Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 7/6

MEET STATS: 127 - 450 / $864.40 (-$35.60)
BEST BETS: 18 - 44 / $60.00 (-$28.00)
SPOT PLAYS: 10 - 44 / $128.40 (+$40.40)
BEST BET - SOUTH BEACH STAR (9th)
SPOT PLAY - BAR COINS (5th)

Race 1 - 50000CLM Trot

(6) MAX invades from Ohio off a win last time out at Scioto and shows racing at the Open level at both Miami Valley and The Meadows. (2) EPOS OSTERVANG DK closed well to finish third in this class last Thursday and gets post relief tonight. (1) CRESCENT BEAUTY went a long way on the lead a week ago before ending up second-best and has Joe Bongiorno to drive again.

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

Race 2 - Open Handicap Trot

(4) STORMY KROMER finished with plenty of trot from off-the-pace last week and will hopefully return to a more aggressive approach tonight with an improved post. (2) HILLEXOTIC tallied in the Open Handicap last Thursday and had good fortune in the draw as he gets to move inside on the gate. (3) ON HIGHER GROUND was second to HILLEXOTIC a week ago and has been in the top three in his last seven starts.

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

Race 3 - NW2/25000LT Trot

(6) CALDERONE drops out of the MGM Yonkers Trot eliminations tonight and makes his second start on Lasix. Despite the break in stride last Friday, he did finish with plenty of trot, so I think he was going to have a good performance if he hadn't miscued. (3) SEVECHEETAH scored over NW2 rivals a week ago and gets to partner with Yannick Gingras here. (1) SQUABLE was the runner-up to SEVECHEETAH last Thursday and has both post one and Jason Bartlett in the bike again.

Race 4 - NW22321L5/NW10 PM Races LT Trot

(1) HAYEK was second in the corresponding class to this one most recently at Pocono and romped to an easy victory the last time he was in a NW20000L5 event at Yonkers back in late April. (5) HEY LIVVY double-drops out of the Open Handicap tonight, but I've had zero luck trying to predict when she's going to fire and when she isn't, so I'll just slot her underneath. (3) ZIG ZAG has a win and two seconds in his last three outings, including a runner-up result at this level on 6-22.

Race 5 - NW4/50000LT Trot

(7) BAR COINS drew outside but debuts for Nicole Dicostanzo and also gets Bongiorono in the bike. I'll take a shot with him in what appears to be a fairly wide-open race. (5) WILD BILL KELSO came up empty in the stretch two weeks ago after leading through sensible fractions but does make his second start on Lasix and trainer Jim Campbell can always have one ready for a top performance. (2) WALOVER ships north from Harrah's Philadelphia in sharp form and has been showing the kind of early speed you like to see coming to a half-mile oval.

Race 6 - NW7/75000LT Trot

(2) IN A TINY WAY just missed by a head after leading most of the way last Thursday and will get another shot from me tonight off that effort. (4) THE AMERICAN EAGLE is the one who gunned down IN A TINY WAY at the wire and moves inside a couple of notches on the gate tonight. (3) MUSCLE DAN finished third in the same race IN A TINY WAY and THE AMERICAN EAGLE exit, and I'll toss him into the mix underneath again.

Race 7 - NW7500L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(6) SAMHARA N drops again tonight after finishing third in a NW10000L5 base class event on June 26 and won in a similar spot to this at Pocono back in mid-May. (5) BETTOR SUN had something go amiss on 6-13 but qualified back well at Magical Acres in New Jersey and showed the ability to hit the board against tougher back on the 15th of May. (2) TWO FACED finds a softer spot here than the NW6 to NW8 horses he's been facing lately and has an inside post, too.

Race 8 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(6) SHARK PLAY finds the bottom level here after facing $30,000 claimers and NW7500L5's recently and also gets reunited with Bartlett. (3) GAMBLINGTERROR was third in a NW7500L5 contest most recently and drops again tonight. (2) ROCKATHON makes his fourth start since adding Lasix tonight and has post relief.

Race 9 - 3-5YO Open Pace

(2) SOUTH BEACH STAR cruised to victory in his first attempt in this class last Thursday and even gets to move in a couple of slots on the gate tonight. (5) PLEASELETMEKNOW drops out of stakes action and won the last time he was in a 3-5YO Open Pace at Yonkers back in early May. He also picks up Gingras in the bike. (6) TAKE A GAMBLE was a good second to SOUTH BEACH STAR at this level a week ago and is in the midst of a career-best season.

[DRF HARNESS: Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter]

Race 10 - 50000CLM Trot

(1) AFTER ALL PAUL returns after picking up a confidence-boosting win at Plainridge most recently and closed well from outside posts in two starts here at Yonkers prior to that. (3) ALL CHAMPY overcame a two-wide journey to finish fourth last Thursday and moves inside on the gate tonight. (6) CANTKEEPMIASECRET broke stride in the stretch on June 22 but won prior to that and showed the ability to rebound quickly when she miscued in late April at the Meadowlands.

Race 11 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(3) HEEZ OURPERSEUS N toured the oval from an outside post last Thursday. Now he gets to drop and move way inside on the gate in his second start for trainer Nick Devita. (1) LONG WEEKEND takes a second crack at NW5000L5 company after finishing second to a well-meant winner a week ago. (5) RHODENA ROAD gained some ground in the stretch in finishing fourth in the same event that LONG WEEKEND exits.