Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 4/11

MEET STATS: 58 - 218 / $361.90 (-$74.10)

BEST BETS: 13 - 21 / $53.80 (+$11.80)

SPOT PLAYS: 4 - 21 / $46.20 (+$4.20)

BEST BET-J-S HOPSCOTCH (3rd)

SPOT PLAY-LIGHTFOOTEDLEGEND (1st)

Race 1 - 40000CLM Trot

(5) LIGHTFOOTEDLEGEND hasn't been outside the top three in any of his appearances in this class so far in 2024 and won back on March 21. (3) STEUBEN HANOVER returned to his winning ways a week ago. He won't offer the same price but is capable of tallying again, especially since he gets significant post relief. (1) INN AT RODANTHE has hit the board in five of his last seven tries and also slides inside on the starting gate.

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

Race 2 - NW35001L5/NW12 PM Races LT/75000CLM Trot

(2) P L OSCAR drops after picking up two checks in the Invitational Trot and won handily the last time he was in this class on 3-21. (3) CREDIT CON had to work hard to get to the top last Thursday and paid the price in the last quarter as he faded to fourth. He gets some post relief off that performance and did win two straight in March. (5) DW'S POINT MAN closed well to finish second in an improved effort a week ago and should continue to offer value underneath.

Race 3 - 40000CLM Trot

(5) J-S HOPSCOTCH just missed in a blanket finish in a NW15000L5 base class race last Friday and was a decisive winner the last time he was in a $40,000 claimer on 3-14. (2) FLIP THE SWITCH saw his win streak end a week ago but he did hit the board again. I'll include underneath but try to beat him on top. (3) TOCCOA FALLS has won several times at Yonkers before and exits tougher spots over at the Meadowlands.

Race 4 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(5) LAST MACH gained spots and ground in the final quarter of his most recent race over at Pocono and catches a wide-open group here. He also had post eight over at Pocono, so he gets some relief in that department tonight. (2) AIR FORCE HANOVER drops and moves inside on the gate. Both of his good efforts this year came against bottom level foes. (6) WON LAST FEELING doesn't have any top three finishes yet in 2024 but has finished fourth three times and looks like he's in better form than several of his rivals.

Race 5 - F&M Invitational Trot

(4) PERFECT VIXEN scored nicely in this class on March 21 and returns to action tonight after taking a bit of time off. I'll look for her to stay sharp and use again. (1) NO MAS DRAMA rebounded after a couple of dull efforts with a runner-up result on the front-end last Thursday. She moves inside to the pole here. (3) HELPOFTHESEASON was second to my top pick on the 21st of March and gets significant post relief this time after a no-chance trip from the seven-hole on 3-28.

Race 6 - NW7500L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(3) TYPHOON BANNER N gets a class drop/post relief combo tonight and has two 27 and change final quarters in three outings so far in 2024, hinting that he's got some hidden form. (1) CYRUS N has a similar profile to my top pick as he's been facing better while hampered by bad draws. He hit the board the last time he raced at this level back in mid-February. (4) GOTHIC ROCK is moving up from the NW5000L5 class off a second-place finish as the favorite a week ago. He didn't have great cover in that race and was unable to catch a well-rated winner.

Race 7 - Amateur Race for Winners Over 3042L5 who have raced in a NAADA/AHDC Series this year/17500CLM Trot

(7) BACARDI comes north from Freehold off a win from post seven and hit the board in both of the legs of the amateur series at Yonkers he participated in last month. (2) ALLINDOTIME also scored at Freehold most recently and landed an inside post. He also shows a pair of victories in the amateur events at the Meadowlands in March. (4) B MEDITHREE took a leg of the amateur series at Yonkers on the 21st of March, and I expect he'll go back to aggressive tactics here.

Race 8 - 30000CLM Pace

(6) HURRIKANEKINGJAMES, (5) MAXIMUS RED A and (7) PAT STANLEY N were second, first, and third, respectively, in a common race last Thursday and I'll look for them to occupy the trifecta again tonight. I'm going to use (6) HURRIKANEKINGJAMES on top as I believe he'll continue to offer the best value and does show a victory over $40,000 claimers in his lines.

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

Race 9 - 3-5YO 30000CLM Pace

(2) WISE THINKING had pace in the final quarter of his race last week and moves way inside on the gate here in his second try for Jenn Bongiorno. (1) TAKE A CLOSER LOOK has two wins and a second in three starts since coming in from The Meadows to Travis Alexander's barn and was victorious in this class a week ago. (4) URIEL BLUE CHIP exits open $30,000 claimers to face age-restricted rivals tonight and has a trip excuse from his most recent try on 4-1.

Race 10 - 25000CLM Pace

(3) ON THE VIRG slides down from the $30,000 claiming class and has a lot of post relief to go with it. Hopefully those factors result in a more aggressive approach. (4) STOP STARING won in a $20,000 claiming event when last seen on 3-27, and you have to respect that given the struggle the others in here have had finding the winner's circle lately. (1) MISSILE SEELSTER was third in the same race that STOP STARING exits and starts from the pole. I think he can save ground and hit the board again.

Race 11 - NW20221L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5/NW10 PM Races LT/60000CLM Trot

(4) ON HIGHER GROUND was just a head behind a well-meant favorite in this class last week and should be ready to fire his best tonight in his fourth start back after a layoff. (3) EPOS OSTERVANG DK continues to churn out good performance after good performance week after week.and won at this level in late February. (7) MISSISSIPPI STORM starts from the outside but is dropping out of a tougher spot and squeezed into this race by a dollar as he has $20,220 earned in his last five starts.

Race 12 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(2) GENIUS MAN takes a third crack at bottom level foes tonight after finishing a rallying second last Tuesday. (4) MIRRAGON A picked up a third against NW15000L5 base class rivals on 2-19 but has struggled in two subsequent efforts. One has to think he's well-placed tonight, though, as he hits the NW5000L5 class and moves in from the seven-hole to post four. (1) THREE GRAND is exiting NW7500L5 company and starts from post one. He is another horse that's in search of a wake-up call.