Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 6/18

2026 MEET STATS: 113 - 423 / $783.18 (-$62.82)

BEST BETS: 23 - 45 / $75.82 (-$14.18)

SPOT PLAYS: 11 - 45 / $126.86 (+$36.86)

BEST BET-THEOBALD (5th)

SPOT PLAY-DELIGHTFUL TERROR (7th)

Race 1 - 25000CLM Pace

(4) BOILING OAR vacated the pocket before three-quarters last week and then came up just short in the sprint to the wire. I'm going to give him another try here in the hopes he can wait a bit longer to pull the trigger and his price goes up. (5) C-BET HANOVER rallied to the inside to down my top selection when they met a week ago and got the nod from Brent Holland over two others. (3) AVENGER FORCE shows a recent third against $30,000 claiming company and would add some value underneath.

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Race 2 - 40000CLM Trot

(1) BULLY BOY HILL slides in on the gate to the pole position here off an effort where he gained a couple of spots in the final quarter to finish third last week. He showed some more early foot over at the Meadowlands back in April and maybe he can do that here. (4) WARRAWEE WHISPER made an uncharacteristic break last Thursday and lost all chance. He  was very sharp prior to that, though, and gets reunited with driver Joe Bongiorno here. (6) KAYS IN CHARGE raced well in a runner-up performance a week ago and goes out for the leading driver/trainer combination.

Race 3 - 15000CLM Pace

(7) SARANAC BLUE CHIP just missed last Thursday in another good effort. He debuts for new connections off a claim but does move out on the gate. I think he's still capable of winning, though, and perhaps the bad draw will add some extra value. (2) CYRUS N is back at Yonkers on a run of on-the-board results over at Monticello and was the runner-up at this level here on May 1. (3) SAILBOAT HANOVER owns a win and a second against $15,000 claimers since he returned to action in early May and landed another good post. 

Race 4 - 3-6YO 20000CLM Pace

(5) TIN CUP CHALICE tired on the front-end in his last outing on 6-8 but drops tonight, and you have to respect a horse who won as many in-a-row as he did at Monticello. He also gets a driver switch to Yannick Gingras. (2) WHITE LOTUS was facing much tougher NW10000L5 base class foes when last seen at Yonkers in early March and has a recent victory and third-place finish at Scioto. (3) THEMASKEDCRUSADR N enters off a second-place effort last Wednesday versus open $20,000 claiming rivals and faced age-restricted company here.

Race 5 - 40000CLM Trot

(2) THEOBALD invades from Scioto in sharp form and gets significant post relief, especially off his last start out there. He also has winning experience at Yonkers in the past. (4) B NICKING has finished second the last two times he's faced $40,000 claiming company and debuts for a high-percentage stable off a claim. (1) WHEELZABLAZIN returned to his victorious ways last Thursday in rallying fashion and now slides in from post six to the pole position.

Race 6 - NW7561L5 / Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(3) TASTE OF HONEY tallied in handy fashion last Wednesday. This is a step up the ladder in theory, but it's not the toughest-looking NW7500L5 race as all but two horses are taking the same hike he is and off non-winning efforts. (2) NAMASTE HANOVER hasn't won yet in 2026 but has hit the board in his last four trips behind the gate and drew inside again. (4) INFLATION PROOF closed with pace in a runner-up result on 6-10 and gets a driver switch to Jason Bartlett tonight.

Race 7 - 15000CLM Pace

(3) DELIGHTFUL TERROR moves in on the gate after he drew posts six and seven in his last two tries. The last time he started from an inside post, he was a winner at this level, and Colin Kelly returns to the bike for the first time since then. (4) GOTHIC ROCK won in hard-fought fashion last Thursday, has hit the board in four of his last seven appearances overall, and gets to partner with Bartlett again. (5) ALADDIN hasn't posted a victory yet in 2026 but had a recent run of second- or third-place finishes and gets a driver switch to Holland. 

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Race 8 - Invitational Trot

Unless he makes a miscue, I don't see (7) ANTOGNONI S losing here as he's simply faster than the others and has a great history at Yonkers to boot. (5) ASTEROID has a pair of recent victories in the Invitational at Yonkers and also prevailed at Harrah's Philadelphia on 5-28. (3) DRIBBLING BI seems to have turned the corner now in his 7-year-old campaign as he was second to ASTEROID in that race at Harrah's Philadelphia in late May and then scored handily here on the 4th of June.

Race 9 - NW20000L5 / Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5 / NW10 PM Races LT / 60000CLM Trot

(3) HIGH SPEED SWAN continued a lengthy streak of good form with a rallying third-place finish a couple weeks ago and now moves in from post seven to the three-hole. (5) MASSIVE DESIRE is now three-for-three at Yonkers after he romped at this level last Thursday and gives Gingras another major contender on the program. (1) SEA CAN slides in on the gate to the pole position and has hit the board in five out of his last seven appearances, including a third in this class on the 28th of May.

Race 10 - F&M 20000CLM Pace

(1) KARPATHIAN QUEEN lacks a recent win but has been racing well between Yonkers and the Meadowlands. Here, she starts from the pole again and teams up with Kelly for the first time since he steered her to a second-place finish in a quick mile at The Big M on 4-17. (2) IDEALINFUN rallied to win in this class last Wednesday and moves in a couple of slots on the gate tonight. (4) FORTUNADA just missed by a head a week ago against $20,000 claiming foes and was Bartlett's choice.