Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 5/18

MEET STATS: 85 - 325 / $605.60 (-$44.40)

BEST BETS: 10 - 32 / $34.30 (-$29.70)

SPOT PLAYS: 6 - 32 / $51.90 (-$12.10)

BEST BET-ALL CHAMPY (3rd)

SPOT PLAY-TACHYON (9th)

Race 1 - NW4/50000LT / NW2/25000LT Drawn Inside Trot

(1) EL MISSION GODDESS finished a solid second when last seen at Yonkers on 4-27 and should continue to offer some value. Trainer Tom Corelli has been picking up some victories lately, too. (3) WANIA has struggled to find the winner's circle but is usually reliable to use underneath. He was the runner-up to a well-meant Cincinnati Help a week ago. (6) HEADOVERBOOTS AS has a similar profile to WANIA as he's got a zero in the win column in 2023 but eight second-place results.

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

(4) WARRAWEE YIMA ships over from Monticello with a win and three seconds thus far in 2023. That record looks very good compared to the others in here, and I will give him a shot. (5) BARCELONA PRINCESS hit the board in her third try over the oval last Thursday and tonight she doesn't face anybody as imposing as the winner was in that event. (2) HEART OF A TITAN came in second in a NW1 test on May 4 and is making his third start on Lasix. He also gets post relief after starting from the seven-hole a week ago.

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Race 3 - 50000CLM Trot

(2) ALL CHAMPY delivered in his return to this class a week ago, and I will put him on top again this time around. He was claimed by Cory Stratton off his victory, and Stratton won with him back on April 26. (4) LINDSEY'S PRIDE is in sharp form with seven on-the-board finishes in his last eight outings. He's been second to ALL CHAMPY both last week and on 4-26. (5) MUSCLEDOVER shifts over to the $50,000 claimers from the NW6's where he was fourth after cutting the fractions last Thursday. He also gets reunited with Jason Bartlett for the high-percentage Per Engblom barn.

Race 4 - 3-5YO Open Pace

(7) TAKE A GAMBLE landed the outside post but went two-for-two in this class last month and returns to it here after battling Open Handicap rivals in his last two tries. (1) ULTIMAROCA also exits the Open for this age-restricted tilt and returns to an inside draw after having post six in his last try on 5-8. (5) SOUTHWIND PETYR has a win and two seconds in three starts at this level since being claimed back on April 12 and pretty much everything Joe and Jenn Bongiorno are sending out right now is live.

Race 5 - NAADA Amateur Spring Series Final Trot

(4) KASHA'S BOY is going to get another chance from me tonight as he drew better and comes off a trip excuse where he was bothered on the first turn and then wound up two-wide and uncovered after that. (5) SHOEMAKER HANOVER went down the road to win a leg of this event at Yonkers back on April 20, but I also like his versatility as he's shown the ability to rally as well. That could be important in this contest. (2) DARK POOL made a miscue and lost all chance a week ago but was racing well prior that. He could offer a better price than he did last Thursday, too, given the break.

Race 6 - NW7/75000LT Trot

(5) UNEVERGONNAGETHIS performed well in the John Brennan Trotting Series and made the Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final last year as a sophomore. He hasn't raced since April 26, but I will trust he's ready to rumble and put him on top. (1) IN A TINY WAY came up just a nose short of winning in a NW6 tilt a week ago and starts from the pole position here. (8) VELVET STYLE drew the outside post but won handily over NW6 foes here on 4-27 and backed that up with a rallying fourth at Pocono. He was Yannick Gingras's choice of three horses.

Race 7 - NW7326L5/12500CLM Pace

(5) FOREVER FAV surged from seventh to fourth thanks to a 27 second final quarter a week ago and has prior experience racing in an added-distance event, finishing as the runner-up in a NW5000L5 tilt on May 4. (4) C-BET HANOVER dominated bottom level rivals last Friday and has Bartlett in the bike again tonight. (2) VEL MR NICE GUY finished third to FOREVER FAV when they were in the same event on the 4th of May. This 5-year-old drew inside again here, and I will include.

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Race 8 - Open Trot

I rarely guess right on (2) HEY LIVVY, but she won with authority over mare-only rivals the last two Thursdays and gets post relief tonight. (4) CREDIT CON tallied in the Open a week ago and seems to be responding to the recent addition of Lasix. (3) MISSISSIPPI STORM was second to CREDIT CON last week. He gets reunited with Brent Holland, who guided him to a win on May 4.

Race 9 - NW21631L5/NW10 PM Races LT/F&M NW15000L5 Drawn Inside Trot

(5) TACHYON merits yet another opportunity from me here as he had trot in the stretch off a second-over trip last week and should continue to offer value. He does lose George Brennan, but Tyler Buter knows him from having driven him in the John Brennan Trotting Series. (3) B NICKING drops after finishing fourth in a NW30000L5 test last Thursday and was George Brennan's choice. (1) PC FREE WHEELING gets to exit the F&M Open Trot here after finishing fourth to Hey Livvy a week ago.

Race 10 - NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/NW9 PM Races LT Trot

(3) OH BOY has back-to-back convincing wins and takes another step up the ladder here. He does off-set the class hike by moving inside on the gate, and I'll use. (2) WHAT SHOULD I GOO has missed the board only once in her six 2023 starts and did well in the John Brennan Trotting Series. (4) SWEET SOUL DAVID should have picked up some confidence after a victory on May 5 and was third at this level prior to that.