Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 7/23/26

2026 MEET STATS: 136 - 491 / $931.42 (-$50.58)
BEST BETS: 26 - 52 / $92.08 (-$11.92)
SPOT PLAYS: 11 - 52 / $126.86 (+$22.86)
BEST BET - FLEX UP (2nd)
SPOT PLAY - SEA CAN (7th)

Race 1 - New York Excelsior Series 3YO C&G Trot

(3) DW'S CHA-CHING is two-for-three in the Excelsior Series this year and gets Matt Kakaley back in the bike tonight. (5) GOOG EYES has won back-to-back overnight races at Saratoga and now partners with Jason Bartlett. (2) SELF PORTRAIT broke his maiden in handy fashion in the Excelsior Series at Buffalo on 6-24 and now has a trainer and driver change here.

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Race 2 - New York Excelsior Series 3YO C&G Trot

(4) FLEX UP has three wins and a third in his Excelsior Series starts and has winning experience at Yonkers against NW2s back in April. (6) CHAPTER OF LIFE enters off a victory up at Saratoga and was second to FLEX UP in the Excelsior Series at Goshen prior to that. (1) CTM shows just off-the-board finish thus far in 2026 and can hopefully get around the half-miler here unlike at Buffalo where he miscued on 6-24.

Race 3 - New York Sire Stakes 3YO C&G Trot

(5) CHAPEL tallied handily in his debut for this high-percentage stable in a NW4 race at Pocono most recently, and I'll give him the nod here in what looks to be the softer of the two sire stakes splits. (3) CHAPTER GEO J got the nod from Bartlett over my top selection and defeated NW2s at Yonkers most recently. Prior to that, he was second in a track record mile at Buffalo. (1) SEVEN GRAND has been racking up third-place finishes with five in six tries thus far in 2026, and he adds a catch driver in Tyler Buter tonight. You also get an entry mate in (1A) SECURED.

Race 4 - New York Sire Stakes 3YO C&G Trot

(1) SILVERSTEIN cruised in his one NYSS try at Tioga back on June 5 and was a good third in the MGM Yonkers Trot here on June 26. (3) READ THE ROOM won in track record time at Buffalo on 6-24 and was a solid third from a bad post in an overnight race at Harrah's Philadelphia most recently. (5) HIGHWAY SIX hasn't missed the trifecta in 12 lifetime starts and won the other sire stakes split up at Buffalo last month. He's also shown the ability to race well off a variety of trips, giving trainer/driver Jeff Gregory plenty of options.

Race 5 - 25000CLM Pace

(5) MIND HUNTER drops and moves inside on the gate in this event and was second in a fast mile against $30,000 claimers two back. (6) KOMODO BEACH is on a lengthy run of finishes in the exacta and debuts for new connections off a claim tonight. (3) SHAKE IT also comes into this contest in great form and gets to team up with Bartlett for a high-percentage stable.

Race 6 - F&M 20000CLM Pace

(3) RACEY RACH N came in third on 7-9 in her first outing since September of last year, and I think she can build on that tonight, especially with a bit better post. (2) BADDITUDE has a win and a second in two appearances since she came to Yonkers from Maryland and has been in the exacta in six of her last seven tries overall. (5) RACIN FOR ROYALTY is in pretty good form with just two finishes out of the top three since May 8 and gets to partner with Yannick Gingras tonight from an improved post.

Race 7 - 40000CLM Trot

(2) SEA CAN advanced from last to fourth in the back-half of his mile on July 9 and gets reunited with Gingras here from a much better post in his second try against $40,000 claimers. (3) KAYS IN CHARGE was a gaining second as the favorite in his last appearance and has finished in the exacta in five of his last seven trips behind the gate. (4) THEOBALD made a miscue back on 7-9 and lost all chance but was in very sharp form prior to that and gets to team up with Bartlett.

Race 8 - 30000CLM Pace

(5) YOROKOBI N picked up checks in all of his recent efforts against $40,000 claiming foes and now drops a notch tonight. (2) HEAVEN ON HIGH N debuts for new connections off a claim with six on-the-board finishes in his last seven appearances and gets reunited with Bartlett. (6) PRETTY LOU was fourth in the same event that HEAVEN ON HIGH N exits and won handily at Harrah's Philadelphia prior to that. Gingras takes over the driving as well.

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

(4) MY DEGENERATE cruised to victory in this class on July 9 and gets to race in it again tonight as he's still under the non-winners of 10 races cap. (5) ULTION FACE S has been facing some tough rivals out of town and goes out for the leading driver/trainer combination here. (1) MASSIVE DESIRE comes in with breaks in two of his last three starts but has three wins and a second in his other local appearances and gets Gingras back in the bike.

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Race 10 - 40000CLM Trot

(1) MON AMOUR slides in from the eight-hole to post one in his second try for a high-percentage stable and cut the fractions before he wound up third back on 7-9. (3) BEACON BEACH rallied past my top pick to win his debut for this stable on July 9 and gets a driver switch to Gingras. (5) WILLY WALTON remains in search of his first trip to the winner's circle in 2026 but exits a solid try where he took the lead from first-up and ended up second.

Race 11 - 15000CLM Pace

(8) J B GRAM will have to overcome the outside post but was racing well against $15,000 claimers before he took a brief hiatus and now gets Bartlett at the controls. (3) SMOOTH LOU doesn't have great recent form but is a first-time starter for a high-percentage stable, and that might be all it takes to get him going the right way. (4) ALADDIN looks like another major contender in here as he's won two straight and hit the board in six of his last seven tries overall. He also gets a driver change to Gingras.