Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 9/16

MEET STATS: 187 - 653 / $1,067.00 (-$239.00)
BEST BETS: 33 - 61 / $113.20 (-$8.80)
SPOT PLAYS: 6 - 61 / $44.50 (-$77.50)
BEST BET - TEMPUS SEELSTER (5th)
SPOT PLAY - BAD MS JOHNSON (9th)

Race 1 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(7) SANDY'S BEACH has a barn change to Cory Stratton and was his brother Jordan's choice in here. History says she is much better chasing horses than trying to front them like last week, and I think she'll get to do that from this outside draw. (5) DONGAL RUNDLSCRK N sharpened her speed with a front-end try last Wednesday and should be a danger as she drops to the bottom level. (1) FOX VALLEY CHARLIZ scored her last victory in this class on 7-14 and made up a bunch of ground in the back-half of her race on 9-8 after getting interfered with by a breaker.

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Race 2 - NW2/25000LT Trot

(8) FIRST GUNNER won easily in one start for trainer Scott Di Domenico here on 8-26 and then was privately purchased again, which now has him in Ed Hart's barn. He does move all the way outside, but the fact he has 17 career victories while the others in here have one or two is impossible to overlook, and I will use him again. (5) CHROME PACKAGE had finished second or third in four of five efforts before getting wiped out in the same race by top pick won in late August. I will look for him to rebound. (2) SAN CRISTOBAL was the runner-up in his last race, but that was back on the 19th of August. Given that many of the others in here also have a bit of a gap in their schedules, I'll include.

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Race 3 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(8) MORNING HAS BROKEN took all the wagering attention in her debut for the Bongiornos a week ago but was handled conservatively and had to settle for fourth. She's stuck outside again here and Jason Bartlett takes the call since Joe isn't here, but I'll bank her being ready now with the start over the oval and swing. (2) ASHTINI gets a third shot against bottom level foes tonight and finally has an inside starting spot. (3) DIBABA N picked up her last win in this class in late June and returns to it after facing better in all her appearances since then.

Race 4 - NW4/50000LT Trot

(5) DA BOOGIE MAN finished a good second to a heavy favorite in Duchesspedia back on 8-19, and I like that he qualified at Monticello last week to perhaps give him an edge over some others in here that have gaps in their schedules. (4) FAWN DE TOUCH broke the first time she wore trotting hobbles on 8-5 but has won two straight since then, including over NW4's here on August 26. (8) YUCATAN PARTY MAN started his career 0-for-23 but has now won two straight. He gets reunited with Scott Zeron tonight.

Race 5 - F&M NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/15000CLM Pace

(7) TEMPUS SEELSTER dominated a group of NW5000L5's last Wednesday and definitely appeared capable of handling higher classes. (2) COWGIRL LILLY ships up from Harrah's Philadelphia and from the Jim King Jr. barn to Scott Di Domenico. That's a move we've seen work with other horses, and this one also probably finds an easier spot than that NW5-7 class down south. (5) BRING ME DIAMONDS was a solid second against NW5000L5's here back on July 29 and showed the ability to finish in the runner-up spot in Pocono's NW9000L5 class after that.

Race 6 - F&M NW10000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Pace

(4) TAKE ABIT OF LIFE picked up a confidence-building win versus NW8500L5's last Wednesday and had the good fortune to draw in off the also-eligible list into this event. (3) NEVERFORGETWHOUR was Stratton's choice of a couple in here and has a second and a win since returning to racing action last month. (1) ACEFORTYFOUR DOME lost Stratton's services tonight but paced a 27 and change final quarter on August 26 and scored her last win at this level on 7-22.

Race 7 - F&M Open Handicap Pace

(7) RACINE BELL avoids the eight-hole since there are only seven horses in this race, and I think she will wire this field. (4) SIESTA BEACH never got involved from an outside post on August 26 but she slides back to a mid-pack draw tonight and was able to beat Racine Bell and the rest of the Open mares on the 12th of August. (2) DBLDELITEBRIGADE N is in sharp form and gets an opportunity with Stratton driving from an inside slot tonight.

Race 8 - F&M NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/25000CLM/NW9 Pace

(2) MAJOR BATTLE comes back on a short turnaround as she was a fast-closing second to Warrawee Ubeaut in a quick mile at the Meadowlands on Saturday night. She raced well at Yonkers at this level prior to that, and I'll slot her on top. (6) BALFAST N steps up from the NW10000L5's after finishing second twice. I don't think this is the toughest NW15000L5 field, and she's going to get a driver switch to Stratton. (4) ITS MESMERISE N picked up checks in two of three chances against NW20000L5's and now gets some class relief here.

Race 9 - F&M NW20000L5/30000CLM/NW10 Pace

(2) BAD MS JOHNSON shows finishing fourth in the Open out at Scioto on 8-6 and now makes her second start out of a high-percentage barn from a much better post than the one she had at Pocono on September 5. (1) NATASHA is probably the one to beat in here as she's been racing very well after missing all of 2020 and gets an inside post to boot. (6) MAN DONTFORGET ME raced on Sunday (September 12) at Pocono, so I'm not sure if she's going to compete tonight or not, but if she does she certainly merits consideration since she was third and second in two shots at this level in mid-August.

Race 10 - F&M NW30000L5 Pace

(2) NORTH STAR IDEAL never threatened from post eight on 8-26, but she slides all the way inside to the pole position tonight, and I thought she raced very well two and three back. (2) MONICA GALLAGHER rebounded after a bad result on August 12 with a second-place finish to Seaswift Joy N in a subsequent appearance. (7) SNOBBYTOWN has a very solid history at Yonkers. She hasn't been able to take advantage of overnight starts in Pennsylvania lately, but maybe returning to the half-mile oval will get her on right path.

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Race 11 - NW6/75000LT Trot

(1) BABY MAKER HANOVER lost George Brennan to another one in here, but he won two back and then picked up positions and gained ground in the last quarter after getting shuffled back to the tail of the field last time out. (2) CAVALIER GEORGE won pretty handily in that same event my top pick comes out of and has the most victories in this field in 2021 with five. (6) FOCUS POCUS was third and then broke stride at 2-5 in two chances at this level at Yonkers back in July.

Race 12 - F&M NW20000L5/30000CLM/NW10 Pace

(2) YS TALLIA was third against NW30000L5's when last seen at Yonkers in late July, and those were two stout fields she ran into at Harrah's Philadelphia in her last pair. (4) ANGEL'S PRIDE took one shot against NW30000L5's on 8-26 and now gets to slide back down a notch. She was second in this class on August 12. (3) DANCE CLUB hasn't found the winner's circle in a bit, but she gained positions and ground in the final quarter in her last start.