Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 6/15

MEET STATS: 109 - 395 / $778.50 (-$11.50)
BEST BETS: 14 - 39 / $48.50 (-$29.50)
SPOT PLAYS: 9 - 39 / $120.80 (+$42.80)
BEST BET - B MEDITHREE (4th)
SPOT PLAY - CLASSY GUY (6th)

Race 1 - NW15251L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/NW9 PM Races LT Trot

(3) JAS BLUESTONE comes down from Saratoga where he was racing in their top class and has a barn change to Gil Garcia-Herrera. I think he catches a beatable group here and will give him a shot. (4) DOWN THE PIKE MIKE has been sharp with just one off-the-board finish in his last seven starts. He had back-to-back wins locally last month and has Yannick Gingras to drive again. (6) EPOS OSTERVANG DK shifts over to this class from the $50,000 claimers and has the potent tandem of driver Jason Bartlett and trainer Per Engblom behind him.

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Race 2 - NW1/12500LT / NW2/19276LT Drawn Outside Trot

(5) WARRAWEE YIMA gets to face NW1's and NW2's here instead of NW2's and NW4's like back on June 1 and picked up a win over the oval on 5-18. (2) FIVE FISH SPECIES gained spots to finish second to a dominant winner two weeks ago. Nobody in this one looks that imposing, and she makes her second start for trainer Megan Scran and driver Scott Zeron. (3) CRASH MY PARTY AS has hit the board in three of his four career tries, including a third in the same race that FIVE FISH SPECIES exits.

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

(8) QUICK STOP drew outside but looks like she towers over this field on class and lures Tim Tetrick in for the one drive. (3) DUSTIN HANOVER shows several good efforts against NW4's out at Northfield and gets to partner with George Brennan in his first attempt for new connections. (4) AVACAKES is on a lengthy streak of top-three finishes since Yannick Gingras began driving her and he's in the bike again tonight.

Race 4 - NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/NW9 PM Races LT Trot

(4) B MEDITHREE romped over NW10000L5 base class foes in his last start at Yonkers on 6-3, and I think he has room to improve and continue to work his way up the ladder. (3) ZIG ZAG was facing NW20000L5's when last seen at Yonkers last month and returns off a win at Tioga. (1) JULA MUSCLE PACK finished third as the favorite at this level two weeks ago and is another Bartlett/Engblom collaboration.

Race 5 - NW20000L5/NW10 PM Races LT

(4) WHAT SHOULD I GOO held on to finish second against a Grand Circuit caliber foe in Incommunicado a couple of weeks ago. She doesn't face anybody here with that type of class. (2) NO MAS DRAMA drops again tonight and gets reunited with Jim Marohn Jr. (5) SPICY NUGGET was third in the same race my top pick comes out of on June 1 and didn't have a great trip in that contest. He has co-owner Gingras back in the bike again tonight.

Race 6 - NAADA Amateur Summer Series Leg #3 Trot

(7) CLASSY GUY debuts for new connnections here after being claimed two weeks ago. He drew an outside post but has an often aggressive driver in Yogi Sheridan, and his form from back in the Midwest catches my eye. (4) FINNICK ODAIR gets reunited with Tony Beltrami tonight and moves back to a half-mile track. I think those are both positive factors, and I'll include. (2) UNCLE KIP joins this series after racing in overnight company at Monticello. That probably means they'd like to pick up some points, and he gets a good pilot in Alan Schwartz.

Race 7 - 3-5YO Open Pace

This looks like a de facto handicap race with (7) SOUTHWIND PETYR and (8) TAKE A GAMBLE drawn outside. I prefer SOUTHWIND PETYR as I think he'll offer a better price and might be able to leave and then sit right behind TAKE A GAMBLE, who defeated a Grand Circuit stakes winner in American Courage back on 6-1. (2) SHAKE IT has been racing well both here and at Harrah's Philadelphiaa and has significant post relief after a series of outside draws.

Race 8 - Open Trot

(6) INCOMMUNICADO dominated NW20000L5 base class foes two weeks and I don't think he'll have any trouble with the hike up the ladder tonight given he's a Grand Circuit stakes competitor at his best. (2) STORMY KROMER took a bit of time to get going this year but is racing well again now. He adds Bartlett with Dan Dube sticking with my top pick. (4) CREDIT CON has clearly picked his game up since the addition of Lasix and has won two of the last four times he's been in the Open at Yonkers.

Race 9 - NAADA Amateur Summer Series Leg #3 Trot

(6) RACEACE showed up once at Yonkers back in the NAADA Spring Series, won from an outside post and paid well. I'm going to hope lightning strikes again here as he's continued to race well at Monticello, including picking up a check in the Open most recently. (1) JUDGE KEN has finished in the top two in three straight outings and drew well again here. (8) LIONHEAD tallied in the first leg of this series two weeks ago. He's stuck out in the eight-hole but is very sharp and has shown the ability to hang around on the outside and hit the board at Freehold.

Race 10 - NW6/76566LT Trot

(8) WALNER PAYTON has a similar profile to Quick Stop earlier on the card as she is clearly the one to beat but has to overcome the outside draw. Dexter Dunn is coming in just to drive her, so I don't think he'll be taking back to last. (1) UNEVERGONNAGETHIS has been racing well but has disappointed as the favorite three times since his victory on April 12. I'll slot him underneath. (4) THE BOSS MAN returns to Yonkers off back-to-back wins at Tioga and four straight top-three finishes overall. He also gets to team up with Gingras.

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Race 11 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(3) HE'S GONNA GETYA drops to the bottom level in his fourth start back off the bench and moves from the eight-hole to post three. (1) HYPNOTICDREAM takes a second crack at NW5000L5 foes here after grabbing a fourth-place finish on June 2. (4) ON THE VIRG gets significant post relief tonight and did hit the board in this class back on the 12th of May.

Racer 12 - 50000CLM Trot

(1) FOR A DREAMER was sharp off the bench two Thursdays ago and won in this class from first-up. I'd expect him to be even better tonight with that start under his belt, and he got the pole position. (3) LINDSEY'S PRIDE has just one finish out of the top three in his lines and drew well again tonight. (4) VALI HANOVER owns back-to-back victories against $50,000 claimers and races for a high-percentage trainer.