Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 4/8
MEET STATS: 54 - 200 / $331.20 (-$68.80)
BEST BETS: 10 - 20 / $37.30 (-$2.70)
SPOT PLAYS: 2 - 20 / $9.90 (-$30.10)
BEST BET-CIRCLE OF LIFE AS (2nd)
SPOT PLAY-ROCKNROLL ANNIE (10th)
Race 1 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace
(4) ONEIDA BLUE CHIP draws the best post she's had since trainer Gil Garcia-Herrera claimed her back in February, and that might allow driver Dan Dube to take a more aggressive approach with her. (3) AL-MAR-GOT A FEVER won handily in this class two starts ago. She drops and moves inside on the gate here. (2) FEAR MY SHADOW gained spots and ground in the final quarter a week ago and slides in from the seven-hole to post two. She did lose Dube to my top pick, so Brent Holland goes on.
[DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card]
Race 2 - NW4/50000LT / NW6/75000LT Drawn Outside Trot
(1) CIRCLE OF LIFE AS came up just a neck shy of another win last Thursday. She won't offer much value but looks like the one to beat. (3) BLUFFINER took back at the start in the same race my top pick was in a week ago and could never get involved. His prior effort was better when he finished fourth. (4) CATWALK AS gets another chance with Jordan Stratton tonight after she made up some ground in the final quarter last week.
[DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Yonkers card at DRF Bets.com!]
Race 3 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace
(4) ALL ABOUT MADI hasn't won yet this year after missing all of 2020, but she's been better in her last two tries, and trainer Nick Devita's barn is pretty hot right now. (6) TELL ME A JOKE makes her third appearance at the bottom level and doesn't have to start from post eight this week. (3) CINDERELLA DELIGHT came up second-best for the team of Joe and Jenn Bongiorno last Thursday, and it's probably just a matter of time until she is victorious.
Race 4 - F&M NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/15000CLM Pace
(4) THE CHARGING MOA N gets additional class relief tonight and also moves in from post eight to post four. She scored her last victory over NW7500L5's on January 28. (5) MORE THAN MANY posted a pair of third-place finishes for the Bongiornos when she raced at this level in March and hasn't missed the board in four tries for them overall. (2) DIAMONDTOOTHGERTIE steps up after topping a group of NW5000L5's last Thursday but draws inside again and gets Todd McCarthy to drive again.
Race 5 - F&M NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/15000CLM Pace
(2) FRANSCHOEK has faced better and/or been post compromised in her last three. She won over NW7500L5's on February 25 and might wake up with some value here. (4) BYE BYE MICHELLE made it up to the Open level on 2-11 but has been making her way down in class since. This mare always does her best work when driven aggressively, and maybe we'll see that from driver Jim Marohn Jr. (1) FAITHFUL DESIRE is now with trainer Scott Di Domenico after getting claimed for the second straight time last Thursday. This is a step up in class but she won handily over bottom level foes and should be full of confidence.
Race 6 - F&M NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/15000CLM Pace
(3) SOMETHING REEL is another Di Domenico first-timer tonight. I'll look for a little improvement on the barn change and slightly better post than she had last Thursday. (1) MOTU MOONBEAM N owns a second and a win since joining the Garcia-Herrera barn and should have every chance to flash her early speed from the pole. (6) NORTH STAR IDEAL drops from the NW15000L5 class this time. Jason Bartlett gets the call with Matt Kakaley not here, and I have to think she'll be looking for some pace to chase.
[DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Yonkers card at DRF Bets.com!]
Race 7 - F&M Preferred Handicap Pace
(3) SHES PUKKA N finished third when she appeared in the Preferred on March 11. She's had some time off after a sick scratch out of a subsequent scheduled try at Dover, but she has a very good history here and gets a shot with Stratton. (4) RACINE BELL trounced that group of NW15000L5's a week ago and certainly looks like she's had no issue handling the transition from age 3 to age 4. I expect her on or near the lead with her wicked gate speed. (2) GOLDEN QUEST N couldn't get by Stowaway Hanover from first-over on 3-31, but she's kept good company through 2021, and I don't think she's overmatched here.
Race 8 - F&M NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/25000CLM/F&M NW9 Pace
(2) PAMMY JO shows finishing second twice to Racine Bell up at Saratoga, which probably makes her a good fit here given what Racine Bell was able to do in this class a week ago. (3) DONGAL RUNDLSCRK N drops a notch after finishing third to a well-meant rival in Bronskimackenzie A last Thursday. (7) DANCE CLUB was the runner-up in the same race Dongal Rundlscrk N exits and has shown the ability to win from outside posts previously.
Race 9 - F&M NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/25000CLM/F&M NW9 Pace
(7) DIAMONDTEQUILASHOT was a regular in the Open at Northfield and Buffalo before coming east. She passed several horses in the final quarter a week ago in that race dominated by Racine Bell, and tonight she lured Jason Bartlett off one he always drives in I'm Very Special. I will give her a shot. (3) BYE BYE FELICIA made one appearance against NW23650L5 foes last Thursday and now returns to the level she won at on March 25. (2) ASHTINI backed up her third-place result in this class on the 25th of March with a win over NW10000L5's last week. She kept Austin Siegelman's services over a new Devita-trained mare in here, too, which I respect.
Race 10 - F&M NW10000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Pace
(2) ROCKNROLL ANNIE returns from the Meadowlands tonight. She didn't have much of a chance over there from post nine, but she drew well in this spot, and I was impressed by that third-place result against NW9's two back. She's also won in this class before on 1-21. (3) MALNIFICENT put in a big performance to come in second when dropped to this level last Thursday. She remains in it here and has Stratton to drive again. (7) E R HILARY tried hard from first-over and wound up third in the same race Malnificent comes out of. She's shown more early speed in the past, giving Marohn Jr. some options.