Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 3/4

MEET STATS: 30 - 110 / $183.30 (-$36.70)

BEST BETS: 6 - 11 / $23.80 (+$1.80)

SPOT PLAYS: 1 - 11 / $4.30 (-$17.70)

BEST BET-THE BANDIT QUEEN N (8th)

SPOT PLAY-LADYBELUCKYTONITE (3rd)

Race 1 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM

(1) ACEFOURTYFOUR ALEX hasn't won yet this year but exits her best performance thus far in 2021 as she closed from seventh to third in the back-half of her mile. She drops to the bottom level tonight and has the pole position. (6) J ROCKIN B owns two pretty easy wins the last couple of times she's been in for the optional claiming tag in this class like she is here. (3) CORAL BELLA went backwards last Thursday when she went first-over. She did finish third against NW10000L5's two back, so she's capable of rebounding, especially for a potent tandem like driver Matt Kakaley and trainer Travis Alexander.

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Race 2 - NW6/75000LT Trot

(7) GREAT UNKNOWN is still a little bit of an unknown thus far at Yonkers as he went too fast on the lead in his first try and then broke last Thursday. He did finish off his mile in 28 4/5, so I think that he might have been well-meant and is worth a shot. (2) LOOK IN MY EYES led and just missed by a nose to the in-form Hunting AS a week ago. He retained Jordan Stratton in the bike and moves inside on the gate. (1) HAYEK didn't really appear that comfortable on the track last week and was out-finished in the last quarter. He was better the start before that when he won and does get to start from the pole, so I will include.

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Race 3 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(6) LADYBELUCKYTONITE wound up running into the well-meant Sandy's Beach last week and had to settle for a runner-up result. I think that was a quality effort and this combination of driver Daniel Dube and trainer Gil Garcia-Herrera has been tough to beat as of late. (1) SUDDEN CHANGE N drops to the bottom level tonight and has post one. I wouldn't be surprised to see Brennan try and plant her on the lead. (3) TELL ME A JOKE finished second against NW12100L5's on January 21 but has been seventh in her last three tries. She exits the NW7500L5 class here and is overdue for a better performance.

Race 4 - F&M Open Handicap Pace

(4) SIESTA BEACH downed the talented Alexa Skye a week ago. I think that was a key race for her as she showed the ability to leave, not just race from off-the-pace, and she may be on the lead tonight. (3) DBLDELITEBRIGADE N has been a good fit at the Open level with a second and a third in her two tries, and she should be in-line for another stalking trip here. (5) MY RUEBE STAR N scored in the Open back on January 28 but then got parked out in a subsequent appearance and tired. In just a five-horse field, she should have a much smoother trip and is a threat.

Race 5 - NW5000L5 Pace

(4) DEEDENUTO A comes off the bench tonight for his first start since 10-17 of last year. He has put in some good efforts in the corresponding class to this one down at Freehold, and Steve Smith and Karen Garland have been sending out some live horses over at the Meadowlands lately. I'll give him a chance in this wide-open race. (5) FLYING FINN N endured a brutal trip on February 23 as he got parked out. He drops to the bottom level here and will probably be trying to speed out again. (1) ART HISTORY has done his best racing against NW5000L5's in the last couple of years. He enters off a third-place result and keeps Stratton and the pole position.

Race 6 - F&M NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/15000CLM Pace

(4) SEZANA N picks up Kakaley in the bike for the first time since they won together on December 10, 2020. She gets some additional class relief here, too. (2) I'M VERY SPECIAL should get plenty of wagering attention and will likely be the one they have to beat as she slides down from the NW10300L5 class following a second-place result. (3) AMERICAN TOUR N gets another shot with Todd McCarthy tonight after she made up ground and picked up a couple of positions in the last quarter from post eight a week ago.

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Race 7 - F&M NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/15000CLM Pace

(4) AFFLUENT SEELSTER didn't have much of a chance from post eight last Wednesday, but she gets a good deal of post relief tonight, and perhaps that will put her back in the hunt with a more aggressive approach. (2) TIPP CITY gets to slide down from the NW10000L5 class here, and is a definite wake-up candidate, especially given she was third against NW15101L5's back on January 28. (5) HIGH ROLLING A moves up from the NW5000L5's, but that was an authoritative win on 2-24, and she races out of the high-percentage Peter Tritton barn.

Race 8 - F&M NW10000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Pace

(5) THE BANDIT QUEEN N set a torrid tempo last week and paid the price in the last quarter. I will bank on her being more manageable tonight and give her another shot. (1) KAY'S DELIGHT took one chance against NW15000L5's a week ago and now drops back down to the NW10000L5 class where she was third on 2-11. (3) TELLITSASSYMAE weakened late on the front-end last Thursday and faded to fourth. She raced at the Open level in the Midwest last year, so there's definitely some class to her, and she's usable.

Race 9 - F&M NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/25000CLM Pace

(2) IMPRINCESSGEMMA A closed from eighth to fourth in the last quarter seven nights ago and moves in from post eight to the two-hole tonight. (1) POPPY DRAYTON N also switches to an inside draw this time after she paced a 28 1/5 final quarter in a NW15000L5 race last Thursday. (3) BALFAST N sat in and got shuffled back to next-to-last in the same race Poppy Drayton N exits, but then zipped home in 28 seconds to grab a third. Stratton stuck with Poppy Drayton N, so this mare gets another opportunity with McCarthy.

Race 10 - F&M NW20000L5/30000CLM Pace

(5) BETTERB CHEVRON N picked up checks in all of her recent tries in the Open and was a good second to a quality rival in Seaswift Joy N the last time she faced NW20000L5's. (4) ROCKNROLL ANNIE put in a big effort from first-over before tiring in the last eighth at the Meadowlands on 2-19. That is the top class across the river right now, so I don't think she's out of her element here. (2) MONICA GALLAGHER found the Open too tough after one third-place result from first-over on the 21st of January. She drops here, and I think that could get her back on track.