Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 6/1

MEET STATS: 98 - 365 / $689.20 (-$40.80)
BEST BETS: 11 - 36 / $40.60 (-$31.40)
SPOT PLAYS: 8 - 36 / $82.20 (+$10.20)
BEST BET - INCOMMUNICADO (8th)
SPOT PLAY - GRATIAN HANOVER (10th)

Race 1 - NW1/12921LT Trot

(4) MANCLANE is the only winner in here as he took a NW1 event at Pocono on 5-14 and then backed that up with a second against NW2's. He'll be a heavy favorite, but I will put him on top. (1) BYINVITEONLY finished third after having to do the first-over work from an outside post last Thursday and moves to the pole position tonight. (3) FIVE FISH SPECIES comes down from Canada in her third start of the season and might provide some value underneath.

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Race 2 - NW30000L5/NW12 PM Races LT Trot

(6) GHOSTINTHESHELL S broke stride last Thursday in the Open but took a bunch of wagering attention, so I have to figure that she was live. Tonight she drops a notch and I'll hope she gets overlooked a bit from the outside draw. (5) OUTSIDE THE FIRE gained some spots in the final quarter in the Open a week ago to finish fourth and gets the same class relief as my top choice. (3) NO MAS DRAMA also miscued in her most recent appearance but was very sharp prior to that. She won the last time she was at this level on April 13.

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Race 3 - NW4/50000LT / NW2/25000LT Drawn Inside Trot

(2) BELLA CIAO minded her manners in her Harrah's Philadelphia qualifier on 5-23 with the addition of trotting hobbles, and I think the connections have a strong opinion of her since she's been in stakes events throughout her career thus far. (6) WANIA picked up a new lifetime mark in an easy win on May 18 and races out of a high-percentage stable. (4) HEADOVERBOOTS AS hasn't won in 2023 but has finished second or third nine times, so I'll continue to include him underneath.

Race 4 - NW7/75000LT Trot

(5) HOOFBEATS DE VIE drew a bit better tonight, and I'm going to hope that results in a more forwardly-placed trip. He did gain spots and ground in the final quarter of his race a week ago. (4) ROMANTIC WARRIOR makes his third start of the year and on Lasix for Per Engblom. I think this might be a softer spot than those races he was in over at Pocono. (6) VELVET STYLE stayed flat last Thursday and closed well from second-over to finish in the runner-up spot. I'll toss him in the mix.

Race 5 - NAADA Amateur Summer Series Leg 1 Trot

(2) WICKED NICK couldn't get involved from post eight on 5-18 but returns to an inside draw here and has been performing well. (4) JUDGE KEN won a leg of the NAADA Spring Series on May 11 and then was a fast-closing second in the final in a subsequent appearance. (1) LIONHEAD has missed the board just once in his last seven outings and has the pole position to help his cause tonight.

Race 6 - 50000CLM Trot

I'm going to stay loyal to (5) ALL CHAMPY as he gets reunited with Dan Dube and hopefully won't get parked out for the third straight time. You can see the barn change to one that's hitting at a high percentage as well. (3) FOR A DREAMER had an excellent season last year, including several victories in this class. He romped in his qualifiers at Monticello, and I'll include. (8) MISSION VOYAGE is stuck outside but has been sharp and Joe and Jenn Bongiorno have been doing very well with their horses lately.

Race 7 - 3-5YO Open Pace

(2) TAKE A GAMBLE missed out on racing on 5-18 when he came up sick, so he hasn't competed since 5-8. Regardless, I'm going to put him on top as he won twice in this class in April and then performed well against older horses in the regular Open as well. (4) AMERICAN COURAGE took a leg of the MGM Borgata Pacing Series back on the third of April and returns to action off a sharp qualifier at Pocono. (6) PHOENIX OF FLUZZY appeared like he didn't have any room in the pocket in the stretch a week ago and won nicely two back.

Race 8 - NW21521L5/NW10 PM Races LT Trot

(7) INCOMMUNICADO plummets in class out of the Cutler Memorial and the Open at the Meadowlands and should handle this group as long as he minds his manners. (3) P L OSCAR was fourth in the Open when last seen locally and then closed in 27 3/5 in a high-level event at the Meadowlands after that. (4) C YOU AGAIN DK double-drops out of the Open and hails from the Engblom barn.

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Race 9 - NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/NW9 PM Races LT Trot

(8) B NICKING starts from the outside post but gets another chance at this level after finishing second a week ago and might offer an inflated price given the draw. (6) PROMISE FOR LIFE has won just once this year but slides down from the NW20000L5's and did pick up his victory the last time he was in this class on April 13. (4) JULA MUSCLE PACK should have picked up some confidence after romping over NW10000L5's on 5-20 and gives Engblom another potential contender on the program.

Race 10 - NW5000L5 Pace

(3) GRATIAN HANOVER gets to move inside on the gate tonight and also has a driver change to Joe Bongiorno. He's been a favorite of the Bongiorno barn during his racing career, and I think he might be sitting on a win here. (5) ALTA BLUES N was second two back and then rallied to finish fourth at this level on 5-19. (1) TOPVILLE SOMROCKET finds a much easier spot than he's been in recently, and I expect he'll take plenty of wagering action.