Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 8/13/26

2026 MEET STATS: 152 - 560 / $1,008.20 (-$111.80)

BEST BETS: 31 - 59 / $111.60 (-$6.40)

SPOT PLAYS: 13 - 59 / $140.34 (+$22.34)

BEST BET-HILLEXOTIC (10th)

SPOT PLAY-WINDSONG PIONEER (5th)

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

(4) ARIES BLUE CHIP comes in with four straight wins, including back-to-back in the Excelsior Series. (2) RIVER RANCH DAWSON closed well in a second-place finish in the Excelsior Series at Monticello and gets post relief off that effort. (3) MAGIC JOURNEY has just one finish outside the exacta in six outings thus far in 2026 and shows a local victory against NW2s back on June 16.

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Race 2 - New York Sire Stakes 3YO C&G Pace

(3) HUNT OFF THE PRESS doesn't have a win yet this year but gets an aggressive driver in Doug McNair to drive and avoids divisional leader Fragment. (4) KNOXVILLE also doesn't have to face Fragment tonight and won two straight in the sire stakes back in June. He also gets reunited with Tyler Buter. (2) HUNTING GLORY drew an inside post and was third in the race won by Fragment most recently at Monticello.

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

You probably don't need me to tell you (1) FRAGMENT is the one to beat, but I'm going to take a shot with (4) TWIN B MANHUNT, who is in good form and probably more importantly is a first-timer for a hot, high-percentage stable. (3) COOPERSTOWN BOY was the runner-up to FRAGMENT at Monticello on August 3 and switches drivers to McNair.

Race 4 - New York Excelsior Series 3YO C&G Pace

(1) KILLING JOKE departs from the pole tonight after he's had the seven-hole in his last four tries and won in the Excelsior Series twice back in June. (2) CASPER THE GHOST comes in with six straight finishes in the exacta, including a victory at Monticello most recently, and is reunited with Buter. (5) JOHNNY WIGGLES came in third to CASPER THE GHOST at Monticello but was victorious in back-to-back Excelsior Series efforts prior to that and co-owner McNair hops in the bike.

Race 5 - NAADA Summer Series Leg #9 Trot

(8) WINDSONG PIONEER will have to overcome the outside, but the last time he raced in an amateur event at Yonkers he tallied by open lengths on May 28. (1) PC FREE WHEELING starts from the pole and was a solid third in leg eight of this series a week ago. (5) IMA STANDUP GUY has been struggling with breaks but shows a victory in an amateur contest at Yonkers back in late March and races out of a stable that's sending out a lot of live horses right now.

Race 6 - 40000CLM Trot

(1) CREDIT CON gets significant post relief off an effort last week where he was game on the front-end before he finally gave way in the stretch. Trainer Joe Bongiono hops in the bike as well. (3) KAYS IN CHARGE saw his run of on-the-board finishes end when last seen on 7-30 but moves in a couple of notches on the gate and switches drivers to Brent Holland this time. (5) HAT TRICK MARLEAU enters with five consecutive finishes in the trifecta and got the nod from Jordan Stratton over KAYS IN CHARGE.

Race 7 - NW20000L5 / Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5 / NW10 PM Races LT / 60000CLM Trot

(7) CAMERA MAN drops a notch tonight off a race last week where he didn't get involved and was interfered with on the last turn. He gets a new driver in Bongiorno this time against a pretty wide-open group, and I'll hope for aggressive tactics like when he was second on 7-22. (3) BLACK VELVET AS invades from Pocono with back-to-back victories for a high-percentage stable and doesn't meet up with the toughest group for this class. (2) SEVEN LAYER got the nod from Austin Siegelman over my top selection and was third at this level on July 9.

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Race 8 - NW20000L5 / Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5 / NW10 PM Races LT / 60000CLM Trot

(2) ONAJETPLANE finally has an inside post here after nothing but mid-pack or outside posts in his lines, and hopefully that will allow him to break through for his first win of the year. (5) KILDARE KING is two-for-two since he joined the leading stable last month and was also victorious at Northfield prior to that. (4) MASSIVE DESIRE returned to his winning ways on July 30 and since he came to Yonkers has been a threat every time other than when he's made a miscue.

Race 9 - 40000CLM Trot

(2) WHISKEY PEDDLER drew post two tonight off back-to-back races where he's had the eight-hole and trainer Bongiorno takes over the driving like back in Race 6 with my top selection. (5) STACKING GREEN took one chance against F&M Invitational rivals last Thursday and now returns to the class where she won handily on July 30. (1) JAS BLUESTONE went down the road from post eight to defeat NW10000L5 company on the 31st of July and now slides all the way in on the gate to the pole position.

Race 10 - Invitational Trot

(4) HILLEXOTIC is on a quick turnaround after he raced in a stakes event at the Meadowlands on Saturday, but he's very fast off the gate and his form in the top class at Scioto speaks for itself. (1) SOUTHWIND COORS starts from post one and has missed the exacta just once in his last seven starts. (5) ASTEROID just missed by a nose in a NW30000L5 event that SOUTHWIND COORS was third in last Thursday and tallied in the Invitational back on June 4.

Race 11 - 40000CLM Trot

(3) RADIO LAB merits another chance tonight as he was second to a well-meant class dropper a week ago and starts from another good post for a stable that's been hot. (5) CLASSICAL JANE didn't threaten last Thursday but gets Buter back in the bike and had a recent run of four straight results in the exacta. (6) BELLISSIMO FACE S races out of the leading stable at the track and has posted a second and a third since he returned to action last month.