Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 8/3

MEET STATS: 150 - 542 / $1,017.70 (-$66.30)
BEST BETS: 20 - 52 / $64.60 (-$39.40)
SPOT PLAYS: 11 - 53 / $154.40 (+$48.40)
BEST BET - EARTHWINDFIRE (4th)
SPOT PLAY - PARTY LOUNGE (6th)

Race 1 - NW30761L5/NW12 PM Races LT Trot

(4) SWEET SOUL DAVID won the last time he was in against NW30000L5's on June 1 and gets to drop after competing in the Open since then. (3) NO MAS DRAMA gained some spots and ground in the final quarter on 7-20 and gets to move inside after having the eight-hole in that effort. She also gets reunited with Joe Bongiorno. (2) HL REVADON broke on the second turn two weeks ago but won comfortably at this level before then.

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Race 2 - Open Trot

(5) STORMY KROMER kept Jason Bartlett over a Per Engblom horse in here, which doesn't happen often, and he's the only proven commodity at the Open level at Yonkers in this contest. (2) OH BOY is very sharp and was just claimed by a barn in Julie Miller's that rarely dabbles in the claiming game, which is a positive sign to me. (3) WHAT SHOULD I GOO dominated NW30000L5's last time out and takes her first crack at the top class tonight.

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Race 3 - NW22691L5/NW10 PM Races LT Trot

(3) SOUTHWIND ARTURO drops a notch on the ladder after finishing second in a NW30000L5 race on July 20. He does lose Bartlett but picks up a solid replacement in Bongiorno. (2) NEWSBOY dominated two back and then had little chance from an outside post in a subsequent effort. He gets to move back to an inside slot here and gets reunited with Bartlett. (4) WILLY WALTON has found his form again and races at the standard mile here after competing in added-distance races in his last two efforts.

Race 4 - New York Sire Stakes 3YO Filly Pace

(5) EARTHWINDFIRE won the Park MGM Pace final against Open company when last seen at Yonkers and is already three-for-three in the NYSS program this year. (1) TRUE BLUE HANOVER gets away from a tough foe in Twin B Joe Fresh that she's had to compete against in her last two outings and starts from the pole. She was second in her elim and fifth in the Park MGM Pace final. (6) TURN ON THE CHARM has been racing great all year and is another one who was in the Park MGM Pace back in June, with a fourth in her elim and a third in the final.

Race 5 - 50000CLM Trot

(1) CAPSTONE makes his second start out of Travis Alexander's barn tonight and did make up some ground in the final quarter two weeks ago. He also had a little gap in his schedule coming into that race. Add starting from the pole and picking up Brian Sears, and I'll use. (5) CANTKEEPMIASECRET has been sharp for quite a while other than the breaking effort on June 22. She closed well to finish third in the race won by PERRON two weeks ago. (7) PERRON is three-for-three since joining the $50,000 claiming ranks but does move out from post one to the seven-hole.

Race 6 - New York Excelsior "A" Series 3YO Filly Pace

(5) PARTY LOUNGE has one of my favorite angles as she's being driven by Joe Bongiorno for the first time for trainer Ron Burke. She closed with plenty of pace at Tioga last time out and could offer some value given the presence of (4) HIGH FASHION STAR, who won in the Excelsior A Series at Tioga on 7-23 and scored three times at Yonkers back in April and May. (2) FREESTARFLIGHT won impressively in the Excelsior A Series two back at Vernon Downs and trainer Blake MacIntosh had a winner in Excelsior "A" Series action for 2-year-old filly pacers at Yonkers last week.

Race 7 - New York Sire Stakes 3YO Filly Pace

(6) SOUTHWIND BELLA starts from the outside post but had an easy win in the NYSS on the half-mile track at Saratoga in June and finished third most recently at Tioga despite having a gap in her schedule. I'll put her on top. (2) VIVIANS DREAM has a quick turnaround as she faced open company in the Adioo Volo at The Meadows on Saturday. She didn't show much in that event but hasn't missed the board in the NYSS program in 2023. (3) ROCK MY SOCKS was caught up in a speed duel at Tioga and tired. She was performing well prior to that, though, and gets reunited with Bartlett.

Race 8 - New York Excelsior "A" Series 3YO Filly Pace

(4) LINEMUP KNOCKMBACK was second in the Excelsior "A" Series at Tioga on July 23 and trainer Nick Devita is putting his share of live horses on the track right now. She makes her third start back after a short layoff tonight. (3) LIGHT AND TIGHT returns to the Excelsior "A" Series here after getting parked out and tiring against top-level sire stakes foes at Tioga. She was second at Vernon two back as a heavy favorite. (6) TEAM COLORS has hit the board in four of her five Excelsior "A" Series efforts thus far in 2023 and gets another chance to team up with Scott Zeron.

Race 9 - NW1/12500LT Trot

(1) CHEF ROCCO just missed by a nose in a good effort two Thursdays ago. He has Bartlett to drive again, and trainer Ray Schnittker is sending out a lot of live horses right now. (3) FLARES ZIVA was third in the same race that CHEF ROCCO exits and recently added Lasix for the Devita barn. (6) DARK MIND ships north from Harrah's Philadelphia off back-to-back second-place finishes in their NW1 class and catches a group he can contend against for the hot Noel Daley barn.

Race 10 - NW6/75000LT Trot

(5) SQUARED AWAY taliled impressively here at Yonkers against NW4's on 6-22 and has backed that up with a second in a PA Sire Stakes division and another victory at Harrah's Philadelphia against some tough company since then. (3) IN A TINY WAY came up just a head short of winning in two efforts against NW6's and NW7's at Yonkers back in June and July. (6) CREATE MYSTIQUE scored in her debut for Joe and Jenn Bongiorno on July 20 and if anything, horses often improve in their second starts out of the barn.

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Race 11 - 50000CLM Trot

(2) TOCCOA FALLS rallied to win a qualifier over a very good foe in Lovedbythemasses at the Meadowlands on July 15. Lovedbythemasses exited that event and won easily at Harrah's Philadelphia on 7-23, so that makes that result even more impressive, and this horse won two straight at Yonkers in June. (6) SMALLTOWNTHROWDOWN gives Devita another contender on the card as he's hit the board in six consecutive tries and just had a four-race win streak. (1) VALI HANOVER has shown the ability to score in this class and goes for new connections after being claimed on the 20th of July.

Race 12 - 3-5YO Open Pace

(2) SIMON SAYS HANOVER put in another solid effort to finish third in this class on July 13 and moves inside on the gate off that mile. (4) ULTIMAROCA has won three straight races, including at this level in his most recent performance. (1) KOMODO BEACH was favorite in the contest that ULTIMAROCA exits but had to settle for third. He'll probably offer a better price this time around.