Yonkers: Analysis for Saturday 5/13

MEET STATS: 79 - 304 / $572.80 (-$35.20)
BEST BETS: 10 - 30 / $34.30 (-$25.70)
SPOT PLAYS: 5 - 30 / $46.20 (-$13.80)
BEST BET - DIVISION BELL (1st)
SPOT PLAY - DOUBLE DEALING (2nd)

Race 1 - 30000CLM Pace

(3) DIVISION BELL takes another step up the class ladder tonight but does so off back-to-back victories and hails from a high-percentage outfit. (1) OURRHYTHMNBLUES N was claimed for $40,000 by trainer Jared Bako on May 1 but debuts for him at the $30,000 level. That can indicate there's a bit of a red flag, but I will bank on him being okay and include. (2) MINGO JOEL had to work on the outside for a while to get to the front last Saturday and wound up second-best. That was another good effort, and he moves inside on the gate here.

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Race 2 - NW6251L5/12500CLM Trot

(3) DOUBLE DEALING drops a level off a third-place result in a NW7500L5 tilt last Saturday and picks up a new driver with Matt Kakaley taking the lines. (2) MOSTINTERESTINGMAN clobbered bottom level rivals back on April 12 and returns to Yonkers here after one unsuccessful attempt at the Meadowlands. (4) UP HELLY AA gets reunited with Jason Bartlett after getting parked out in a NW7500L5 tilt a week ago.

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Race 3 - F&M NW7500L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/15000CLM Pace

(3) LADYBELUCKYTONITE gets some additional class relief in this spot tonight and also moves inside on the gate from the eight-hole to post three. (4) SAUBLE DELIGHFUL plummets three levels out of the NW20000L5's, and that should make her a threat in this contest. (2) PULL ME THROUGH steps up from the NW5000L5 class but gained both spots and ground in the final quarter of her mile a week ago. She also slides in from post seven to the two-hole.

Race 4 - NW10061L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5 Trot

(6) BARRY BLACK drew outside again, but at least it isn't the eight-hole like on May 4, and the last time he raced in this class, he was an easy winner back in late February. (3) SMALLTOWNTHROWDOWN cut the fractions and wound up fourth in a NW15000L5 event last time out. He won by open lengths at this level in mid-March. (4) FLIP THE SWITCH disappointed as the favorite in the same race SMALLTOWNTHROWDOWN exits last Thursday but drops a notch and has the powerful duo of Bartlett and trainer Per Engblom in his corner.

Race 5 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(3) SARAH'S LILLY has a second chance at NW5000L5 company tonight and gets significant post relief to go with it after starting from the eight-hole last Saturday. (4) PAIGE'S GIRL was facing $50,000 claimers when last seen at Yonkers and returns here after competing twice at Plainridge. (6) LOOKATMYART finished third in a NW7500L5 test here as recently as April 20 and gained several spots in the final quarter of an added-distance race at this level in a subsequent appearance.

Race 6 - 2-4YO F&M NW1/16659LT Pace

(3) SUMMER FLAME lost all chance last week when she broke behind the gate, but I thought her effort against NW2's at Harrah's Philly before that was good, and she faces NW1 foes here, a significant drop compared to the NW2's and NW4's she was in against most recently. (7) CHEESEY LADY hasn't been able to win since coming down from Canada but meets up with an easier crew here than she has been competing against. (6) BACK TO HICKSVILLE makes her debut here off two good qualifiers over the oval, especially the second one with the trainer driving.

Race 7 - NW10231L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5 Pace

(3) SECOND BRUISER invades from Canada and goes out of the Engblom barn for the first time. The prior connections thought enough of this horse on a half-mile oval a year ago to put him in the Charles Juravinski Memorial elims against the likes of former North America Cup winner Desperate Man, so I'll give him a chance. (1) AIR FORCE HANOVER has been vicious in his last two outings and moves up another level tonight. He does lose Bartlett to my top choice. (2) UMBERTO is a second-time starter for Jeff Cullipher. He wound up in a fast NW10250L5 event last time out at Harrah's Philly and couldn't get involved but shows a win over the half-mile oval at Saratoga last month.

Race 8 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Trot

(5) BY A HOFF HANOVER owns just a one-for-46 record over the last two years, but nobody in here is a win machine, at least so far in 2023, and he gets a chance with Bartlett in his second opportunity at the bottom level. (1) VINNY DE VIE moves in from post seven to the pole position in his second local effort of the year. Two back at the Meadowlands he was third as the favorite in the corresponding class to this one. (2) BIZET missed out on a chance to race when he came up sick on 4-26 but was facing NW30000L5's as recently as mid-February. I have to think he'll get it turned around at some point, perhaps here.

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Race 9 - F&M NW2/25000LT/F&M NW4/50000LT Drawn Outside Pace

(8) ON THE MONEY GB starts from the worst post but has hit the board multiple times versus NW4's both at Yonkers and Pocono and gets to meet up with several NW2 foes in this race. (2) TEAM COLORS turned in a pair of solid performances in the Weiss Series prelims at Pocono and exits that event to face overnight company tonight. (4) RHYDS ECLIPSE GB closed well twice at Monticello to hit the board on both occasions at that venue. She comes back to Yonkers and picks up a catch driver here.

Race 10 - NW7681L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Trot

I'm going to stick with (3) IM THE MUSCLE again this time around as he has trip and post excuses in his last two tries and drew inside here. (5) LOS BALLYKEELAMIGO won handily over NW5000L5 foes last Saturday and begins the climb back up the class ladder tonight. (1) STARLIT RAMBO was victorious in the corresponding class to this one at Harrah's Philly on April 7 and should appreciate the drop out of NW10000L5's and a shift to the pole position.