Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 3/13

MEET STATS: 32 - 157 / $186.70 (-$127.30)

BEST BETS: 10 - 15 / $37.20 (+$7.20)

SPOT PLAYS: 2 - 15 / $23.80 (-$6.20)

BEST BET-BENJAMIN HANOVER (8th)

SPOT PLAY-DONT JUDGE A BOOK (7th)

Race 1 - 40000CLM Trot

(1) WARRAWEE XALT hasn't been able to seal the deal on the front-end in his last few outings but gets another chance to race out of the Stratton stable here after he wasn't claimed last week and moves inside from post six to the pole position. (2) BE DIFFERENT owns back-to-back victories in this class and gets post relief this time, too. Add in that he goes for the potent Jason Bartlett/Per Engblom combo, and he should be the one to beat again. (4) MAHONE SEELSTER got the job done last week for his first victory of 2025 and has hit the board in four of his last seven appearances overall.

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Race 2 - 3-6YO 20000CLM Pace

(3) SIP OF BOURBON drops out of higher classes both here and over at Pocono for a high-percentage stable and meets up with a group here that lacks a standout. (5) PONDAMERI was a solid second against NW2's at Pocono on 2-17 and then qualified well at that track on 2-28. He makes his second start out of a barn that's off to a great start to 2025 tonight. Bartlett drove him in the qualifier and has the call again. (2) SPEED SNIP gained spots in the final quarter to finish third at this level a week ago and gets another chance to team up with Yannick Gingras.

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Race 3 - 40000CLM Trot

(6) OVER AND BACK exits a good second-place finish against some tough company out at Miami Valley and now debuts for Engblom tonight. I'll give him top call. (1) AIRMANS JACKPOT is back in sharp form with three straight results in the exacta and won at this level on 2-27. She also starts from the pole again. (5) BROOKVIEW DARIUS comes in with four consecutive top-two finishes and was an easy winner in this class on February 20.

Race 4 - NW23661L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5/NW10 PM Races LT/60000CLM Trot

(4) ALL WRAPPED UP is a first-time starter this year while everybody else in here has made multiple appearances, but he qualified back well at Pocono and was second to Benjamin Hanover, who is probably the top trotter on the East Coast right now (and is in the Invitational later on the card), twice at Harrah's Philadelphia in late December. (3) TEXSONG SOPRANO double-drops in class out of the Invitational and has co-owner Scott Zeron in the bike again. (2) THE PRINCE saw his win streak end last week but it was still a good performance as he wound up second, and he's now been in the exacta in six of his last seven tries overall.

Race 5 - NW5000L5 who are NW L3 Starts/12500CLM Pace

(8) SPEED MAN N finds the bottom level here and lured Bartlett over three others in this race, including an Engblom. I'm going to expect that means an aggressive approach is coming from the eight-hole, and I'll give him top call. (6) AROUND MIDNIGHT drops to the NW5000L5's off a good effort where he took the lead from first-up and wound up fourth against NW7500L5's on 3-3. (4) KIMBLE A got a start under his belt over at the Meadowlands and now returns to Yonkers. His last win came against NW5000L5 foes back on the 1st of November.

Race 6 - 25000CLM Pace

(3) OZONE BLUE CHIP slides down a notch from the $30,000 claimers and also gets a driver switch to Gingras, an angle that has worked on some of this stable's other horses as of late. (2) CERTIFIABLE qualified well behind a couple of good horses over at Pocono; my only concern is that was over a month ago. This horse also hasn't been seen on a pari-mutuel basis in over a year but was facing way better than these before he went to the bench, and this is also another Bartlett/Engblom horse, which deserves immediate respect. (6) SOUTH POINT is riding a lengthy streak of on-the-board performances. He does move up to face open company from the age-restricted $20,000 claimers, but I trust his form will see him through.

Race 7 - NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(3) DONT JUDGE A BOOK shows a recent second against NW9600L4 company out at The Meadows, and this horse did win once at Yonkers last August. He drew inside tonight and doesn't catch the toughest group for this class. (2) DEETZY romped on the front-end against NW5000L5 foes when last seen on February 20 and starts from the two-hole again. (7) ROLLING WITH SAM also comes in off a victory against bottom level rivals most recently and teams up with Gingras for a second time.

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Race 8 - Invitational Trot

(6) BENJAMIN HANOVER carried over his superb form from down at Dover and Harrah's Philadelphia to win the Invitational back on 2-27. He avoided the eight-hole and two of his main foes are to his outside tonight, so that should make him the one to beat. (4) KEG STAND posted a third and fourth in the Open at Dover when matched up against BENJAMIN HANOVER but won three times when he avoided him and also tallied in the Invitational at Yonkers on December 12 of last year. (5) STORMONT DIVIDE picked up a confidence-boosting victory against NW20000L5's a week ago and has won at this level before.

Race 9 - 3-6YO 20000CLM Pace

(3) I AINT NO MACK moves down from the age-restricted $30,000 claiming class in his second outing of 2025 and this stable had four winners last week. He also slides in from post six to the three-hole. (4) METAMAN debuts for new connections off a claim and hikes up from the open $15,000 claimers here. He hit the board in two straight at that level and has Gingras in the bike again. (5) THAT DOG WILL HUNT continues to perform well and was re-claimed by Scott Di Domenico again. He's pretty much a must-include given his form.

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

(6) DIAMONDBEACH looked like he was going to overcome a horrible trip to win last week but made a late break. He was claimed out of that race, and takes what should be a pretty good drop from the $20,000 claiming class to the NW5000L5's/optional $12,500 claiming level. He also gets a driver switch to Gingras. (3) UNDRTHSOUTHRNSUN N went a long way on the front-end before he wound up third in a NW5000L5 tilt on 3-6 and slides in a couple of notches on the gate this time. (1) MYSWEETBOYMAX gained several spots to finish fifth in a NW5000L5 event on the 4th of March and was fourth in a NW7500L5 dash prior to that. He wasn't Gingras's pick but gets a solid replacement in Matt Kakaley and drew the pole.