Yonkers: Analysis for Monday 12/21

MEET STATS: 215 - 686 / $1,335.60 (-$36.40)
BEST BETS: 39 - 71 / $134.20 (-$3.80)
SPOT PLAYS: 13 - 71 / $96.60 (-$45.40)
BEST BET - MATT MAJOR (4th)
SPOT PLAY - CROCKETS CULLEN N (8th)

This is my last Yonkers card for 2020, so I want to say thank you for following along this year. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year.

Race 1 - 12500CLM Pace

(4) STATESMAN N finished a solid third over at the Meadowlands on December 12 and returns to Westchester tonight. He won locally back on the 23rd of November. (3) SPORTY SPOOK A was a Yonkers regular in 2017 and 2018 and has multiple wins over the oval. He also shows a 1:51 3/5 mark this season on the half-mile track at Northfield. (1) BLAYDE HANOVER upset in this class last Monday and draws the pole position tonight.

[DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card]

Race 2 - NW5000L5 Trot

(6) MATCH MY MIRACLE picked up a check against NW4's at Yonkers on the 10th of December and shifts over to this class tonight. I think that makes him a threat, with maybe some value to go with it. (2) RACEACE has two victories in his last three appearances and is back in for the optional claiming tag, allowing him to compete at the bottom level again. (5) BARNEY MAC was third in the same event that Raceace exits, and I'll include.

[DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Yonkers card at DRF Bets.com!]

Race 3 - NW2/25000LT Pace

(2) GENERAL WARD was leaving from post eight and broke on the first turn last Monday. He gets a much more favorable draw tonight, and I'll hope he can rebound off the miscue. (6) PLAY THERAPY finished a gaining second to heavily-favored Salt Life a week ago, but his one-for-30 record makes him hard to play to win. (5) ISSA HORSE is still a maiden, sporting zero victories from 34 trips behind the gate. He has hit the board 19 times, though, including four straight efforts at Harrah's Philadelphia in November and December.

Race 4 - 12500CLM Pace

(3) MATT MAJOR came through for his first victory of 2020 a couple Mondays back, and I'll look for him to be full of confidence and double up off of that. (5) MR BIG LOAD took one shot against $15,000 claimers and ended up fifth. In his last try against $12,500 claiming company, he was a gallant second from post eight despite being two-wide at every call. (7) CROOKSHANKS finished his mile in 28 seconds to pick up a third in his last race and comes out of a barn sending out many live horses both here and at the Meadowlands.

Race 5 - NW5000L5 Pace

(7) BELTANE A continues to have lousy luck at the draw, but he does drop down from the NW7500L5's off a closing effort, and I'll look for a more forwardly-placed trip here. (2) VELOCITY KOMODO knocked on the door against NW5000L5's a couple times here back in November and paced a good final panel over at the Meadowlands in his last race. (4) SCOUTS REPORT has a couple thirds and a fourth since coming into this class, and did score one of his two wins this year at Yonkers.

Race 6 - NW4/50000LT Pace

(5) CAPTIVATE HANOVER has made breaks in both his pari-mutuel efforts for trainer Lance Hudson so far, but he qualified well at Yonkers on the 11th of December, and any duplication of that performance might be enough to win tonight. (3) FLYING FINN N defeated NW4's on 11-9 in his final start for trainer Ross Croghan and has continued to race well since joining the Nick Devita barn, finishing second in back-to-back tries. (2) CIGARS AND PORT showed the capability to finish second against NW4's back on 11-2 and gets an inside post to maybe get a follow-along trip to complete the ticket.

[DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Yonkers card at DRF Bets.com!]

Race 7 - NW5000L5 Pace

(3) CAROLINA MAGIC gets significant post relief here after closing with a 27 2/5 final quarter from the eight-hole in his last mile on 12-11. He should be much closer to the action tonight and hopefully he has the same kick to go with it. (4) BARNABAS wound up seventh as the favorite last time out at the Meadowlands, but he was a front-stepping winner over there prior to that, and I respect any horse who can go gate-to-wire from post eight. (5) NOX VEGAS BLUECHIP owns a one-for-27 win record in 2020, but he did hit the board in his last two opportunities against NW5000L5's at Yonkers in November.

Race 8 - NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(5) CROCKETS CULLEN N works his way down another notch on the class scale here. He beat NW17500L5's at Yonkers as recently as early September, so I could definitely seeing him waking up tonight. (3) CAMPORA N was victorious the last time he got to compete against NW7500L5's on the 23rd of October and returns to the level this time after facing better since that victory. (2) BEAST MODE exits the $20,000 claimers into a more favorable spot and also gets an inside post to start from.

Race 9 - NW10000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5 Pace

(3) KEYSTONE PHOENIX appears like a possible wake-up candidate in this event. He had been racing better for a while and then had bad posts in his last two. He drops and moves inside here, so I think it's time to take a swing. (2) RAPTORS FLIGHT N was second two back in the corresponding class to this one at the Meadowlands in a race that went in 1:48 and change and picked up a check in a subsequent effort against NW15000L5's at Yonkers. (1) ART SCENE normally does his best work a level or two lower than this, but he gained both spots and ground with a quick final panel on December 12 and has the pole position.

Race 10 - NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(7) GRIFFON HANOVER starts from an outside post tonight but did pass rivals in the final quarter on 12-12 in a NW10000L5 event and topped NW7500L5's on the 27th of November. (4) PERFECTLY CLOSE owns a victory over NW7500L5's on October 19 and was able to hold on to finish fourth most recently despite getting parked. (1) BRIAR'S DESIRE moves in from post eight to the pole position and is also probably in an easier spot than the NW6's he faced in his local debut.