Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 6/17

MEET STATS: 99 - 378 / $621.90 (-$134.10)
BEST BETS: 19 - 38 / $72.40 (-$4.40)
SPOT PLAYS: 3 - 38 / $18.20 (-$57.80)
BEST BET - PIVOTAL (2nd)
SPOT PLAY - I LOVE MY COUNTRY (3rd)

Race 1 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(6) ZOE ELLASEN drops to the bottom level in her second start back at Yonkers and was Brent Holland's choice. (2) FEAR MY SHADOW was a good second to the well-meant Rocknroll Annie last Wednesday and gets another inside draw to work with. (1) MORE THAN MANY slides down to the pole position this time and has hit the board in her last pair.

[DRF HARNESS: Get Harness Eye PPs for this card]

Race 2 - 3YO NW1/10000LT Trot

(1) PIVOTAL won back in April over NW1's at Harrah's Philadelphia and makes his second start on Lasix tonight. (3) CHARMING BANK comes in from the Midwest. He did score a victory in the NW1 class at Harrah's Hoosier Park on the 10th of April. (4) INFINITE ZETTE was second or third in four efforts against NW1's at Pocono in April and May and returns to overnight competition after getting a check in the New York Excelsior A Series.

[DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Yonkers card at DRF Bets.com!]

Race 3 - NW2/25000LT Trot

(8) I LOVE MY COUNTRY is stuck outside but did get an eye-catching vote of confidence from Jason Bartlett, luring him off an Andrew Harris trainee, and he was a pretty good third in the Excelsior A Series at Vernon with Bartlett piloting him. (4) TITANS HOPE was the one Bartlett opted off of. He has been facing some stakes-caliber rivals at the Meadowlands lately and might find this group more hospitable. (1) JULA MUSCLE PACK also ships over from the Meadowlands. Trainer Per Engblom sent out a winner at Yonkers last Thursday and might have a chance with this one too from the pole.

Race 4 - F&M NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/15000CLM Pace

(2) CASIE'S BELIEVER drew inside here after a couple of tough posts, gets further class relief, and gained positions and ground in the last quarter a week ago. (1) PAPPY ROCKS seems overdue for a strong performance as she's got just one on-the-board finish since the claim by trainer Gil Garcia-Herrera. She's going to be reunited with Dan Dube tonight, perhaps signaling an aggressive approach. (8) PAMMY JO races at the lowest level she's been at since joining trainer Scott Di Domenico's barn, and I think she could find her way on to the ticket.

Race 5 - F&M NW10000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Pace

(3) SANDY'S BEACH moves down a notch in class and slides inside after having post eight and getting interfered with last Thursday. She also gets reunited with leading driver Jordan Stratton. (7) ANGEL'S PRIDE is another Di Domenico trainee starting from an outside post. She was third against NW15000L5's when last seen at Yonkers. (4) TALL POPPY N was rejected by George Brennan in favor of Angel's Pride, giving Dube the assignment. She raced better down at Harrah's Philadelphia when positioned closer to the front, so maybe that tactic is coming in her second appearance here at Yonkers.

Race 6 - NW4/50000LT Trot

(6) HOOLIE N HECTOR has a win over NW4's at Yonkers, and he didn't get a chance to show his best in his last race in the Excelsior A Series at Vernon as he got shuffled on the last turn in a pace-less event. He wasn't driver Scott Zeron's choice, so Holland gets a try with him. (5) CREDITRINA did win in the Excelsior A Series at Vernon, continuing a sharp run of form he's been on. Trainer Trond Smedshammer is going to go back in the bike this time. (4) SWISS HOUSE ONFIRE was a good third in a race won by a Breeders Crown champion in On A Streak a week ago. There's nobody in here with that type of class, so he might take advantage.

Race 7 - F&M Winners Over 25000L5 Pace

(3) LOVELY DONNA invades from the Meadowlands where she's been on a tear for trainer Andrew Harris. She won three straight for him in May and then was a good second to Breeders Crown and Dan Patch Award winner Fire Start Hanover most recently. I'll use here. (6) FEELIN RED HOT seems to be back in good form now, as she was very difficult to pass a week ago after cutting the fractions. I think she'll probably be on the lead again tonight. (8) SIESTA BEACH makes her second start back after a layoff and finished with plenty of pace in her comeback last Thursday. There are several in here that like to show early speed, so she might get the kind of pace she needs to set up her closing kick.

Race 8 - F&M Preferred Handicap Pace

(1) WALTZWITHSIERRA A came in third in the Open back on May 27 and returns to an inside post here after starting from the seven-hole last Thursday. (5) TELLITSASSYMAE changed tactics and drivers a week ago and had pace on the end of the mile, coming home in 27 3/5. She's going to stick with Stratton tonight. (7) DRAGON ROLL is about as sharp as a horse can be right now and was the lone off-the-pace winner on that program on June 9, which definitely needs to be considered. I have a lot of respect for her, and I don't think she's an outsider in this class.

Race 9 - F&M NW10000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Pace

(4) THE CHARGING MOA N shows just a one-for-16 record in 2021, but this is the class she normally does her best work in, and I'll give her a shot. (1) LADYBELUCKYTONITE is probably the one to beat in this race as she moves in from post eight to the pole position for a high-percentage trainer in Daniel Renaud. (3) SEZANA N took a big run at a razor-sharp foe in Rockn Philly from first-over last week but faded in the stretch after getting rebuffed. I think that sort of aggression with her was a positive sign.

Race 10 - F&M NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/25000CLM/NW9 Pace

(4) BRONZE OVER N put in another good performance last week to finish third, and I think she could be a little sharper this time as she was coming into that race off a sick scratch. (3) NORTH STAR IDEAL tried to brush to the lead going to the opening quarter last Thursday but ended up getting parked out instead. She did hold fourth despite the wide trip, so she's certainly a contender. (6) MALNIFICENT picked up position in the final quarter a week ago and gets to drop a level tonight.

[DRF BETS: Wager on tonight's Yonkers card at DRF Bets.com!]

Race 11 - NW4/50200LT Trot

(2) ROYSON'S PUNCH took the Excelsior A Series title as a 2-year-old and exits a strong try in that event last time out at Vernon. (5) CAVALIER GEORGE is another horse on this card exiting that contest won by On A Streak a week ago. He had some trot in the final quarter and faces a softer group tonight. (1) CHERRY RED has the same profile as Cavalier George and landed the pole position.

Race 12 - F&M NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/25000CLM/NW9 Pace

(3) BYE BYE MICHELLE picked up her most recent win when she last competed in this class on 4-22 and ships in out of a fast race at Pocono. (6) GOLDEN QUEST N returns to Yonkers after one try at the Meadowlands. She cut the fractions and finished second at this level on the 27th of May. (2) ROCKN PHILLY looked like she was in some trouble when Sezana N challenged her a week ago, but she responded gamely and went on to win again. She hasn't shown any sign that these class hikes are bothering her, so she'll probably get a lot of wagering attention.