Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 2/17

MEET STATS: 16 - 79 / $84.00 (-$74.00)
BEST BETS: 3 - 9 / $13.30 (-$4.70)
SPOT PLAYS: 0 - 8 / $0.00 (-$16.00)
BEST BET - ROCKN PHILLY (8th)
SPOT PLAY - SCANDALICIOUS (11th)

Race 1 - F&M NW20601L5/30000CLM/NW10 Pace

(3) DELITFULCATHERIN N drops and moves inside on the gate tonight after rallying to finish third last Thursday. She wasn't Jason Bartlett's choice, but I don't mind the switch to Joe Bongiorno and will put her on top. (1) BEST HEAD WEST has won five of six since joining Nick Devita's barn, and Bartlett opted for her over two others, including my top choice. (5) MAJOR BATTLE usually finds her way onto the ticket and was a solid second to the class-dropping Neverforgetwhour a week ago.

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Race 2 - F&M NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/25000CLM/NW9 Pace

(4) MAGICAL MISTRESS hasn't won since joining the Ron Burke barn via the claim last November, but this looks like the most reasonable spot she's been in, and I wouldn't be surprised to see her forwardly-placed. (1) CAMPUS QUEEN toured the oval from an outside post a week ago, but she moves in to post one tonight for the capable Cory Stratton barn. She also picks up Dan Dube, perhaps signaling a speed approach is forthcoming. (5) DBLDELITEBRIGADE N enters with two straight wins, and given she's been able to race competitively in the Open class in the not-too-distant past, I think she remains a threat as she continues to work her way back up the ladder.

[DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Yonkers card at DRF Bets.com!]

Race 3 - NW2/25000LT / NW3 Drawn Outside Trot

(1) P L OSCAR romped to a facile win down at Freehold in his first start for trainer Edwin Quevedo on 2-11. That probably wasn't the strongest group, but nobody in here looks that intimidating, and I'll take a horse who has found his way to the winner's circle lately, unlike most of the rest in this event. (6) MNEMONIC came up empty on February 3, but she finished second against NW4's prior to that and got the nod from Marcus Miller over another one in here. (8) SEVENSHADESOFGREY is stuck outside, but he did make up ground in the final quarter a week ago and gets a driver change to George Brennan. Trainer Ricky Bucci is sending out a lot of live horses, and this 4YO was the sire stakes champion in 2021.

Race 4 - F&M NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/15000CLM Pace

(3) BYE BYE MICHELLE double-drops in class out of the NW15000L5's, and I'll bank on her wiring this group, especially after she sharpened her speed in that race a week ago. (2) A CRAFTY LADY slides down a level and has post relief for her second try of 2021, and I definitely took notice that Dube stuck with her, perhaps expecting a better performance. (7) YS TALLIA lost Dube, but this barn (Deb Daguet) is hot right now, and Scott Zeron might want to take advantage of the chance to drive.

Race 5 - F&M NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/25000CLM/NW9 Pace

(1) EYE POPPING posted back-to-back runner-up finishes against heavily-favored rivals in her last pair of outings and catches a field here that she can handle if she's that good again. (2) ANNE BONNEY N gained spots and ground in the final quarter last week to finish fourth in the same race my top picks exits and gets reunited with Scott Zeron. (3) EDGE OF ETERNITY tired on the lead a week ago, but gets additional class relief tonight and was an Open competitor both here and at Dover recently.

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

(3) FIGHTING EVIL gave it a heck of a try from first-up last week but had to settle for second to the well-rated Dbldelitebrigade N. I will stick with her and hope she can improve by one position here. (1) DEMETER N rallied from eighth to third in the last quarter on February 3 and moves in from post eight to the pole position. (2) E R HILARY is another horse who put in a game effort from first-over in her most recent start. She starts for Devita for the second time tonight.

Race 7 - NW6/75000LT / NW4/50000LT Drawn Inside Trot

(4) HEARTOFGOLD DEVIE backed up her third-place result at the Meadowlands on 2-4 with a rallying second-place finish a week ago here at Yonkers. She seems to be getting along well with Joe Bongiorno, and gives trainer Quevedo another contender on the card. (1) L DEES PATRICK ships down from Canada riding a four-race win streak. I can't knock his form, but he's only ever raced on the big track at Mohawk, so I'll take a shot against him. (3) JOE EXOTIC took advantage of a perfect pocket trip provided by Bartlett to get a win over NW2's last Thursday. Given he hails from the Daguet stable, I will include.

Race 8 - F&M NW30000L5 Pace

(2) ROCKN PHILLY finished a solid second in the Open last Thursday and gets to slide down here to the level where she went from last to first in on February 3. (6) LUCKY ARTIST A also gets to drop out of the Open after grabbing third-place result a couple of weeks ago. (3) THE FUN MARSHALL looks like she gets to face a lesser group of NW30000L5's tonight than she has in her last couple of chances, and while Jordan Stratton isn't here to drive, she gets a chance with the always-capable Matt Kakaley.

Race 9 - F&M Open Pace

(1) DRAGON ROLL landed the pole position after having the outside draw a week ago in the Open, and I anticipate her being the main threat. (2) KARMA SEELSTER won both of her tries in the Open in December, and although she's making her first start of 2022 here, she appeared ready in the local qualifier on 2-7, and she has a great history on half-mile tracks through her career. (4) BITTY BITTY didn't appear like she was overwhelmed in her first try in the Open a week ago as she closed well to finish fourth. Bartlett might handle her more aggressively tonight now that she's gotten that attempt under her belt against the best local mares.

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Race 10 - NW8/100000LT Trot

(2) B NICKING is a newcomer from Ohio. He's been trained and driven by Sandy Beatty in all of his starts up to now, and perhaps a swap to a different driver and trainer on the East Coast could get a little more out of him. (6) SHADRACK HANOVER dominated NW6's for Dube and Daguet in his last two outings, and I don't anticipate the jump up to NW8's should be too tough if he's that good again. (5) YOU WILL BE QUEEN returns to Yonkers after a very good third-place finish at the Meadowlands last Friday. She had an off-the-board result here on 1-27 but has been very sharp otherwise.

Race 11 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(8) SCANDALICIOUS drew the dreaded eight-hole, but she was able to get position from post six and finished third from first-up against NW7500L5's on January 27. She slides down to the bottom level tonight, and she should offer plenty of value she otherwise wouldn't. (1) WOODMERE HARRIET has worked her way all the way down to the NW5000L5 class tonight. She has post relief to go with it, and this is the type of horse Joe Bongiorno has a knack for waking up. (3) CABOWABOCUTTIE never wins, but she did finish a good second two back in this class and returns to an inside post.