Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 5/11

MEET STATS: 79 - 304 / $572.80 (-$35.20)
BEST BETS: 10 - 30 / $34.30 (-$25.70)
SPOT PLAYS: 5 - 30 / $46.20 (-$13.80)
BEST BET - MR DS ROCK (10th)
SPOT PLAY - ALL CHAMPY (7th)

Race 1 - 3-5YO Open Pace

(1) EARLY ACTION was unable to win a race last year at age 3 but comes into this race from Plainridge and the Meadowlands with back-to-back victories. I will give him the nod. (2) KOOTENAY SANTANNA takes a fourth crack at this class tonight. His best result thus far has been a fourth, but he keeps co-owner Yannick Gingras in the bike and should be near the pace. (3) KINGSVILLE finished a good second at this level two back and moves inside on the gate here after starting from post seven last Thursday.

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Race 2 - F&M Open Handicap Trot

I'm not ready to throw in the towel with (3) HERCULISA yet as she finished second in this class last week in an improved effort. I think she could get overlooked a bit in the wagering, too and will offer a better price than she has lately. (5) NO MAS DRAMA closed well to get a third at this level a week ago and switches drivers to Joe Bongiorno this time. (6) HEY LIVVY defeated my top pick last Thursday in the F&M Open Trot. She's just a very hard horse to get a good gauge on whether or not she's going to come with her best performance or not, so I'll put her underneath.

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Race 3 - NW20000L5/NW10 PM Races LT/NW15000L5 Drawn Inside Trot

(5) TACHYON is another horse I'm going to stay loyal to as he exits the John Brennan Trotting Series in his third attempt with trotting hobbles on and switches drivers to George Brennan. (1) CALL ME DANI gained ground late in finishing third at this level a week ago and has the pole and Gingras in the bike for the second straight time. (4) PROMISE FOR LIFE was fifth in the same race CALL ME DANI comes out of. He's won just once this year but does often find his way onto the ticket and hails from the high-percentage Jared Bako barn.

Race 4 - 2-4YO NW1/12500LT Trot

(6) CALDERONE dominated NW1 company two back at Harrah's Philadelphia and then just missed in a subsequent effort versus NW3 foes at the same venue. As long as he has no issues with the transition to the half-mile track, I expect him to be very tough. (2) MAD MONI invades from Pocono off a victory in their NW1 class and makes his third start out of the Rob Harmon barn here. (4) MY BELFAST ANGEL was able to follow along and pick up a third-place result last Thursday at this level, and I'm going to slot her there again.

Race 5 - NAADA Amateur Spring Series Leg #11 Trot

(7) KASHA'S BOY comes in with three straight third-place efforts, including two in this multi-week event. He should offer a good price, and I had some luck with another Alan Schwartz horse from a bad post in another one of this races earlier in the meet. (2) DARK POOL doesn't own a win yet in 2023 but has been knocking on the door, including a good second two back in a leg of this series. (3) CALL ME THEFIREMAN pulled a big upset when last seen at Yonkers on March 16 and did well on April 28 at Freehold to overcome post eight and get a second.

Race 6 - NW4/50000LT / NW2/25000LT Drawn Inside Trot

(7) CINCINNATI HELP starts from an outside post but has beaten both NW2's and NW4's at Yonkers so far in 2023. (5) CREDARENA gained a couple of spots last week in a better effort than he turned in on April 27 and was victorious in a NW4 tilt back in mid-March. (4) AVACAKES keeps Gingras's services again and was able to finish third in a NW4 event last Thursday.

Race 7 - 50000CLM Trot

(7) ALL CHAMPY gave it a shot against much tougher rivals last Thursday and had to settle fifth. He quickly retreats back to the class where he's done all his damage this year, and I'll use even from the outside. (4) LINDSEY'S PRIDE is riding a five-race streak of finishing in the top three, and he packs plenty of early speed to get him a spot on or near the front. (6) EPOS OSTERVANG DK has hit the board in all of his outings thus far in 2023 and could offer some additional value underneath.

Race 8 - Open Trot

(5) HIGHLAND MOWGLI steps up from the NW30000L5 class but has won three straight times and avoids some of the big names at the top level tonight. (4) CREDIT CON finished a good second in the Open two weeks ago and makes his second start with Lasix here. (3) P L OSCAR was third in an Open back on March 23 and then raced well in the John Brennan Trotting Series, winning two preliminary rounds.

Race 9 - NW30000L5/NW12 PM Races LT Trot

(2) TIMESTORM returns to action after a brief layoff tonight. He qualified fine behind a couple of stakes winners at the Meadowlands last Friday and has done very well in this class before. (5) HAYEK has hit the board in three straight outings and won two back. He gets a driver change to Gingras with Jason Bartlett not here. (6) ON HIGHER GROUND finished with plenty of trot late in his mile a week ago and has been out of the top three just twice in nine starts this year.

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Race 10 - NW7696L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(2) MR DS ROCK squeezed into this race by a dollar as he has $7,695 earned in his last five starts, allowing him to take a significant drop after finishing second versus NW12000L5 foes at Pocono most recently. (6) PACE N PRIDE N rolled to a nice win on the front-end last Thursday against bottom level rivals. He steps up here but did just miss by a nose in a NW7500L5 event back in late March. (4) TIN ROOF RAIDER A wound up first-over in the race won by PACE N PRIDE N a week ago and that didn't work out for him. Tyler Buter is going to take the call here, and perhaps he can work out a smoother journey.

Race 11 - NW7/75000LT Trot

(2) BACKSTREET PLAYER gained several positions in a race dominated by Oh Boy back on 4-26. Oh Boy came back to win again on May 6, so that looks like a pretty good result, and this horse gets significant post relief in his second start back in Nick Devita's barn. (4) TORRONE hasn't been able to find the winner's circle in 2023 but rarely misses the board, so I will put him underneath. (3) IN A TINY WAY ships in from Pocono off a victory and had a good enough 3YO campaign in 2022 to make the NY Sire Stakes final. She also gets a catch driver in the bike with Buter taking over.