Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 3/14

MEET STATS: 41 - 145 / $229.60 (-$60.40)

BEST BETS: 7 - 14 / $30.20 (+$2.20)

SPOT PLAYS: 1 - 14 / $4.00 (-$24.00)

BEST BET-NOWS THE MOMENT (9th)

SPOT PLAY-DWS POINT MAN (6th)

Race 1 - 3-6YO 30000CLM Pace

(2) SURFSIDE BEACH enters off a sick scratch from last Thursday, but he has another inside post and I think this is a softer class than that winners of 3 but not more than 5 that he's been racing in so far in 2024. He also got the nod from Matt Kakaley over a Travis Alexander trainee, which doesn't happen often. (8) GDS THUNDER GB starts from post eight but has three wins and a third at this level, and I can't see driver Yannick Gingras taking back to last. (1) BIG DREAM FELLA is riding a three-race streak of on-the-board finishes and joins the Alexander barn off a claim. Joe Bongiorno got the call when Kakaley went with my top pick.

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Race 2 - F&M Invitational Handicap Trot

(5) TIPSY MONI has won three straight times in this class and meets up with many of the same mares she's been defeating. I'll put her on top again. (4) NO MAS DRAMA rolled to a facile victory in the F&M Invitational last week but my top selection wasn't in that race. Gingras was in the bike for that triumph but she reunites with Bongiorno here. (2) PERFECT VIXEN cruised to a win over open NW15000L5 company on 3-8 and now faces just mares in this event. Kakaley picked up the drive from Gingras, who is a co-owner of TIPSY MONI, and this mare makes her third start on Lasix.

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Race 3 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(8) KOMODO BEACH is winless in eight appearances thus far in 2024 but finds the bottom level in his second try out of the Alexander barn. He was racing pretty well in higher classes down at Dover, and I'll swing, even from post eight. (2) VENIER HANOVER cut the fractions and wound up second in a NW5000L5 tilt a week ago. He has another inside post and teams up with Jason Bartlett again. (5) TALK RACY TO ME broke last time out at Freehold but showed the ability to hit the board in an age-restricted $50,000 claimer at Yonkers back on 2-19. He gets a driver switch to Bongiorno tonight.

Race 4 - 40000CLM Trot

(4) LIGHTFOOTEDLEGEND comes into tonight's race with back-to-back rallying second-place finishes to start his 2024 campaign. He gets a little bit of post relief here, and hopefully that'll keep him closer to the action with the same kick to go with it. (1) FLIP THE SWITCH is riding a two-race win streak in this class and starts from the pole to aid his cause. He's now in the Alexander barn and reunites with Kakaley. (3) IN MY DREAMS turned a pocket trip into a victory in a $40,000 claimer last Thursday and gets to partner up with George Brennan again.

Race 5 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(2) KIMBLE A slides down to the bottom level tonight at Yonkers for the first time and also has an inside post after a series of poor draws. When he had the two-hole at Freehold in his U.S. debut back on 1-27, he was a close third in their NW8000L5 class. (4) MR MATT MAJOR N could only manage a sixth in his initial try in the U.S. back on 2-20 and then was scratched out of a subsequent try. This is a much softer spot than the winners of 3 but not more than 5 test he competed in on February 20, and he qualified well twice at Yonkers, so I could see him performing well. (5) RICARDOSHILYSHALLY wound up second as a heavy favorite a week ago. He makes his second appearance out of Per Engblom's barn here and kept Bartlett over MR MATT MAJOR N.

Race 6 - NW20541L5/NW10 PM Races LT/60000CLM Trot

(5) DWS POINT MAN continues to move up the class ladder tonight but is doing so off a win in a NW15000L5 tilt most recently and gets a chance to team up with a catch driver (Jim Marohn Jr.) here. (4) CREDIT CON double-drops out of the top Invitational Trot level, and I'm sure the connections would like to take advantage of a rare chance to compete in a spot this low. (1) GRINDER hit the board in a NW20000L5 event back on 2-29 and then was fourth in a tougher NW30000L5 dash last Thursday. He gets another chance with Gingras at the lines tonight.

Race 7 - NAADA Amateur Spring Series Leg 1 Trot

(4) SOUTHWIND LARADO looks like he's been keeping good company over at Monticello lately, including one try in their Open. I can excuse his last poor result over there as he had a tough trip. (2) CALL ME THEFIREMAN has won at Yonkers before and has a pair of victories this year down at Freehold. Owner Tony Verruso hops back in the bike here. (5) BY A HOFF HANOVER has found his form at Monticello in his last two efforts, finishing second on 2-15 and then backing that up with a victory on 2-26. He's been getting sent with regularity and I'd expect the same strategy is ahead.

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Race 8 - 40000CLM Trot

(1) DRACO S finds a much more reasonable spot here than the higher classes he's been in since being claimed on 2-8. The last time he raced at this level, he was victorious. (2) J-S HOPSCOTCH tallied in a $40,000 claimer back on February 1 and gets some post relief for the Kakaley/Alexander combo here. (6) INN AT RODANTHE has hit the board in four straight outings against $40,000 claiming company and gets reunited with Bartlett tonight for Engblom.

Race 9 - Invitational Handicap Trot

(6) NOWS THE MOMENT ended up having to work hard to get the lead last time out on 2-29 and wound up third. He doesn't face the horse that won that night here and hopefully will have a smoother journey to the top as well. (2) TACHYON steps up to the top level tonight but has been super in his last two tries and has shown a versatile racing style, too. (5) ROYALTY BEER hasn't won yet in 2024 but has been outside the top-three only once. He switches drivers to Steve Smith tonight.

Race 10 - NW7500L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(2) DOUBLE METAL chased a well-meant favorite in a second-place finish in this class a week ago. He has another inside post tonight, had a bit of a gap in his schedule coming into that try last Thursday and lures Scott Zeron in for just the one drive. (5) ANOTHRMASTRPIECE N makes his third start of 2024 tonight and comes over from the Meadowlands. The last time he was seen at Yonkers back in mid-November was in the Open Handicap, so this is obviously a way softer spot than that. (4) GINGRAS BEACH moves up from the NW5000L5 level but does so off a romping victory over a heavy chalk last week. He also has Yannick in the bike again.