won here before and this might be the kind of group he can threaten. (1) CAN DO exits a poor performance up at Vernon but was competitive against the NW3000L5's at Pocono back in June, finishing third once and fourth another time.

Race 7 - F&M NW3000L5 Pace

Last Sunday (2) NORTHERN SWIFT went the best mile that she's gone since Wallis claimed her and slides down a notch from the NW6000L5 group. She's been racing from off-the-pace, but maybe she shows more early speed tonight. (4) PATANJALI N had a pocket trip to Lincoln's Girl N a week ago but could only manage a third. She's been a beaten favorite two straight tries now, so I think you have to take a shot against her again. (1) RHYME N ROLL is just two-for-44 lifetime, but I think this is an easier spot than the NW4's she's been tackling, and maybe that can put her in the hunt.

Race 8 - NW9000L5 Trot

(6) VALLEY OF SIN retained Tyler Buter over another contender in here. He does step up again in class, but that was a very impressive win from post nine on the 31st of August. I'll follow Buter's lead and take him, too. (5) SIR JOHN F drops from the NW12500L5 group and was Napolitano Jr.'s choice of four horses in this race. His last win came against NW7000L5's at Harrah's Philadelphia on 7-24, and that probably compares pretty well to these. (1) MARION GONDOLIER was rejected by Buter but still looks like a definite contender, coming off a win against NW6000L5's and a second and a third at this level prior to that.

Race 9 - NW3000L5 Pace

(5) SPRINGBRIDGE PROUD fell just a nose short of winning in a NW3000L5 contest on 8-25. He makes just his fourth start of 2020 tonight, but is back on a regular racing rotation and was Anthony Napolitano's choice. (7) TULLOW N shipped out to Northfield for his last race but got caught in a speed duel and tired. He was in against NW9000L5's before that at Pocono, so he should appreciate the chance to race at the bottom level with any smoother trip. (1) THEFREEDOMFIGHTERN drops out of the NW6000L5's and has an inside post to work from. He owns just one victory thus far in his 8-year-old campaign.

Race 10 - F&M NW17500L5 / NW8 or 90000LT Pace

(6) QUEEN OF THE PRIDE makes her way back east here after being competitive at the Open level in Ohio and Indiana. She's got plenty of early speed to overcome the outside draw and got the nod from Allard as his pick of two. (3) ANNIE HILL is rounding into form quickly for trainer Nifty Norman as she finished up her mile last Sunday very well in this class. She seems like a logical one to include. (1) ITS MESMERISE N kept her hot streak going a week ago, romping over a group of NW12500L5's. She has won three of her last four and hasn't been worse than second in any of her starts in the U.S.

Race 11 - 20000CLM Pace

(3) THISJETSABOOKIN gave Yonkers a try on the 28th of August and ended up getting parked from post eight, so I'm just going to toss that line and look at the one two back at Pocono where he was a solid third against $25,000 claimers. He's entered for a $20,000 tag today, so he get some class relief, and might have some value. (4) DAAMERICANSKY was claimed by trainer Tee Wine out of that win down at Harrah's Philadelphia. He won two in-a-row back in June and July, including a romp over NW3000L5's at Pocono, and was Napolitano Jr.'s choice of a few in here. (6) KEYSTONE STEAM was victorious on 8-29 in a $20,000 claimer and sticks at the level again. He wasn't Simon Allard's choice, but Anthony Napolitano has driven him recently, so he knows him well.

Race 12 - F&M NW12000L5 / NW7 or 80000LT Pace

(4) ROYALTYWESTHO grabbed her last victory in the class that corresponds to this one at Harrah's Philadelphia on the 5th of August and finished with interest against tougher foes last Sunday. (1) JUXTA COWGIRL finished second in her one recent appearance against NW12000L5's at Pocono, and she has strong early speed to get well-positioned from the inside draw. (2) BLACKWELL RUBY IR switches drivers to Tyler Buter tonight. She was the runner-up when she competed in a NW12000L5 back on 7-26, and I think that race at Yonkers was fine, given it was from post eight and with the one month gap in her schedule.

Race 13 - NW4/50000LT Pace

(6) GOLDEN QUEST N turned in another quality performance a week ago, finishing second against a strong bunch in this class. She meets up with what looks like a much softer group here, and I think she might be able to wire them. (7) TALK SHOW CHICA forged her way into the lead in the lane in a different NW4 section from the one my top pick exits last Sunday, but got caught late. It was still a good try, and she does own a victory at the level. (3) IT'S A SHORE THING won three straight at Pocono in NW1's and NW2's in July and August. This is her first crack at the NW4's, but she does have Napolitano Jr. to drive.

Race 14 - F&M NW9400L5 / NW6 or 70000LT Pace

(6) DIXIE STAR N squeezes into this race by less than $100 in the NW9400L5 part of the condition, so I'm hopeful her connections will be looking to take advantage of that. She was a good second at the level on the 23rd of August. (4) AZREAL AS IT GETS returns to Pocono after finishing second twice at Yonkers in August. She has threatened a few times this year but is still in search of her first win. (5) CAVIART CHERIE hikes up after a facile win over NW6000L5's in her debut for Tanneyhill on 8-30. That was a big mile, and I think she's capable of repeating it.