Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 12/2

MEET STATS: 274 - 933 / $1,520.50 (-$345.50)
BEST BETS: 46 - 85 / $146.50 (-$23.50)
SPOT PLAYS: 10 - 85 / $71.30 (-$98.70)
BEST BET - LIT DE ROSE (10th)
SPOT PLAY - THUNDRA (1st)

Race 1 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(8) THUNDRA goes for trainer Travis Alexander for the first time and showed the ability to get checks against NW6's when she was here back in September and October. I'll give her a chance, even from post eight. (2) CHELSKI was facing much better than these locally before making one start in the F&M Preferred Handicap Pace at Freehold. She drew well tonight and was Scott Zeron's choice. (3) OK LETS ROCKNROLL moves inside on the gate here and gives bottom level foes a second chance. Jason Bartlett picked up the drive when Zeron picked off.

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Race 2 - F&M NW10000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Pace

(3) PRECIOUS ALEXIS closed in 27 and change from an outside post on 11-18. She moves inside tonight and drops a notch. (2) SPORTS FLIX had to do the first-over work against a well-meant foe on November 18 and faded in the last quarter. She also gets class relief in this spot and was Jim Marohn Jr.'s pick of a couple. (5) MONICA GALLAGHER has the potent tandem of Matt Kakaley and Travis Alexander in her corner and has hit the board in her last two efforts.

Race 3 - F&M NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/25000CLM/NW9 PM Races LT Pace

(2) JOSSIE JAMES A went a long way on the lead before getting caught late against NW20000L5's back on November 18. She drops a level tonight and drew inside again. (3) ELLAGATOR has been red-hot except for that one race from an outside post on 11-4. She just won in this class on 11-18 and fit the NW9 alternate condition again. (4) WESTBEACH tallied in her debut for trainer Lance Hudson a couple weeks ago and now has three straight victories. She does move up the ladder, but appeared like she had more in the tank.

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Race 4 - F&M NW22800L5/30000CLM/NW10 PM Races LT Pace

(1) JIVE DANCING A crunched NW30000L5's two weeks ago and gets to drop a level as she fits this class by $40. (2) DRAGONS LUCKY LADY has been first or second in all of her local starts and retained Kakaley. (4) YS TALLIA paced home in 27 1/5 on 11-11 and gets some class and post relief tonight. She was Austin Siegeleman's pick of a couple of horses in this contest.

Race 5 - NW4/50000LT Trot

(4) DROP THE MIC really hasn't put in a bad race yet since he came over from Monticello in October and beat NW4's pretty handily a couple weeks back. (2) ZENITH STRIDE qualified super at the Meadowlands on 11-20. He's never raced on a half-mile track before, so that's something to watch. (5) HOPE SO posted a third and a win down at Harrah's Philadelphia in her first two tries out of the Ron Burke barn. Those starts were in their NW3 class, so she'll probably be a fit in this contest.

Race 6 - NW7500L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(1) SOMEBEACH BARON slides down from the $40,000 claimers in his second start for trainer Erv Miller and has a driver change to Marcus Miller. Add in that he moves in from post five to the pole position, and I expect to see him on or near the lead. (2) ONE OFF DELIGHT A drops a level after finishing third versus NW10000L5's on 11-16. (4) THE DOWNTOWN BUS paced a strong final quarter and gained spots and ground on November 19. His win record is just one-for-30 over the last two years, though, and I think you have to take a chance against him at an expected low price.

Race 7 - NW8/100000LT / NW6/75000LT Drawn Inside Trot

(5) WET MY WHISTLE has cruised in back-to-back tries in the NW6 class, and I don't anticipate this mixed NW6/NW8 race bothering her much. (4) ALTUS HANOVER won in a NW7 race here on 10-21. Co-owner Mike Simons left him with Rob Harmon as he headed to Florida for the winter, and that puts Tyler Buter in the bike. (8) ETHAN T HANOVER is stuck out in post eight tonight, but he hasn't missed the board in any of his recent local appearances, and I will include.

Race 8 - F&M Open Handicap Pace

(1) KARMA SEELSTER prevailed over at the Meadowlands on 11-19 in her first start down from Canada, and she has a great history on half-mile tracks. (7) DRAGON ROLL moves outside on the gate for the first time at the top level, but she's been so good and consistent all year that I can't overlook her. (6) THE BETHINATOR scored in the Open on 10-28 and just missed on the front-end a couple weeks ago.

Race 9 - NW6/75000LT Trot

(2) CHURCH SOUT continued his run of solid form two weeks ago with a third-place finish to two stout foes. He drew inside for the first time in a while tonight, and I'll use. (4) YOU WILL BE QUEEN hasn't missed the top three in any of her starts here, but she has just one win in 2021 and usually gets bet. Might be one you want to just use underneath. (1) CIRCLE OF LIFE AS beat NW4's at Yonkers on November 4 and has the pole position to help her chances tonight.

Race 10 - F&M NW30000L5 Pace

(5) LIT DE ROSE didn't disappoint on 11-18, rallying to a handy win over NW20000L5's. She steps up tonight, but she was at the Preferred level at Woodbine Mohawk Park before coming south, so I don't think it's too tough for her. (1) TEMPUS SEELSTER didn't have much success over at the Meadowlands in her last couple, but she was very good at Yonkers prior to that, working her way all the way up to the Open level. She returns tonight and gets reunited with Jordan Stratton. (4) MAJOR BATTLE finished second in this class a couple of weeks ago and is having a very good 4-year-old season, with over $115,000 in the bank.

Race 11 - NW2/25000LT / NW4/50000LT Drawn Outside Trot

(6) GRAFENBERG was second against NW4's when last seen at Yonkers on October 28 and faces a field comprised mostly of NW2's tonight. (2) JESSIES OUTLAWED moves inside on the gate tonight and has missed the board just once since shipping to Yonkers from Indiana. (5) GREG is just one-for-25 in the win column but is definitely usable in exactas, trifectas, and superfectas.