Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 4/14

MEET STATS: 65 - 242 / $350.50 (-$133.50)

BEST BETS: 15 - 25 / $47.10 (+$0.50)

SPOT PLAYS: 2 - 24 / $14.70 (-$33.30)

BEST BET-SWEET HEAVEN (9th)

SPOT PLAY-SHADY MADAM (8th)

Race 1 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(4) ALWAYS BE COOL is worth another chance here as she makes her second start in the Jared Bako barn. She was third after having to do the first-over work into a slow pace and over a sloppy track last Thursday. (3) BETABCOOL N was fourth against NW7500L5's the last time she raced at Yonkers in early March and returns to the oval tonight after competing over at the Meadowlands in her last five outings. (1) SNIPER HANOVER invades from Dover off a third-place finish. Horses moving from trainer Jim King Jr. down there to Scott Di Domenico up here have done well in the past.

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Race 2 - 25000CLM Pace

(1) ILLINI DUKE ships in from Miami Valley and will get a try from me as he races out of the Izzy Estrada barn for the first time. That angle hasn't been as successful at Yonkers as it has been in New Jersey, but Estrada did have a winner on Monday's program. (4) TEXAS TERROR N romped against $20,000 claimers in his first start out of the Jenn Bongiorno stable and has Jason Bartlett in the bike again. (6) LETTUCERIPRITA A owns three wins and a second in his last four starts and was Jordan Stratton's pick.

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Race 3 - NW6/75000LT / NW4/50000LT Drawn Inside Trot

(4) SOUTHERN SWAN MAN has a driver switch to Marcus Miller tonight in his third start back off the bench, and they had some success together at Yonkers in 2021. I'll give him another shot. (5) QUEEN OF ALL disappointed at odds-on in her first try of 2022 on March 31. Trainer Lance Hudson has been pretty hot, and she could be sharper with that start under her belt. (7) SPREE rallied from seventh to third in the final quarter in this class a week ago.

Race 4 - F&M NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/15000CLM Pace

(5) DIAMONDTOOTHGERTIE drops and gets out of the eight-hole this time, and trainer Chris Temming has started to send out some winners after a slow start to the year. (6) MALNIFICENT dominated NW5000L5 foes on 3-31 and was Bartlett's choice over several others. (8) CORAL BELLA has started to round back into form in her last pair, and while stuck outside again, she did leave and end up with a pocket trip from the seven-hole a couple weeks ago.

Race 5 - 30000CLM Pace

(6) FOX VALLEY INFERNO wound up two-wide all the way in the slop a week ago but did manage to hold on to finish fourth. I'll expect a better trip here and use. (2) MISTER SPOT A went a long way on the lead before getting collared last Thursday, and I wouldn't be surprised if these horses that are switching from Cad Gregory to Scott Di Domenico show some improvement. (3) MONTY MONO is another Estrada starter on the program and was third after a pocket trip in this class last week.

Race 6 - F&M NW21501L5/30000CLM/NW10 PM Races LT Pace

(6) GOLDEN QUEST N prevailed two starts back in this class and slides down from the NW30000L5 level here. (2) VIOLETS RAINBOW had the misfortune of running into the red-hot Betterb Chevron N last Thursday, but was a solid second to her, and landed another inside post tonight. (5) EDGE OF ETERNITY finished behind Violets Rainbow in third a week ago and has hit the board in her last two efforts.

Race 7 - 30000CLM Pace

(1) MAJESTIC KIWI N was one I selected last Thursday, but he came up sick. I will trust everything is 100% with him and put him on top again since trainer Jeff Gillis is sending out plenty of live horses right now, and this horse is making his first start out of his barn. (4) SHOREVIEW downed $30,000 claimers in late February and gained ground from well off-the-pace a week ago. (6) HAPPY TRIO won on the front-end in his second start out of the high-percentage Gareth Dowse stable last week and is probably the one to beat again.

Race 8 - F&M NW6395L5/12500CLM Pace

(4) SHADY MADAM wound up in a fast NW7500L5 race last Wednesday and had no shot. She drops back down to the bottom level here and catches a much softer group. (6) BYE BYE MICHELLE was second in the race Malnficient dominated in on 3-31 and is usually capable of getting well-spotted with her early speed. (1) ACEFOURTYFOUR ALEX turned in her best effort in a while on March 31, and trainer Dennis Laterza's horses have been racing well lately overall.

Race 9 - F&M NW10000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Pace

(5) SWEET HEAVEN rolled over NW7500L5's on 4-6 and while she does step up a notch, no one in here looks that imposing, and the connections thought enough of her to put her in the first two legs of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series. (2) PRAY THE ROSARY tallied two back over bottom level foes and then was third to Sweet Heaven in a subsequent appearance. (3) PONDER THE ODDS has been off form since that win on February 24, but she does get to drop out of the NW15000L5's.

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Race 10 - F&M Open Handicap Trot

(6) KENZIESKY HANOVER didn't have any problem with the weather or the switch from the mile track to the half-mile oval last week as she dominated in this class. She has plenty of early speed, so I don't see the outside post being any issue for her. (3) NO MAS DRAMA has been second three straight times, and that's where I'll put her again. (1) YOU WILL BE QUEEN was second to Kenziesky Hanover over at the Meadowlands on 3-19 and might be able to follow her in the pocket.

Race 11 - F&M NW15000L5/25000CLM/NW9 PM Races LT Pace

(8) STAR CAPTAIN delivered in this class on March 31 and remains in it as she has only seven lifetime wins. She overcame post eight to win back on 3-9 and trainer Nik Drennan is pretty hot as usual right now. (2) MAJOR BATTLE deserves consideration as she has the drop/improved post combo working in her favor. (3) WESTBEACH has finished third and fourth in two tries since stepping up to this level. Maybe a different trip is coming since she's wound up first-over in both of those races.