Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 4/1

MEET STATS: 52 - 180 / $324.20 (-$35.80)

BEST BETS: 9 - 18 / $34.60 (-$1.40)

SPOT PLAYS: 2 - 18 / $9.90 (-$26.10)

BEST BET-RACINE BELL (8th)

SPOT PLAY-DONGAL RUNDLSCRK N (7th)

Race 1 - F&M NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/15000CLM Pace

(6) QUEEN LOSTRIS N makes her third start after a layoff tonight and gets to move in after having the eight-hole last Thursday. I'll hope she shows more early speed and put on top. (1) POPPY DRAYTON N gets further class relief here and is reunited with Jordan Stratton. I think she definitely has a chance to wake up. (2) FOX VALLEY CHARLIZ steps up and loses Stratton to Poppy Drayton N, but she gets a quality replacement driver in Todd McCarthy, and this is not a particularly strong NW7500L5 event.

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Race 2 - NW4/50000LT / NW6/75000LT Drawn Outside Trot

I haven't had much luck with (6) GREAT UNKNOWN when I've picked him, but he seemed to get along with Matt Kakaley at Pocono as he guided him to a third and a win and gets another chance with him tonight. (1) CIRCLE OF LIFE AS inherited her win last Thursday via placing, but I thought she raced well regardless. As I've mentioned other times recently, this combo of Todd McCarthy and Jenny Melander is very potent. (2) SWISS HOUSE ONFIRE came in third in the same race Circle Of Life AS exits. He was able to cut the fractions after leaving from the eight-hole, so this is significant post relief.

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Race 3 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(3) MILLWOOD BONNIE N toured the track a week ago from post eight, but she moves inside and gets another chance against the bottom level. (5) KEENE OLIVIA might have needed her start last Thursday since she'd missed time and then had just one qualifier. She's won in this class before and gets an aggressive driver in Joe Bongiorno, which I don't mind. (8) SEZANA N closed from fifth to second in the final quarter in a NW5000L5 event last week. Kakaley has won with this mare before, and I'll include in the hopes he can work out a trip from the outside draw.

Race 4 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(4) AFFLUENT SEELSTER miscued on the sloppy track on 3-24, but I looked back at all her lines, and that's the first break she shows ever making, so I'll chalk that up to the conditions and use, especially since she gets Todd McCarthy for the first time. (3) FAITHFUL DESIRE woke up with a second-place finish when she dropped to this class a week ago and was claimed by the high-percentage Nick Devita barn. (2) FREE EXCHANGE picked up her last win when she raced at this level on January 21 and gets a chance to slide down to it here after a series of unsuccessful tries versus NW7500L5 foes.

Race 5 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(5) CINDERELLA DELIGHT starts out of the Jenn Bongiorno barn for the second time, and I'll bank on some equipment tinkering helping her out. She didn't race poorly last Thursday but did appear rough-gaited at times. (1) DIAMONDTOOTHGERTIE adds McCarthy in the bike this time and gets another chance at the NW5000L5 level. I'd say she's a definite threat. (2) GIRL'S GOT RHYTHM drops and moves inside on the gate. Her one victory in 2021 came in this class on the 20th of January.

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

(3) BERAZZLED received a vote of confidence from Stratton as his choice over two others in here. She's raced as much higher classes than this one in the past, so the hike up from NW5000L5's to NW7500L5's doesn't trouble me too much. (4) MOTU MOONBEAM N just missed by a nose to the class-dropping Balfast N last Thursday and makes her second appearance out of the sharp Gil Garcia-Herrera barn here. (2) QUITE A DELIGHT N is on a nice run with on-the-board finishes in five of her last seven tries, including a third in the same race Motu Moonbeam comes out of.

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Race 7 - F&M NW23650L5/30000CLM/NW10 or 125000LT Pace

(3) DONGAL RUNDLSCRK N faced off against male foes in the Preferred at Freehold in her last two starts and hit the board both times. I think she should appreciate geting to face mares here and she was a solid fourth in the F&M Preferred when last seen locally. (2) MACZAFFAIR N exits the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series for this spot and will likely be much more of a contender. (1) BRONSKIMACKENZIE A qualified well at the Meadowlands and gets some class relief after being in the Open or Preferred in her last three tries.

Race 8 - F&M NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/25000CLM/NW9 Pace

(1) RACINE BELL was one of the better New York Sire Stakes fillies at ages 2 and 3 and looks to have made a quick transition to the aged ranks as she won the last edition of the Open up at Saratoga. Her early foot should be pretty imposing from the rail and Jason Bartlett knows her well. (4) A CRAFTY LADY couldn't get involved last Thursday from the outside draw but gets considerable post relief here. Two starts back in this class, she took the lead from first-over before winding up third. (3) BEST HONEY HANOVER is like Dongal Rundlscrk N in the last race as she returns to facing mares after a fourth-place finish in the Preferred at Freehold. She scored at Yonkers on 3-11 and gets reunited with Joe Bongiorno.

Race 9 - F&M NW10700L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Pace

(2) JEWELS FORREAL looked like she had quite a bit of pace in the lane last Thursday but ran into a wall of horses and couldn't get through. I'm pretty surprised she's the morning line favorite, but hopefully she'll be an overlay. (3) BYE BYE MICHELLE has been working her way down in class after getting up to the Open on 2-11. She had to do the hard work from first-up a week ago, so I think she'd appreciate a cleaner trip. (5) BRONZE OVER N picked up her last win against NW7500L5's, but she was a gaining fourth in her one chance against NW10000L5's on March 4. Kakaley gets the opportunity to drive her with George Brennan not here.

Race 10 - F&M NW10000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Pace

(6) BALFAST N took advantage of a chance to drop all way down to the NW7500L5 class last Thursday to score a hard-fought win. I don't think she's out of her element against the NW10000L5's, but I imagine she'll need a good trip and pace to chase since she'll be further back. (4) BETTERB CHEVRON N drops another level and starts from an improved post. I think she'll be favored. (2) E R HILARY went off at a very low 2-5 when last seen at Yonkers on 2-25 and wound up second. Her subsequent runner-up effort at Dover from post eight was quite good.