Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 4/27

MEET STATS: 69 - 262 / $512.70 (-$11.30)

BEST BETS: 9 - 26 / $30.20 (-$21.80)

SPOT PLAYS: 4 - 26 / $42.90 (-$9.10)

BEST BET-MAGICAL MISTRESS (4th)

SPOT PLAY-RANDOM HANOVER (9th)

Race 1 - NW6/75000LT / NW84500LT Drawn Outside Pace

(4) MUSCLE DAN exits the John Brennan Trotting Series here. He made a break in the third leg, but he was a good, closing third prior to that, and the miscue last time out may inflate his price here. (3) VELVET STYLE comes in with four straight on-the-board finishes and just missed by a head in a NW7500L5 tilt last Thursday. He also gets to partner with Yannick Gingras again, which is a plus. (7) HP RUNNING MASS had a three-race win streak at Woodbine Mohawk Park in March and April and finds a softer spot here than the NW20000L5 contest he was in for his Yonkers debut on 4-13.

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Race 2 - NW4/50000LT Trot

(5) CREDARENA owns a win in this class back on 3-16 and drops out of a NW7 race where he was fourth most recently. (3) LADYFLIX exits that same NW7 tilt my top pick does (she was sixth). She hasn't had much luck at this level outside of the second-place result in mid-January but does show two tallies over NW2's at Yonkers. (4) WANIA has been outside the top three just once in his last nine outings for a high-percentage barn.

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Race 3 - Open Handicap Trot

(5) HERCULISA rebounded from a break on April 6 to finish a closing fifth in the Open last week. She won in this class at Yonkers back in early October of last year and hopefully has the same result tonight. (6) NO MAS DRAMA put in a good effort from first-over to get a third in the Open a week ago and has been sharp overall outside of the one fifth-place result back on 4-6. (3) HEY LIVVY never fired in the Open last Thursday but shifts to an inside post tonight, and that could be all it takes to get her headed back in the right direction.

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

(6) MAGICAL MISTRESS moves over to this class from the tougher $50,000 claimers and while post six isn't the best spot obviously, it's better than the seven- and eight-holes she's had lately. That third-place finish against $50,000 claimers back on 3-21 stands out to me compared to others in here. (4) PURAMERI double-drops out of the NW15000L5's, moves in a couple of slots on the gate, and gets reunited with Scott Zeron, who guided her to a win at the Meadowlands back on January 20. (2) BETTERB CHEVRON N took advantage of a shot against bottom level foes a week ago to pick up a confidence-boosting win and was Jordan Stratton's choice in here.

Race 5 - 3-5YO Open Pace

(6) PLEASELETMEKNOW wound up a creditable second to Take A Gamble in this class two weeks ago and was flattered when that rival came back to win against at this level a week ago. (2) SOUTHWIND PETYR just missed to the already-mentioned Take A Gamble last Thursday after a game first-over try. He makes his second start out of Jenn Bongiorno's barn here. (3) KOOTENAY SANTANNA closed in 27 and change to finish fourth in the same race that SOUTHWIND PETYR exits and has co-owner Gingras in the bike again.

Race 6 - Maidens/NW12500LT / NW2 PM Races Drawn Outside Trot

(2) SOME KINDA NIGHT has finished third at Yonkers twice against straight NW2 company and gets to race in a mixed maidens/NW2 contest here. She also gets some post relief after starting from the six-hole last Thursday. (1) USEYOURLOVETONIGHT had a good enough season a year ago to make the NY Sire Stakes final and was fourth in the same NW2 tilt my top pick comes out of from a week ago. (3) BARCELONA PRINCESS invades from Woodbine Mohawk Park. She trotted a 28 and change last quarter in her most recent start north of the border, and we often see horses coming from that track do well here at Yonkers.

Race 7 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(2) TRIZZLE TRAZZLE was second to the well-meant Betterb Chevron N at this level a week ago and looks like she might be the controlling speed in this race. That would be important as it's been hard to make up ground in these extended-distance events since they returned to the condition sheet. (5) THUNDRA gets another chance against NW5000L5 company here. She just missed by a neck two back and then had pace in the stretch after an inside trip last week. (9) LOOKATMYART is stuck in a trailing post but drops after finishing third against NW7500L5's last Thursday. Hopefully she can work out a trip and hit the ticket.

Race 8 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(3) PAST DUE won at Freehold the last time he had an inside post on 4-1 and gets significant relief in that department after having a seven-hole at Freehold and again at Harrah's Philadelphia in his last two outings. He could be a rare horse for the high-powered Jason Bartlett/Per Engblom duo that has some value. (2) BETTOR ROLL ON A disappointed a week ago as he had to settle for third as the favorite following a first-over trip. He gets another chance against NW5000L5's tonight, and I expect him to be popular with the bettors again. (4) AIR FORCE HANOVER makes his second start back after a brief layoff here and was a good second in the same race that BETTOR ROLL ON A exits.

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Race 9 - NW8291L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(7) RANDOM HANOVER drew outside, but I think he's worth a shot as he catches a wide-open group here (that includes two mares taking on the boys) and drops out of the NW10000L5 class. (3) VESPA N held sway on the front-end to win in a NW5000L5 contest a week ago, and also shows a third as the favorite in a NW7500L5 tilt back on 2-13. (5) ROSE RUN X-CON seems to have tailed off in recent weeks but did get a third in a NW10000L5 event on April 10 and partners with Bartlett tonight.

Race 10 - NW15501L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/NW9 PM Races LT Trot

(4) STORMY KROMER cruised to his first win of 2023 last Thursday and gets to drop a level off that victory here. (1) DREAMONHIGH ships in from Harrah's Philadelphia with back-to-back victories and was in the F&M Open Trot when last seen locally. (6) GEMOLOGIST was third in the same race STORMY KROMER won a week ago and trainer Paul Blumenfeld is enjoying a solid year so far.

Race 11 - NW23281L5/NW10 PM Races LT Trot

(5) HAYEK trotted a much stronger final quarter last week than he did when he came to Yonkers on 4-13 and gets to slide down from the NW30000L5 class. (1) GREY exits the same NW30000L5 tilt my top pick comes out of and has a driver switch to George Brennan. Perhaps that means a front-end try is coming. (2) PROMISE FOR LIFE is moving up from the NW15000L5's but is doing so off a rallying win and races for a high-percentage operation.