Yonkers: Analysis for Thursday 9/30

MEET STATS: 207 - 707 / $1,112.00 (-$238.70)
BEST BETS: 37 - 66 / $118.50 (-$7.70)
SPOT PLAYS: 7 - 66 / $44.50 (-$83.90)
BEST BET - JUXTA COWGIRL (1st)
SPOT PLAY - JESSIES OUTLAWED (4th)

Race 1 - F&M NW8175L5/Winner of Base Class NW7500L5 in Last Start/15000CLM Pace

(2) JUXTA COWGIRL ships in from Pocono after winning on the front-end in the corresponding class to this one. I think she can do the same thing against this bunch. (6) CLASSY CHAPEL N rallied to finish third last Thursday and seems to be back to being sharp again. (3) DIAMONDTOOTHGERITE steps up after beating a field of NW5000L5's a week ago. This isn't the toughest group at this level, so I think she's usable again.

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

Race 2 - NW4/52000LT Trot

(1) CHAPOLIER made an early break last week but recovered well to finish fifth. I'm going chalk his miscue up to the off track and give him a chance. (3) FIRST GUNNER hasn't done anything but win since coming in from Ohio and was very game last Thursday after having to deal with a stern first-over attack. (6) BIG BAD SWAN stayed on-stride a week ago, which was progress for him. He has an age advantage as the only 5-year-old in this race.

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

Race 3 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(4) A CRAFTY LADY owns a pretty good history at Yonkers. She won two back against NW4600L5's at Pocono and drops and gets post relief off her last effort over there. (2) DIBABA N took absolutely all the wagering action on 9-16 but broke stride before the start. She gets to stay at the NW5000L5 class here. (5) ROCKIN THE BOYS A slides down from the NW7500L5 level and did post a victory at Yonkers earlier this year.

Race 4 - NW1/15500LT Trot

(6) JESSIES OUTLAWED has spent his entire career in Indiana but has now come east to race for Steve Smith and Karen Garland. He has eight wins, but all of them are in non-wagering fair races, so he gets to compete against a field of mainly maidens tonight and has plenty of experience racing on half-mile tracks. (3) ORIGINAL SMOKEY posted his fifth straight on-the-board result a week ago when he was second to a heavy favorite. (5) VICTORY YANKEE invades from Pocono after posting a win in their NW2 class. He did start at Yonkers on 8-5 and broke, but he's had a trainer/driver change since then.

Race 5 - F&M NW10000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Pace

(5) TEMPUS SEELSTER improved to two-for-two since coming in from Hawthorne last time out, and she continues to look like a mare who will be able to move higher up the class ladder. (4) LYNBAR ROSE drops a notch after finishing third against NW15000L5's last Thursday and definitely has the look of a contender. (3) EDGE OF ETERNITY was fourth against NW15000L5's at Yonkers back on the 5th of August and has a trainer change to Nick Devita.

Race 6 - NW2/26250LT Trot

(2) GREG finally broke his maiden last Thursday in his 21st chance. I could definitely see him tallying again tonight now that he knows what that feeling is like. (4) BACARDI gets post relief tonight after he gained spots and ground in the final quarter a week ago. (3) INSANE CHANGE is one of just two 4-year-olds in here and has a trainer change to Nicole Dicostanzo. She's having a pretty good meet with eight victories from 42 starts.

Race 7 - F&M NW30000L5 Pace

(1) IMPRINCESSGEMMA A shows wins in both the Open and Preferred in her lines and should be tough to handle on the drop. (2) LOVELY DONNA hikes up two levels tonight after topping NW15000L5's a week ago, but she was very good in that effort and has experience racing at the Open level at Yonkers. (7) JIVE DANCING A is another one in this race sliding down from the Open. Dube is often aggressive with her when she gets into this class, and I could see him taking a shot.

Race 8 - NW4/50000LT Trot

(4) CREATIVE VENTURE returns from Harrah's Philadelphia after a win against their NW3 class and has been sharp since they put trotting hobbles on him back in late August. (3) DA BOOGIE MAN tallied against NW4's two back and then was a solid second to the red-hot First Gunner a week ago. (1) YUCATAN PARTY MAN was the runner-up in the the event Da Boogie Man won in on 9-16 and continues to move inside on the gate.

Race 9 - F&M NW15000L5/Winner in Last Start of the Base Class NW10000L5/25000CLM/NW9 Pace

(4) WALTZWITHSIERRA A is going to get another shot from me tonight as she drops again and had to do the first-over work last week after a soft half. (6) DELITFULCATHERIN N suffered her first defeat in the U.S. a week ago as she wound up second to Lovely Donna. She didn't have great cover, and Lovely Donna is a quality rival, so I don't think her reputation went down any. (3) LUCKY ARTIST A picked up spots and ground on 9-16 and gets to move inside on the gate after starting from post seven in her last two.

Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter

Race 10 - F&M Open Handicap Pace

(6) SIESTA BEACH would be sitting on an aggressive try tonight if the pattern holds where they've taken her back one week and then left with her the next. She does have the outside, but it's post six instead of the eight-hole. (5) DRAGON ROLL scored her first win at the Open level a week ago and knocked off the talented Racine Bell in doing so. (4) SNOBBYTOWN comes into this race with five straight second-place finishes, and I'll use underneath again.

Race 11 - NW6/75000LT Trot

(1) DUCHESSPEDIA dominated NW4's the last time she appeared at Yonkers on 8-19 and now has a barn change to Jenn Bongiorno and a driver change to Joe. (3) HOOLIE N HECTOR finished a closing second a week ago in this class, moves inside on the gate here, and was Jason Bartlett's choice. (2) DIFFIDENT has hit the board in two out of three chances in this class, and while she was rejected by Bartlett, she gets a great replacement in Jordan Stratton.

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

Other than one post seven start here on 8-19, (1) MAJOR BATTLE shows hitting the board in every appearance she's made since mid-May, and she should be able to get a similar trip to the one she won off of on September 16. (5) GOLDEN QUEST N was second the last time she got to race against NW20000L5's back in August and returns to the level here after facing better. (2) HEAVENS SHOWGIRL A is a horse I've used with zero success both locally and at the Meadowlands. I respect that George Brennan stayed with her over a Ron Burke horse in this race, but I need to see more out of her.