Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 10/7

MEET STATS: 215 - 729 / $1,219.90 (-$238.10)
BEST BETS: 37 - 68 / $118.50 (-$11.70)
SPOT PLAYS: 7 - 68 / $44.50 (-$87.90)
BEST BET - SCUOLA HANOVER (10th)
SPOT PLAY - BYE BYE MICHELLE (6th)

Race 1 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(2) MORE THAN MANY has hit the board in her last three tries in this class, goes for trainer Rob Harmon off the claim, and was Tyler Buter's choice. (3) MARYMACISBACK hasn't been worse than fourth in her last seven starts and has the potent tandem of Dan Dube and Gil Garcia-Herrera going for her. (1) FREE EXCHANGE gets a second chance with Jordan Stratton tonight and has been knocking on the door, but I fear she's going to be wildly overbet for a horse that's just one-for-39 over the last two years.

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Race 2 - 3YO NW1/16600LT Trot

(1) OPERATION SHIPLEY is another one of these Iowa invaders that has a bunch of victories that don't count against the condition because they were all in non-betting races. I'll take my chances with a 13-time winner in this class, especially with trainer Scott Di Domenico's success with these types. (7) FUNKY BISCUIT drops out of the NW4's at The Meadows and is now in the always-capable Juan Cano barn. (6) DROP THE MIC comes in from Monticello with two straight victories and hails from the high-percentage Nick Devita stable.

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Race 3 - NW2/32500LT Trot

(6) GREG wound up first-over versus Bacardi a week ago and had to settle for second. This looks like a group he might be able to make the lead against, and I'll put on top. (2) ORIGINAL SMOKEY broke his maiden in attempt number 23 last Thursday and has been in good form regardless, having hit the board in his last six starts. (7) CHURCH SOUT closed well to come up just a nose short of winning a couple of weeks ago in this class.

Race 4 - F&M NW10000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Pace

(4) FEELIN RED HOT isn't in very good form right now, but we've seen this mare suddenly turn it around in the past, and she does have a much better post than she's had in her last three attempts. (2) POPPY DRAYTON N showed she might be ready for a strong effort a week ago as she rallied from seventh to third in the final quarter. She has the improved post/class drop combination going for her tonight. (1) ACEFOURTYFOUR ALEX slides down from the NW15000L5 class, and I'll hope she can just follow along from the pole position and hit the board.

Race 5 - NW4/50000LT Trot

(3) GAB IN MOTION hit the board in a couple of chances against NW5's at Woodbine Mohawk Park and seven of his nine career victories are on half-mile tracks. (7) CREDIT CON enjoyed a good enough season in the New York Sire Stakes program to make the final and has a trainer change to Todd Buter tonight. (5) BRILLIANT BOB beat NW4's back in early August and gained positions and ground in the last quarter from the eight-hole a week ago.

Race 6 - F&M NW10000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Pace

(7) BYE BYE MICHELLE drew poorly again, but she does drop again, and there doesn't seem to be an abundance of early speed in here. I'll bank on Jim Marohn Jr. sending her for a trip on or near the lead. (3) MACZAFFAIR N finally gets an inside post, and she's one I could definitely see changing up tactics. (4) MALNIFICENT finished second in her last chance in this class on 7-22 and got the nod from Austin Siegelman over another one in this event.

Race 7 - F&M Open Handicap Pace

(8) IMPRINCESSGEMMA A was Jordan Stratton's choice of five horses in here, so I can't envision him taking back to last, and she's been able to win from the eight-hole before. (7) RACINE BELL didn't win in either of her September starts, and you know she's going to be well-backed. I'll take a swing against, but she's always dangerous, obviously. (3) BETTERB CHEVRON N hit the board in the Open last Thursday and is inside of all the fancied mares to the outside tonight.

Race 8 - NW4/50000LT Trot

(3) ILLUMINATA put in a really good first-over try over the sloppy track on 9-23 and is worthy of another chance from a much better post tonight. (5) ETHAN T HANOVER drops out of a bunch of stakes races and cruised to a facile victory the last time he raced in an overnight race on 7-14 at Harrah's Philadelphia. (4) FIRST GUNNER suffered his first local defeat a week ago, but it was still a solid second-place result, and I'll definitely include him.

Race 9 - F&M NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/25000CLM/NW9 Pace

(3) TEMPUS SEELSTER seems to just be getting better and better with each start at Yonkers, and I don't see any reason to go against her at this point. (2) CASH ROLL switches back to an inside post this week and had to go wide before three-quarters last Thursday. (5) GOLDEN QUEST N picked up her lone win this year the last time she raced in this class on 7-22.

Race 10 - F&M NW20000L5/30000CLM/NW10 Pace

(5) SCUOLA HANOVER paced a wicked final quarter a week ago to rally from eighth to third. She gets to drop a level tonight and kept Stratton. (3) MAJOR BATTLE got to the lead in the second quarter last Thursday but was overtaken in the stretch. Given her propensity for at least hitting the board, I'd want her on all my exotic tickets. (7) SHEIKH YABOOTY N gets some class relief, but I prefer to use the Bongiorno horses on top when Joe is driving them, and he's not here tonight.

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Race 11 - NW6/77500LT Trot

(3) WET MY WHISTLE goes for the same trainer/driver combo as Illuminata in race eight (Dan Dube and Ake Svanstedt). Those two have pretty good success at Yonkers when they team up, and Dube took this filly over another one he's been driving regularly in Moon Bridge. (2) YOU MAKE IT EASY didn't have a very good night on the off track on 9-23, but she was a good second against NW6's two back and gets reunited with Jason Bartlett. (4) MOON BRIDGE had to settle for second a week ago when he ran into the buzzsaw that was Duchesspedia. He's shown the ability to hit the board pretty consistently in this class and gets to partner with Stratton.

Race 12 - F&M NW30000L5 Pace

(5) JIVE DANCING A closed well from off-the-pace to finish second to Imprincessgemma A last Thursday, and I wouldn't be shocked if Dube switched it up and sent her tonight. (2) LOVELY DONNA exits the same race my top pick does. She had the two-hole trip to Imprincessgemma A but was out-finished, and based on that, I have to try and beat her. (7) YS TALLIA finished third at this level back in late July and picked up a confidence-building win over NW15000L5's on the 25th of September.