Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 7/22

MEET STATS: 135 - 484 / $782.80 (-$185.20)

BEST BETS: 26 - 47 / $92.40 (-$1.60)

SPOT PLAYS: 4 - 47 / $24.70 (-$69.30)

BEST BET-SEASWIFT JOY N (7th)

SPOT PLAY-ANN HILL (9th)

Race 1 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(2) FOLLOWTHEWIND N went a long way on the lead last week before getting caught by a heavy favorite in Western Showgirl late. She gets another inside draw, and while not Jordan Stratton's pick, she gets a good replacement in Andy Miller. (5) FREE EXCHANGE returns to the NW5000L5 level after one chance against NW7500L5's and also slides in from post eight. (7) SANDY'S BEACH kept Stratton's services over my top pick and came to life earlier this year when she dropped down to this class.

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

Race 2 - 3YO NW1/12500LT Trot

(5) ENDYMION ships north from Harrah's Philadelphia after defeating NW1's down there and got the hot hands of Jason Bartlett to drive at scratch time. (1) LOTAFAMETOCLAIM is making her 3-year-old debut in this race. She did post a pair of victories last year and landed Stratton over a couple of others in here, so I'll include based on that. (7) KING JIMMY wasn't Stratton's choice but just won in the New York Excelsior B Series at Yonkers last week.

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

Race 3 - F&M NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/15000CLM Pace

(6) FIRSTUP fell just a head short of winning against NW10000L5 company when she competed at Yonkers earlier this year and appears to have been racing well at Plainridge as of late. I'll swing. (1) WESTERN SHOWGIRL takes a hike up in class but does so off a win and also retained Dan Dube over a horse from trainer Gil Garcia-Herrera, his go-to barn. (5) SEZANA N has come up dry in the win column so far this year but she does have post and class relief here off a race where she closed in 27 2/5.

Race 4 - NW2/25000LT Trot

(5) VINYASA gets a better post tonight than the eight-holes she's had in her last couple of races in Pennsylvania, and I really like that effort two back against NW3's at Harrah's Philadelphia where she finished third. (4) CHROME PACKAGE has hit the board in five of his last six efforts and is just one of two 4-year-olds in here. (3) CREATIVE VENTURE romped out at The Red Mile on July 4 and now comes east into the Paul Stafford barn. He's never raced on a half-mile track in his career, but he seems like a good fit with Dube driving given his two wins have come when he's been on or near the lead.

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

(2) GOTTALOVEMYSHADOW might be able to get an up-close, stalking trip tonight like all her best efforts at the Meadowlands have been off of, and I think she's worth a shot. (1) ACEFORTYFOUR DOME was 0-for-18 in 2021 before that race on 7-7, but she won that one and then came back to win again last Wednesday. It looks like the light bulb has definitely come on for her, and she's usable again as she steps up but starts from the inside. (6) CABOWABOCUTTIE hasn't won a race in a long time, but she did hit the board in her last two appearances against NW10000L5's and gets a driver change to Bartlett.

Race 6 - NW4/50000LT Trot

(4) BRILLIANT BOB makes his third start for trainer Nick Devita tonight and has gained ground in the final quarter in both tries for him thus far. He may be ready for a more aggressive approach. (6) JULA MUSCLE PACK returns to overnight action after racing in the Yonkers Trot eliminations and a division of the Reynolds. He won pretty handily over NW2's here back on 6-17. (2) SJ'S LADY LOU has made several breaks since coming in from Ohio, but everything this barn is sending out is live right now, so it's hard to discount her chances totally.

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

Race 7 - F&M Open Handicap Pace

(1) SEASWIFT JOY N starts from the pole position tonight in her third start back after a layoff and was second and first in two legs of the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series prior to going on the shelf. I think we're going to see a much more forwardly-placed effort. (3) SURREAL FEELING has been alternating between racing here and Saratoga but has been performing well at both tracks, including a tally in the Open here on the 27th of May. (7) SIESTA BEACH usually goes to the back when she's drawn outside like she is here, but she's so sharp right now she might be able to overcome it even it that's the strategy.

Race 8 - F&M NW15000L5/25000CLM/NW9 Pace

(3) DRAGON ROLL takes a big drop in class out of the Open, and even though she hasn't made a start since July 1, I will use given how she's performed since joining Rick Bucci's barn. (1) MAN DONTFORGET ME enters with three straight victories and gets a significant amount of post relief, moving to the pole position after having the seven-hole and the six-hole in her last pair. (6) NORMAN'S MADELINE did well to hold third in that NW20000L5 event on the 1st of July considering the fast pace she set. She's going to get a change in drivers to Jim Marohn Jr. tonight.

Race 9 - F&M NW15000L5/25000CLM/NW9 Pace

(8) ANN HILL slides down two classes from the NW30000L5's, and even though she's stuck outside, she gets a driver in Dube who can certainly hustle one off the gate, and there doesn't seem to be a large number of leavers in here. (2) ITS MESMERISE N turned the corner when she beat bottom level foes at Harrah's Philadelphia on 6-23 and has done nothing but win since. I expect her to be positioned on or near the lead from this inside post. (1) WATCH MY LUCK takes a double hike from the NW7500L5's, but she won in a fast mile for the NW5000L5 class two back and then showed that was no fluke by closing from eighth to second last Wednesday.

Race 10 - F&M NW30000L5 Pace

(1) SHES PUKKA N owns a very strong history at Yonkers and returns with two straight wins at Harrah's Philadelphia and Harrington. (7) JOSSIE JAMES A drops after racing in the Preferred or Open four consecutive times and may blast out like she was back in June. (4) SPORTS FLIX gets post and class relief and has a new pilot in Marohn Jr.

Race 11 - NW6/75000LT Trot

(3) MY BOY CHRISTIAN gives Yonkers a try for the first time but has been racing very well since joining Pat Lachance's barn, having posted three wins and a third. (1) FOCUS POCUS was a good third in this class last Thursday and has the pole position this time. (8) SO LONG HANOVER is having a solid campaign with six wins, and I don't think the eight-hole makes him a total write-off given the early foot he showed from outside draws at Harrah's Philadelphia.

Race 12 - F&M NW20000L5/30000CLM/NW10 Pace

(7) SHE'S NUN BETTOR N prevailed pretty handily over NW30000L5's a week ago and actually gets to drop a notch tonight since she fits the alternate non-winners of ten races lifetime condition for this race. Tyler Buter might be keen to take advantage of a chance to drive for trainer Ron Burke. (3) MONICA GALLAGHER held sway on the front to score last Thursday despite a gap in her schedule. There's every chance she'll be even sharper tonight as she returns to a weekly rotation and didn't have to move up in class. (2) AMERICAN DELIGHT N comes in from the Open class at Tioga. She often faced off against Bolt Of Beauty there, and that one was a rallying second at this level last week, so she probably fits in well, too.