Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 2/27

MEET STATS: 23 - 115 / $150.20 (-$79.80)
BEST BETS: 6 - 11 / $21.20 (-$0.80)
SPOT PLAYS: 1 - 11 / $18.80 (-$3.20)
BEST BET - BRUTALLYHANDSOME A (7th)
SPOT PLAY - BORN BRILLIANT (8th)

Race 1 - 40000CLM Trot

(1) WARRIOR ONE owns excuses in his last two tries as he was bothered and broke on 2-13 and then had the eight-hole on 2-20. He drew the pole here and gets owner Yannick Gingras back in the bike. (4) BROOKVIEW DARIUS has hit the board in three straight tries and comes in off a win last Thursday. He also shows a victory in a $40,000 claimer back in mid-December of last year. (2) WILLY WALTON returns to an inside post this time after he had the eight-hole last week and I'll toss him in underneath as his overall form is solid.

[DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card]

Race 2 - F&M Invitational Trot

(2) DIAMANTE TRIO IT came up empty from the pocket last Thursday but won at this level prior to that, and I'll look for a quick bounce-back. (6) ALL STAR SWAN hasn't won since November 22 of last year but is riding a lengthy streak of on-the-board results and gets reunited with co-owner Gingras. (5) PC FREE WHEELING tallied in the F&M Invitational two weeks ago and then closed well in a second-place result last week.

Race 3 - NAADA Winter Fun Series Leg #6 Trot

(8) IMA STANDUP GUY has post eight again but overcame it with little difficulty to win a week ago and I'll look for the same thing to happen here. (6) ALL RISE finished second to my top pick a week ago, backing up his runner-up finish in leg three of this series. (4) HOBBS went a long way on the front-end before he got passed late in the mile last Thursday. He's been competitive in this event as long as he's avoided outside posts.

Race 4 - Invitational Trot

(4) SOUTHWIND COORS returns after a romping victory over an odds-on favorite at the Meadowlands and has won three straight overall between The Big M and Yonkers. He also gets Gingras back in the bike here. (5) BENJAMIN HANOVER invades from Dover with five consecutive triumphs. He's got a bit of half-mile experience in his career at Northfield, and I expect he'll fire again. (6) STORMONT DIVIDE did well in the Invitational Trot late in 2024 and makes his second start back after a layoff tonight.

Race 5 - NAADA Winter Fun Series Leg #6 Trot

(6) ITSONEOFTHOSE crossed the wire first on 2-13 but was placed for going inside the pylons, then closed well in a third-place finish last week. I think his form is the best of anybody in here and I'll give him top billing. (1) DROP THE MIC picked up a check in his most recent try at the Meadowlands and won the last time he was on a half-mile track on December 27 of last year. He starts from the pole and picks up Tony Beltrami in his series debut. (2) AWOL HANOVER gained some ground in the final quarter of a fourth-placed-third effort on the 13th of February and moves inside on the gate.

Race 6 - 3-6YO 20000CLM Pace

(6) THAT DOG WILL HUNT fell just a nose short of a win last week but is on an extended streak of top-three results and debuts for a high-percentage stable off the claim tonight. He also gets Jason Bartlett in the bike. (4) SOUTH POINT is another razor-sharp horse in this event, and he rebounded from a second-place finish on 2-6 to score when last seen on 2-13. (3) OVER THE HORIZON finished with pace last week and got third. He was also second as the favorite in this class prior to that.

Race 7 - NW7616L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(8) BRUTALLYHANDSOME A is stuck out in post eight but was second last time out at the Meadowlands, and the horse he finished behind in that mile came back on Saturday night (2-22) to post the fastest mile in the sport so far in 2025. (1) GINGRAS BEACH steps up from the NW5000L5 level but does so off a win and was second in this class back on December 10 of last year. He also gets to partner with Bartlett again. (5) THREE IN HEAVEN A has a fourth and a third in his last two attempts against $40,000 claimers, and this should be a softer spot than that.

Race 8 - 3-6YO 20000CLM Pace

(1) BORN BRILLIANT enters this event off a couple of ground-gaining efforts thus far in this class. He starts from the pole and gets a driver switch to Anthony Napolitano, so I'm going to bank on a more aggressive approach coming. (6) HARD TO CATCH raced well in a second-place finish when he dropped down to this level last Thursday and is probably the one to beat. (3) PORTERS MAN gets significant post relief here and a driver change to Gingras.

Race 9 - NW20000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5/NW10 PM Races LT/60000CLM Trot

(4) UNEVERGONNAGETHIS ran into some traffic trouble in the final quarter last week and had to settle for third. I think he's worth another shot tonight as he gets reunited with Jordan Stratton and can hopefully have a smoother journey. (6) PLATINUM AS comes up from Dover out of their top class and has won at Yonkers before. (3) TORRONE was a good second in his first outing of 2025 on February 14 and should be sharper tonight as he'd been off since 12-27-24 coming into that appearance.

[DRF HARNESS: Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter]

Race 10 - NW5000L5 who are NW L3 Starts/12500CLM Pace

(6) WARRIOR FOR TRUTH finds the bottom level tonight after facing tougher foes lately and gets a driver change to Bartlett. (5) SAILBOAT HANOVER makes his third start back after a layoff and drops out of $25,000 and $30,000 claimers. He was Brent Holland's choice over my top selection. (2) METAL MAN never got involved from the eight-hole last time but finished a good second two back and gets significant post relief in this tilt.

Race 11 - 40000CLM Trot

(1) DRACO S drew the pole tonight and looked like he had trot in the stretch last week with nowhere to go with it. (4) WARRAWEE XALT has a win and a second in three appearances in this class and debuts for new connections off a claim. (2) AIRMANS JACKPOT was second in the same race my top selection exits from a week ago and starts from another inside post.