Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 10/8/26

2026 MEET STATS: 200 - 736 / $1,274.34 (-$197.66)

BEST BETS: 42 - 77 / $159.68 (+$5.68)

SPOT PLAYS: 16 - 77 / $163.68 (+$9.68)

BEST BET - THEFLYINGROCK (7th)

SPOT PLAY - RITSON (6th)

Race 1 - NAADA Fall Series Leg #5 Trot

(1) BIG CHARLIE MORAN wound up with a terrible trip last week but moves in on the gate to the pole here, and I'm going to hope that means he's going to the front and not looking back. (2) MEETMEATTHEBAR comes in with three straight on-the-board results, including a handy win at Harrah's Philadelphia on 9-24. (4) ALL TOO WELL gets post relief off his last two non-threatening efforts at Yonkers and does show a victory at the Meadowlands on August 21.

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Race 2 - NAADA Fall Series Leg #5 Trot

(5) CERTIFY appeared to have trot last week but had traffic issues in the lane after he sat in the pocket. Hopefully a smoother journey is ahead this time. (2) CALL OPTION invades from out-of-town off a romping victory in his debut for these connections in an amateur event at Pocono last Saturday. (3) PC FREE WHEELING is in good form with five on-the-board results in her last seven appearances and moves in on the gate from the six-hole to post three.

Race 3 - 3-6YO 20000CLM Pace

(1) AIN'T NOSTOPN TIME won from the pole in this class back on 8-22, and I think might have some hidden form given his good final quarters in his last two tries. (5) OVER THE HORIZON has missed the board only once in his last seven starts, was Brent Holland's choice and is back in a stable that he's done well out of before. (7) HAPPY HOUR BLUES landed another bad post but overcame the eight-hole to tally at this level a week ago and debuts for new connections after being claimed again.

Race 4 - 40000CLM Trot

(3) JAS BLUESTONE got jammed up before the quarter and broke last week but was racing very well prior to that and partners with Holland in his first outing for these connections tonight. (1) WALKWHILEYOURTALKN led a long way before he wound up third in a $40,000 claimer on 9-24. He makes his second start with hobbles on here from the pole and got the nod over JAS BLUESTONE, who his brother trains. That's often significant. (4) CHULO was a solid second in his return to action on September 24 and gets reunited with Jason Bartlett this time.

Race 5 - 15000CLM Pace

I'm going to stick with (6) ALADDIN in the hopes he's put into play against a blank field as he's shown he's capable of defeating $15,000 claimers when given the chance. (2) ACAPULCO SUNBURN comes in with back-to-back runner-up finishes since he joined his current stable and starts from another inside post. (1) SHAKE IT was second to a sharp foe when last seen on 9-30 and shows victories both at this level and against tougher $25,000 claimers in his lines.

Race 6 - 40000CLM Trot

(3) RITSON lost all chance when he made a break before the start on 9-25 but moves in on the gate from the eight-hole to post three here and gets reunited with Stratton, who guided him to a victory over NW7500L5 foes on 9-18. (2) DIPLOMACY was fifth in his return to action last week and I'll look for improvement tonight for top connections. (7) BELISSIMO FACE S has missed the exacta just once in his last seven appearances and overcame this post to finish second back on September 10.

Race 7 - 30000CLM Pace

(1) THEFLYINGROCK closed with pace in a second-place finish from the eight-hole on 9-28 and now gets to start from the pole. I expect he'll take advantage of that like in his handy win on 9-21. (3) KOMODO BEACH gets to partner with Jason Bartlett this time and shows four recent runner-up results, including against $30,000 claiming company on September 5. (2) YOROKOBI N has post and trip excuses in his last two tries but was on a run of four straight on-the-board efforts in this class prior to that.

Race 8 - NW20000L5 / Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5 / NW10 PM Races LT / 60000CLM Trot

(3) VANDY LANE delivered in this class back on September 3 and has his best post since that effort tonight. Also, Stratton drove him to that triumph and takes back over the driving. (6) KILDARE KING's only recent off-the-board performance was from the eight-hole on 8-27 and he won at this level a week ago. (7) YO SHELDON continues to work his way up the class ladder here but has back-to-back victories since Colin Kelly took over piloting him, and he's shown the ability to prevail both on the lead and from off-the-pace.

Race 9 - NW30000L5 / NW12 PM Races LT / 75000CLM / Higher Money Earners Draw Outside Trot

(5) CAMERA MAN put in another good effort on the front-end last week, finishing second, and I think the foe that won that race is tougher than this group he meets up with tonight. (2) FULL OF MUSCLES slides in on the gate from the five-hole to post two and has a win and a third since he returned to action last month. (1) ROYAL COMET also gets post relief off his fourth-place result on September 24 and defeated NW20000L5s at Yonkers prior to that.

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Race 10 - NW20000L5 / Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5 / NW10 PM Races LT / NW of a Race in 2026 / 60000CLM Trot

(1) OLIVER THE GREAT was in the Invitational when last seen locally and returns tonight after two tries in the top classes at Pocono and The Meadows. (2) ARI FERRARI J has a good history at Yonkers and starts from a better post than he had in the Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot last month. (7) DEVILISH HILL closed with trot to just miss against NW30000L5s on 9-24 and now drops and gets reunited with Bartlett.

Race 11 - F&M 20000CLM Pace

(3) MILAGRO makes her third start out of this stable and with Lasix added tonight. She paced a very strong final quarter last week and gets a bit of post relief off that effort. (5) TWO BEAN DREAM won against F&M $20,000 claimers on 9-22 and backed that up with a solid runner-up effort against one of the top mares in this class on 9-30. (2) DW'S DARLENE just missed two back and debuts for a high-percentage off a claim here. She also slides in on the gate from the five-hole to post two.