Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 8/20

MEET STATS: 127 - 375 / $764.80 (+$14.80)

BEST BETS: 22 - 38 / $79.30 (+$3.30)

SPOT PLAYS: 8 - 38 / $55.00 (-$21.00)

BEST BET-LADY DELA RENTA A (5th)

SPOT PLAY-HEREHECOMESAROCKIN (9th)

Race 1 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(2) LADY MAYA picked up Jordan Stratton at scratch time, and she's won a race this year, which not many of these can say. I'll go price-shopping and hope she can sit somewhere near the lead. (1) DALI DELIGHT hasn't won in over a year but is usable when she draws inside like tonight. I don't mind Joe Bongiorno taking over either, since he's aggressive and puts horses in position. (7) ACEFOURTYFOUR ALEX is a horse I've tried in recent weeks at Pocono, and she perked up with a much-improved effort last time. I won't take a short price from post seven on her, though, and will try and beat her this time.

Race 2 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(6) ANN HILL won at Yonkers back in the winter before the shutdown and held fourth despite being part of some wicked fractions last time out at Pocono. I'll hope Marohn Jr. can get her a little smoother trip this time. (1) TEAL HANOVER finished second at Pocono against optional $10,000 claimers, so this is a little bit of a bump up in class, but I respect her trainer-driver combo and she did have a winning qualifier over the oval on the 14th. (2) FAITHFUL DESIRE has been burning some money lately, but she is capable of winning being this low on the class ladder. She did score a victory over NW15000L5's at Yonkers on February 14 of this year.

Race 3 - F&M NW10000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/20000CLM Pace

(2) MY RONA GOLD N fell just a nose short of winning in this class back on June 30 and then had an impossible trip at Pocono. Her qualifier here against males was fine, and I'll take a shot with her. (6) GIRL'S GOT RHYTHM steps up a notch after beating NW5000L5's. She got on a big roll last year at Yonkers, winning four straight, so she has a history of success locally. (5) TAKE ABIT OF LIFE was never involved from post eight most recently but draws better tonight. She's another mare who owns a win over the oval.

Race 4 - F&M NW17500L5/30000CLM Pace

(3) TOPVILLE ANGELINA defeated the corresponding class to this one at Pocono on the 2nd of August and then closed well when bumped up a level. She might offer a bit of a price and was Siegelman's choice. (2) SHECANDANCE N has been racing well at Pocono since coming back east from Ohio and is a definite contender here, especially with a solid history at Yonkers. I thought she might get a little overbet, though, and will slot underneath. (7) CORAL BELLA would have been more interesting on the win end had she drawn a little bit better, but you're likely to get some value from post seven.

Race 5 - F&M NW25000L5/3&4YO NW10/40000CLM Pace

(4) LADY DELA RENTA A steps up after an easy win over NW17500L5's last Thursday. Given she won at the Open level last year at Yonkers, I don't think the class hike is a big deal and will use. (1) ROBYN CAMDEN ends up getting to drop after taking an upset win in the Preferred a week ago. That race did set up well for her, with a speed duel and the favorite hopelessly locked in, and I'll hope she doesn't have the same fortune this time. (7) DIAMONDTOOTHGERTIE gets the drop she's been looking for as she's been in the Open the last three times. She's stuck outside again, but maybe she can close and hit the ticket.

Race 6 - NW10000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/20000CLM Pace

(4) IDEAL COWBOY scored in a NW10000L5 just before racing had to go on hiatus in March and gets back to that level tonight by entering for the optional claiming tag. Bongiorno knows him well as his regular pilot, and I'll trust him to map out the winning journey. (2) DRAGONOLOGY drops and moves inside here. He won over NW10000L5's on 7-23 from first-over and is probably the one to beat. (5) RUNRUNJIMMYDUNN N came up second-best in this class last time out after working hard to get the lead and then taking first-over pressure in the third quarter. He picks up Bartlett's services tonight and certainly appears to be a contender.

Race 7 - NW17500L5/30000CLM Pace

(3) LIKE CLOCKWORK drew a couple bad posts in his last two, but he has an inside position tonight and was Marohn Jr.'s choice of a couple. He should have some value. (1) HARAMBE DEO will likely take plenty of action, but he's sort of trip and timing dependent on when he makes his move, so I'll hope maybe things don't go exactly his way tonight and try and beat him. (4) AMERICAN BOY N was a good third behind the classy Dealt A Winner when last seen on 7-26 at Harrah's Philadelphia. He was in the Open at Yonkers back in June and won here in early March.

Race 8 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(3) FOLLOWTHEWIND N entered for the optional claiming tag, so she gets to stick in this class she was victorious in on July 30. She should be on the lead again and I'll bank on her being too tough to pass. (1) MORE THAN MANY has been racing well with a second and a third against NW5000L5 in her last two. She was no match for Followthewind N in that common race on 7-30, but she does get to move to the pole position. (4) CERTIFIED IDEAL struggled at Pocono, but two back she closed well to get fourth at Yonkers and could add a bit of a price underneath with a similar performance.

Race 9 - NW10000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/20000CLM Pace

(1) HEREHECOMESAROCKIN didn't show much over at Pocono but picked up his last win against NW1000L5's at Yonkers in February, so I'll hope maybe returning to the half-mile gets him going the right way. He races out of the hot Travis Alexander barn and did retain Marohn Jr. over another one in here. (4) LONDON SEELSTER will likely be favored as he retreats out of the NW17500L5's after closing well and kept Bartlett over several others. (3) SPORTSKEEPER gets some post relief this time after starting from the seven-hole on the 31st of July, and that makes him much more attractive and usable.