Yonkers: Analysis for Saturday 9/14

MEET STATS: 197- 720 / $1,162.60 (-$277.40)
BEST BETS: 34 - 69 / $148.80 (+$10.80)
SPOT PLAYS: 7 - 69 / $88.40 (-$49.60)
BEST BET - YOUR BROTHER (3rd)
SPOT PLAY - WALLOFMUSCLES AS (8th)

Race 1 - 15000CLM Pace

(7) GOTHIC ROCK double-drops off a third-place finish against $25,000 claimers in his last outing. This isn't a great post but he won from the six-hole two back and this trainer often has them ready to fire. (4) JUST A WRANGLER owns a victory at this level on 8-10 and exits a second-place finish in a $15,000 claiming event on September 4. (3) LIBERTY N FREEDOM has had to settle for a pair of fifths in his last two trips behind the gate but has had success in this class before and gets a driver switch to Joe Bongiorno.

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Race 2 - 30000CLM Pace

(5) KOUNT BLASTER won in this class on 8-19 and returns to Yonkers off a second-place finish, where he came up just a head short of winning, last Friday at Harrah's Philadelphia. (2) NOWHERE CREEK A shows a victory at this level back in mid-July and hit the board two more times last month. He didn't threaten most recently, but he does get post relief off that performance and did close in 27 and change. Jordan Stratton also hops in the bike. (1) MEMPHISTENNESSEE N is back at Yonkers after a couple of tries at Tioga. He's been starting from outside or mid-pack posts lately but has the pole tonight and gets reunited with Bongiorno.

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Race 3 - 3-5YO 20000CLM Pace

(5) YOUR BROTHER switches to this age-restricted class after racing against open $15,000 claimers lately. He's been in sharp form and meets up with a beatable group tonight. (4) FLIP MY CHIP went a long way on the front-end before ending up second at this level on 8-24. He took one shot against the 3-5YO $30,000 claimers in a subsequent try and slides back down the ladder here. (3) CLEVELAND B MIKI hasn't found the winner's circle yet in 2024 but comes back to Yonkers off a rallying third-place result at Pocono last Saturday. I'll toss him in underneath.

Race 4 - F&M NW of 2 but not more than 4 PM Races or 60000 LT / NW1 or 15000LT Draw Inside Pace

(3) SWEETER THAN LOU comes south from Grand River Raceway in Ontario. She doesn't have a great win record, but trainer Mark Steacy's horses have been very live at Yonkers, and I'll bank on this one being another one. (4) EXTREME Z TAM has hit the board in all of her efforts at this level since returning to action and is definitely usable. (2) APPEASEMENT makes her second start back after a layoff tonight and is also a second-time user of Lasix. Add in that she hails from Travis Alexander's barn, and I'll toss her in the mix.

Race 5 - NW of 2 but not more than 4 PM Races or 60000 LT Trot

(5) KING TUT HANOVER has been facing tougher winners of 4 but not more than 7 company at Pocono and gets a driver who isn't afraid to send out of there in Mark MacDonald. (2) FULL SCALE is riding a lengthy streak of on-the-board results but struggles to find the winner's circle. I'll use underneath but not on top. (7) FAST APPROACH cut the mile and wound up second in his debut for trainer Ron Burke at the Meadowlands last Friday. He makes his second appearance out of that stable here and shows three victories in Canada.

Race 6 - F&M NW of 2 but not more than 5 PM Races or 60000 LT Pace

(6) REIGNING JADE is another Steacy trainee I'll give a chance to as she returns to overnight action out of the New Jersey Classic final. She advanced from seventh to fourth in one try in this class back on 8-24 and picks up George Brennan for the first time. (4) KAIRAKICONFIDNTL N shows a two-for-two record in the U.S. thus far and was Austin Siegelman's choice of two horses in here. ((1) MYBITCOIN won in a similar class to this one on August 31 in a lifetime-best clocking and slides inside on the gate to the pole position.

Race 7 - 15000CLM Pace

(7) ITALIAN DELIGHT N returns to action here. He has missed a bit of time after being scratched injured on 8-24 but has beaten most of these many times, and I will trust that he's going to pick up where he left off. (5) MOTIVE HANOVER has hit the board in three straight tries. He was second and third to ITALIAN DELIGHT N when they met twice in August. (3) LINCOLN BOULEVARD came in third the last time he was in a $15,000 claimer on 8-18 at Harrah's Philadelphia and gets Stratton back in the bike tonight.

Race 8 - NW of 2 but not more than 4 PM Races or 60000 LT Trot

(3) WALLOFMUSCLES AS finished a solid third to two sharp foes in this class on 8-14 and I can overlook his subsequent effort as it was from the eight-hole and he was knocked off-stride in the lane. He gets Stratton back here, and I'll swing with him against a wide-open group. (1) STOCKHOLM HANOVER won at this level two back on August 24 and starts from the pole position this time. (6) MARINO'S PRIZE makes his second start with trotting hobbles on and also recently added Lasix. He minded his p's and q's in a third-place effort on the 31st of August.

Race 9 - 20000CLM Pace

(3) ARTIST BEST got the nod from driver Jim Marohn Jr. over one he won with recently, and this 6-year-old did gain several positions in the final quarter of his last try on 8-31 from an outside post. He drew better tonight, and I'll follow Marohn Jr.'s lead and go with this horse. (2) BIG SIR was the one Marohn Jr. opted off of. He took a $20,000 claimer on August 21 and slides back down the ladder here after one unsuccessful shot against $30,000 claiming company. (5) CAVIART ROCKLAND double-drops from the $30,000 claiming level tonight. He was second in a $25,000 claiming event on the 22nd of August and was Siegelman's choice of two.

Race 10 - NW5365L5/12500CLM Pace

(1) DECISION DAY squeezed into this race by a dollar under the earnings cap in his last five starts and was victorious the last time he was in a NW5000L5 tilt down at Harrah's Philadelphia in late July. (3) STELLAR YANKEE raced very well in a second-place finish in the corresponding class to this one at the Meadowlands last Saturday and was at the NW10000L5 level when last seen at Yonkers in August. (7) FRANKIE FRANKIE starts from the outside but had no issue with post seven in a handy victory over NW5000L5 foes at Harrah's Philadelphia last Sunday, and trainer Blake MacIntosh is sending out plenty of live horses at whichever track he has them entered.

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Race 11 - NW10251L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Trot

(5) MORNING EDITION miscued behind the gate in his last try on 8-30 but drops out of the NW15000L5's and all of his efforts in that class prior to the break were solid. I'll look for Stratton to keep him flat and make him my top selection. (4) HOOLIE N HECTOR drops from the NW15000L5 level and won the last time he was in against NW10000L5 company on July 5. (1) VINNY DE VIE is moving up the ladder but is doing so off a victory and also shows a second against NW15000L5 company on the 9th of August.

Race 12 - NW7500L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(1) MACH N CHEESE never got involved in this class last Wednesday but takes another shot at it tonight from an improved draw. He gets reunited with driver Brent Holland, too, and I'll hope he sends him out of there. (4) OCEAN RIDGE N was third in a tougher $50,000 claimer two starts back and gets a bit of post relief tonight. (2) LOU'S SWEETREVENGE will likely win if he's as good as he was in that romping victory over NW5000L5's on 9-4, but I'll take a shot against him.