Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 8/20/26

2026 MEET STATS: 157 - 589 / $1,055.20 (-$122.80)

BEST BETS: 33 - 62 / $117.88 (-$6.12)

SPOT PLAYS: 13 - 62 / $140.34 (+$16.34)

BEST BET - BACCHUS BLUE CHIP (2nd)

SPOT PLAY - HAND DOVER DAN (7th)

Race 1 - New York Excelsior Series 2YO C&G Pace

(2) BEACH PLAYIN has finished second in his last two tries, gets post relief off his most recent effort at Batavia and reunites with Jordan Stratton. (1) BLAST BLUE CHIP broke on 8-4 at Saratoga but was two-for-two prior to that and starts from the pole position. (5) WARDENSVILLE got the nod from Tyler Buter and has been out of the trifecta just twice in six appearances.

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Race 2 - New York Excelsior Series 2YO C&G Pace

(1) BACCHUS BLUE CHIP enters with back-to-back Excelsior Series wins and moves in from the six-hole in those triumphs to the pole tonight. (3) BABYLON BLUE CHIP hasn't missed the trifecta in five appearances and shows a pair of Excelsior Series victories. (4) ITS NEWS TO ME has a pair of seconds and a victory in his last three outings and gets post relief after he had the seven-hole last Wednesday at Batavia.

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

(2) MAN ON A HUNT comes in off a poor effort at Batavia but starts from the pole rather than the eight-hole and won the one time Todd McCarthy drove him at Vernon last month. (1A) PRIMACY STATION leads a powerful Travis Alexander-trained entry that was 1-2 last Wednesday at Batavia and will likely be heavily-favored. (4) ROSE RUN COWBOY tallied at Saratoga on August 4 and was the runner-up to PRIMACY STATION at Monticello prior to that.

Race 4 - New York Sire Stakes 2YO C&G Pace

I'm going to take the same approach in this race as the last one and go with (4) BEATLE BLUE CHIP, who didn't perform very well at Batavia but is one-for-one when McCarthy has driven him. (3) MY BODY GUARD showed talent in his races in Kentucky and had a bad post in his fifth-place finish at Batavia. (2) MARIE'S JET held on to defeat Primacy Station wen they met at Saratoga on August 4 and has the returning-from-injury Jason Bartlett in the bike.

Race 5 - New York Excelsior Series 2YO C&G Pace

(1) HUNT ME DOWN broke his maiden in style last Wednesday at Batavia and starts from the pole tonight, just like he did in that event. (2) TWIN B WILDFIRE won in the Excelsior Series at Buffalo and has a pair of seconds and a third in three efforts since then. (6) TAKES COURAGE looks like the one to beat given his 4-1-0 record in five appearances, but he does start from the outside and perhaps that will make him vulnerable.

Race 6 - NAADA Summer Series Leg #10 Trot

(5) WINDSONG PIONEER moves in from the eight-hole to post five in his debut for a new trainer tonight, and I expect won't have the same difficulty getting to the front that he did a week ago. (4) SHAKE N BAKE also slides in on the gate this time and has hit the board in four of his last seven appearances. (1) BACARDI was third in leg #9 of this series last Thursday and starts from the pole position.

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

(2) HAND DOVER DAN appeared to have trot in the stretch last week but was boxed behind a wall of horses. He should continue to offer value and hopefully is as sharp and can find clear sailing tonight. (4) MISSISSIPPI STORM double-drops in class out of the Invitational and was second at this level on 7-30. (5) HIGH SPEED SWAN has finished in the trifecta in six out of his last seven starts but has burned quite a bit of money in his last two, especially on 8-6 when he was second at 1-9.

Race 8 - 40000CLM Trot

(1) MON AMOUR debuts for new connections from the pole position tonight. He'll need to improve off his recent efforts, but I like to see Yannick Gingras taking over as he has a knack for getting the most out of trotters especially. (3) THE BRODSTER gets post and class relief and won by open lengths against $40,000 claimers two back. (6) JAS BLUESTONE had to settle for third as the favorite last Thursday but downed NW10000L5s handily from the eight-hole two back and kept Colin Kelly.

Race 9 - NW32881L5 / NW12 PM Races LT / 75000CLM / NW11 PM Races LT Draw Inside Trot

(2) OLIVER THE GREAT was fifth from an outside post in the Invitational last Thursday and gets to drop and move inside on the gate this time. (5) ASTEROID finished second to a well-meant favorite in the Invitational a week ago and came up just a nose short of winning at this level prior to that. (6) MY DEGENERATE held on to defeat ASTEROID when they met on August 6 and has won three straight overall.

Race 10 - 40000CLM Trot

(4) STACKING GREEN overcame a break behind the gate last week to finish second and won handily against $40,000 claimers back on 7-30. George Brennan has had success with this mare before and takes back over the driving tonight. (5) CREDIT CON doesn't have a win yet this year but has hit the board in four of his last five appearances, including a third at this level a week ago. (6) UNCLE RAT had a poor result at Vernon on July 24 but has done nothing but win other than that recently, as he did in this class last Thursday.

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Race 11 - F&M Invitational Trot

(1) BRAVO ANGEL S exits stakes company for the F&M Invitational, starts from the pole and gets Bartlett to hang around and drive. (3) MIRACLE MAVEN has a similar profile to BRAVO ANGEL S in that she's been in stakes action and gets reunited with Gingras. (7) ALWAYS A STORY has shown the ability to overcome the outside post and hit the board and faces just mares here after she met up with the boys in the Invitational a week ago.

Race 12 - 40000CLM Trot

(3) SENSI AMNESIA checked in fourth in her debut for this high-percentage stable last Thursday and moves in from the eight-hole to post three this time. (7) KAYS IN CHARGE has been first or second in six out of her last seven tries and gets reunited with Gingras. (6) WARRAWEE WHISPER put in an improved performance to finish second against $40,000 claimers a week ago and shows a handy victory back on June 18.