Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 7/2

MEET STATS: 89 - 247 / $497.40 (+$3.40)

BEST BETS: 15 - 23 / $47.30 (+$1.30)

SPOT PLAYS: 3 - 23 / $20.10 (-$25.90)

BEST BET-LADYBOSS (5th)

SPOT PLAY-HEN PARTY (7th)

Race 1 - Excelsior A Series 3YO Filly Pace

Last time out at Vernon, (2) KITTY HOYNE faced off against male foes, and all but one of them was also an older horse, so I'm not going to let the fact she faded bother me. This is a much more realistic spot tonight back in against the Excelsior A fillies. She was fourth last year in the final and had a third and a second locally in the series. (1) JOE'S SIGN makes just her second career start tonight but comes in off an impressive win against NW1's at Harrah's Philadelphia. She certainly makes a lot of sense from the rail with Bartlett piloting. (4) CHARM AND GRACE prepped twice up at Saratoga, so she should be ready for this spot tonight. She won both of her Excelsior A Series races in 2019 at Yonkers.

Race 2 - Excelsior A Series 3YO Filly Pace

(1) TIPPERARY HILL defeated male rivals at Vernon in her last appearance and before that beat a group of ladies that included Racine Bell, who races in one of the main sire stakes splits later on the card. I'll use her from the pole position and hope Buter and Okusko take both halves of the early double. (3) BOLT OF BEAUTY had the misfortune of running into a well-meant So Rude most recently but held on well for fourth. She looks like one of the main threats in here. (2) SPRECKLES didn't have much fortune at the Meadowlands, but she has a good season last year in the Excelsior A Series with two wins, including one here at Yonkers.

Race 3 - Excelsior A Series 3YO Filly Pace

(4) DISCOFORADOLLAR beat Merga Hanover, who should be one of the favorites in a later sire stakes section, in that Gaitway qualifier on 6-8 and that led to her getting well-backed in her debut at the Meadowlands. Unfortunately she broke in that contest, but then went back to Gaitway on June 22 and had no apparent issues. I'm going to hope she minds her p's and q's tonight as Brennan's choice of two and slot on top. (1) ROLL WITH JOY woke up in a big way most recently at Vernon and crunched a group of NW1's. She has the rail and Bartlett in the softest-looking divsion, so that helps her cause. (3) TWIN B SALSA stopped her in seasonal debut at Pocono, but she won a leg of this series last year and was third in the final, so maybe she'll like this company better.

Race 4 - Open Handicap Pace

(6) TOOKADIVEOFFDIPPER won two editions of the open at Yonkers before the shutdown and has raced well at the Meadowlands since coming back. Gingras has driven him in the last two and is aboard again tonight. He should be going right to the front. (5) BETTOR MEMORIES has a pretty good here at Yonkers, and I look for him to be better returning to the smaller track. He was Bartlett's choice of two. (7) JESSE DUKE N rallied to finish second in the preferred back on June 6 at the Meadowlands in another quality effort. He hasn't shown early speed yet in the States, so I think he might be at the mercy of the pace, and will put underneath.

Race 5 - Excelsior A Series 3YO Filly Pace

(6) LADYBOSS cruised to an open-length win in her one appearance in the Excelsior A Series last year at Yonkers and won three other legs on top of that one. She had a useful prep at Vernon against older mares and should be ready for a good effort tonight. (1) BRUSH N CRUSH was a good second at the Meadowlands to Eye Popping, who is in the sire stakes tonight. She hasn't won a race yet, but has plenty of half-mile track experience down at Freehold and has Gingras in the bike again. (5) BOLTEN BEACH got bet down to favoritism in her debut at Pocono and didn't disappoint with a rallying victory. If she improves any off that, she'll definitely be in the hunt for another victory here.

Race 6 - New York Sire Stakes 3YO Filly Pace

(6) SO RUDE has raced well in both of her 2020 efforts, including that domination of NW4 locally on the 22nd of June. I expect Bongiorno to be aggressive with her again here and look to take them all the way on the front-end. (3) RACINE BELL was the runner-up in the sire stakes final a year ago and erupted for a 1:51 2/5 win most recently at Vernon. She had a win and a second in Westchester in 2019 and was Bartlett's choice over two others. (4) MERGA HANOVER won both times the sire stakes circuit visited Yonkers a year ago and should be better tonight with that tightener under her belt against strong competition at Harrah's Philadelphia.

Race 7 - New York Sire Stakes 3YO Filly Pace

(2) HEN PARTY was a good third in her 2020 debut at Pocono on June 28 and was matched up against a very good foe in Party Girl Hill. She has a much better post tonight (two) than she did in the event at Pocono (eight), and I'll bank on McCarthy staying aggressive with her. (3) THE FUN MARSHALL is the defending New York Sire Stakes champion for this division. She went a good last quarter in her last qualifier at the Meadowlands behind the likes of older pacing mare Caviart Ally. Tim Tetrick drove her that morning and will be the bike again. (1) ALLESYESONME AS dominated in the Excelsior A Series and capped it off with the victory in the final. Scott Zeron was listed on her and The Fun Marshall and chose this one, so that's a big vote of confidence. She also turned in a big last quarter in her most recent qualifier at Magical Acres.

Race 8 - New York Sire Stakes 3YO Filly Pace

(4) HIDDEN COVE flashed speed and made up ground from off-the-pace in her two out-of-town preps, so I like that Marcus Miller has some options with her. I think this is the softest of the three splits, and she was a two-time NYSS winner in 2019. (2) STEPHANIE DEO had some buzz around her before that race at the Meadowlands, and she lived up to it with a facile win from post ten. She steps up to meet stakes fillies for the first time tonight. (6) JK FINENDANDY is still a maiden, but she has plenty of stakes experience at the highest level and closed strongly in the same race Stephanie Deo exits.