Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 8/15
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MEET STATS: 178- 619 / $1,071.10 (-$166.90)
BEST BETS: 31 - 59 / $141.20 (+$23.20)
SPOT PLAYS: 7 - 59 / $88.40 (-$29.60)
BEST BET - TEMPVILLE (5th)
SPOT PLAY - STEUBEN HANOVER (11th)
Race 1 - New York Excelsior "A" Series 3YO Filly Pace
(2) SHINE ON SUSAN drew well here after a couple of outside posts at Batavia and Monticello in her last two efforts. I'll look for the inside post to make a difference tonight, and she did have a couple of victories in th Excelsior "A" Series back in June. (4) OBJ has hit the board in three straight outings and gets a driver switch to Jason Bartlett. (6) VILLANNAH shows winning half of her ten starts thus far in 2024 and she's been out of the top three just once. Tyler Buter teamed up with her for a third-place result at Monticello on 8-5 and is at the controls again.
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Race 2 - New York Sire Stakes 3YO Filly Pace
(1) A FEW CHOICE WORDS didn't have much of a chance from an outside post at Monticello last time out but won two straight in the sire stakes prior to that and was a gaining fourth against open company in the Park MGM Pace when she last appeared at Yonkers on June 28. (2) SHE'S EPIC won a sire stakes division at Batavia on the 27th of July and has been in the trifecta in three straight appearances overall. (4) HUNTING HULA has gotten along well with driver Mark MacDonald in her last two efforts as she's been third at Batavia and second at Monticello. I'll include.
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Race 3 - Amateur Race for Winners Over 5000L5 Trot
(5) STICK WITH ME KID has won five in-a-row and driver Andrew Adamczyk has been doing very well in these amateur races. This horse was also his choice over one he won with at Yonkers last week. (2) INFINITY STONE partnered with Adamczyk for a victory a week ago but lost him to my top selection this time. I'll put him underneath this time based on that. (1) FANATIC didn't have any chance from the eight-hole on 8-1 but was racing well prior to that. He moves all the way to the pole position here and picks up a very capable pilot in Yogi Sheridan.
Race 4 - New York Sire Stakes 3YO Filly Pace
(4) TARRIFIC just missed the track record last time out at Monticello in a strong performance, and I think she's just too fast for the rest of these right now. (3) AVYANNA captured her sire stakes division at Monticello and is making her third start for leading trainer Travis Alexander. (6) CAMERICAN was third to TARRIFIC at Monticello when they met last Monday but did win the Park MGM Pace the last time she was at Yonkers in late June.
Race 5 - New York Excelsior "A" Series 3YO Filly Pace
(2) TEMPVILLE is on a lengthy run of great form, including five tallies in her last six tries. She drew well tonight and has Buter driving again, so I'll put her on top. (3) LADY SATURN hasn't been outside of the exacta in 11 starts this year, posting eight wins and three seconds. She had to settle for runner-up results behind TEMPVILLE at both Batavia and Monticello in her most recent tries, and I think the same will happen here. (1) PETROL QUEEN enters off a victory in the Excelsior "A" Series at Monticello last Monday and gets a driver switch to Yannick Gingras.
Race 6 - F&M Invitational Trot
(6) TIPSY MONI moves back to facing just mares tonight after beating the boys in the Invitational Trot two weeks ago. She's been pretty much unbeatable in this class all year. (3) CANTKEEPMIASECRET continued her winning ways in the F&M Invitational Trot last Thursday but didn't have to face TIPSY MONI in that one. (1) DIAMANTE TRIO IT showed speed but made a break on the first turn a week ago. She moves inside on the gate to the pole position and should have every chance to work out an up-close trip.
Race 7 - Invitational Trot
I'll give (6) STORMY KROMER another chance here as he had some trot in the lane behind a runaway winner last week and gets another chance with Bartlett in the bike. (3) PAPPARDELLE returned to action with a victory in the top level trot at Harrah's Philadelphia last Thursday. He's had plenty of success at this oval in the past, too. (4) TAKE ALL COMERS hasn't been out of the top three in any of his appearances in the Invitational Trot at Yonkers this year and gets to move in on the gate some from his last try on 8-1.
Race 8 - NW20000L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5/NW10 PM Races LT/60000CLM Trot
(4) KHAOSAN ROAD won the Invitational on 7-25 and gets to double-drop in class tonight. He switches drivers to Dan Dube and should be pretty tough. (2) RITSON was third at this level a week ago. He had a bit of a gap in his schedule coming into that effort and makes his second start out of Noel Daley's stable. (7) STORMONT DIVIDE drew the outside post but has been racing well and gets another shot with Gingras in the seat.
Race 9 - Amateur Race for Winners Over 5000L5 Trot
(3) VOYAGE TO PARIS owns a win and a second since moving over to the amateur races. He was defeated by (6) SKYWAY PROFESSOR a week ago, but VOYAGE TO PARIS has a post edge this time, and I'll look for that to be the difference. SKYWAY PROFESSOR does have Adamczyk in the bike, which you have to respect. (1) VELOCIRAPTOR ships east from Northfield off a victory in his last appearance at that half-mile oval and starts from the pole.
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Race 10 - 3-5YO 30000CLM Pace
(3) SURFRIDER was victorious in this class two back and then was a solid second against a well-meant winner last Thursday. He gets some post relief this time and Buter hops in the bike. (4) TWO FACED shows a pair of victories at this level. Trainer Scott Di Domenico was successful with this horse back on July 22 and has him back tonight after claiming him out of his second-place effort on 8-5. (5) LAST POUND comes off a sick scratch, but he was third to SURFRIDER when they met on the 29th of July and trainer Gil Garcia-Herrera has been sending out some live horses recently.
Race 11 - 40000CLM Trot
(2) STEUBEN HANOVER went a long way on the front-end before ending up third in a $40,000 claimer back on 7-25 and returns to Yonkers tonight from Pocono. He has post relief off his last effort and gets a driver switch to Buter. (4) PC FREE WHEELING shows a victory over my top pick in that race on July 25 and was second last Thursday. As mentioned above, trainer Gil Garcia-Herrera's horses are pretty live right now overall. (5) TOP ME OFF got the nod from Brent Holland over PC FREE WHEELING. He was fourth as the favorite in a $40,000 claimer a week ago but should offer a better price here.

