Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 8/17

MEET STATS: 158 - 588 / $1,051.40 (-$124.60)

BEST BETS: 23 - 56 / $75.20 (-$36.80)

SPOT PLAYS: 12 - 57 / $156.60 (+$42.60)

BEST BET-KINGSVILLE (1st)

SPOT PLAY-AMBITIOUSBEACHBOY (10th)

Race 1 - NW8251L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace

(5) KINGSVILLE hasn't won since late March but double-drops out of the NW15000L5 class off a solid fourth-place finish most recently. (4) LOVE YOUR WORK A was racing well over at the Meadowlands against tougher foes and picks up Jason Bartlett in the bike. (1) ROLLING WITH SAM was third against NW10000L5's two and three starts back and gets reunited with Jordan Stratton this time.

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

Race 2 - NW7/75000LT Trot

I'm going to give (4) WANIA another chance this time as he had some late trot after sitting in a week ago and continues to provide wagering value for a high-percentage barn. (5) CREATIVE VENTURE has been second or third in five of his six outings in 2023 and I'll toss him in underneath again. (1) TAP ME BLUE CHIP starts from the pole for the third consecutive week and gets a chance to team up with Yannick Gingras.

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

Race 3 - NW6181L5/12500CLM Pace

(2) OAKWOODNITOWNIT IR finds the bottom level tonight and gets significant post relief to go with it. (1) HOMESTRETCH WES has a second and a win down at Harrah's Philadelphia since joining Jenn Bongiorno's barn and ships north here. (6) HE'S GONNA GETYA hit the board in this class back on 6-15 and just missed with a fourth on July 21. I'll throw him in since he'll offer some value.

Race 4 - NW4/50000LT Trot

(5) DOUBLE DIPPIN is two-for-three in overnight races this year and drops out of stakes company tonight. He also was Stratton's choice. (2) HEADOVERBOOTS AS now has 11 second-place finishes in 17 outings in 2023 after another runner-up finish a week ago. I'll slot him in that spot again here. (1) DAHLQUIST HANOVER got the job done against NW4's last Thursday and moves in from post six to the pole position. Dan Dube gets the drive with Stratton sticking with my top selection.

Race 5 - NW200001L5/NW10 PM Races LT Trot

(6) NO MAS DRAMA won the last time she raced in this class back on 6-22 and gets to team up with Joe Bongiorno again. I think she'll offer the best value of the logical ones, and I'll give her a shot. (5) SOUTHWIND ARTURO squeezed into this by a dollar as he has $20,000 earned in his last five starts. He's hit the board in four straight outings and gets reunited with Bartlett. (4) SWEET SOUL DAVID was completely empty on 8-3 but slides down another notch on the ladder and was third in the Open Handicap as recently as June 29. He was also George Brennan's choice.

Race 6 - 50000CLM Trot

(5) LINDSEY'S PRIDE performed well in this class earlier this year and I think it's a softer spot than the NW15000L5 Pop-Up Series he was in recently. He also gets post relief off his last effort and returns to the normal mile distance. (2) IN MY DREAMS has picked it up since that win on July 22 and was a good second to a well-meant winner in a $50,000 claimer a week ago. He also gets to partner with Bartlett again. (3) GRINDER finished third in the top level trot at Saratoga two starts back and then won in a subsequent effort. I think he fits in this spot and will include.

Race 7 - NW1/19521LT Trot

(6) STRATEGIC starts from an outside post again but has gained ground in both of his local efforts for trainer Paul Stafford, and hopefully will be close enough to rally past them tonight. (4) BRAYDEN VICTORIES was third in a NW2 test a week ago and drops to the NW1 level here. He has a win over NW2's at Pocono two back. (5) BEACON BEACH went a long way on the lead before ending up second in this class last Thursday. He makes his second start back after a layoff.

Race 8 - Open Handicap Trot

(3) NOWS THE MOMENT was one of the top dogs in the Open class prior to getting injured before his scheduled start on 4-27. I'll trust he's ready off the one easy win in an Invitational at Cumberland in Maine and give him top call. (4) STORMY KROMER has been sharp for quite a while and is definitely worth including. (6) HL REVADON steps up from the NW30000L5 class but won impressively last Thursday and gets co-owner Gingras in the bike again.

Race 9 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(5) GINGRAS BEACH owns just a one-for-22 mark in the win column this year but was second in this class on July 21 and gets reunited with Brennan against a beatable group. (4) GO DANCING A makes his fourth start out of the Shane Tritton barn and adds Bartlett. That was a strong final quarter in his most recent outing at the Meadowlands. (6) FOREVER FAV doesn't have much current form but was facing NW20000L5's as recently as late June and sometimes all it takes is a trip down to the NW5000L5's to wake up a horse.

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

Race 10 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(4) AMBITIOUSBEACHBOY slides down from the NW4 class to the bottom level, which I think he'll appreciate, and he hails from a barn that sends out plenty of live horses. (2) PRESTIGE SEELSTER hasn't won since coming in from Yonkers but did hit the board in both of his tries against NW5000L5's. He also gets reunited with co-owner Gingras. (1) MAXIMUS RED A takes a second crack at this level after finishing third two weeks ago. He has Bartlett to drive again.

Race 11 - 50000CLM Trot

(4) MISSION VOYAGE finished a solid third last Thursday and makes his second start back after a layoff tonight. (1) GAELIHILL held sway on the front-end a week ago to get a victory and moves inside on the gate to the pole position. (2) ABBEY D shows winning the Open at Scioto on July 21 and makes her first start on the East Coast for Scott Di Domenico here.