Yonkers: Analysis for Wednesday 3/20

MEET STATS: 50 - 164 / $304.80 (-$23.20)
BEST BETS: 9 - 16 / $37.10 (+$5.10)
SPOT PLAYS: 3 - 16 / $34.00 (+$2.00)
BEST BET - CAL MILES N SHELL (6th)
SPOT PLAY - LYONS PRIDE (3rd)

Race 1 - 20000CLM Pace

(5) MISSILE SEELSTER has been plagued with bad posts for a while and has also been racing in higher classes both here and Pocono. He has a mid-pack slot tonight and hopefully that can result in a better trip and a win. (7) CAPTAIN T HANOVER hit the board again in this class a week ago and is very sharp for a barn that's sending out lots of live horses across the East Coast. He also gets a driver switch to Jason Bartlett. (1) STOP STARING drops out of age-restricted $30,000 claimers and starts from the pole here. The last time he was at this level, he won on February 7.

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Race 2 - F&M NW2/25000LT Pace

(3) HURRIKANEAPHRODITE toured the oval from post eight on 3-6 in her first start of 2024. She was in nothing but NYSS races as a 2-year-old, so I take it the connections must have thought pretty highly of her, and perhaps she'll be sharper with that try under her belt. (1) FREAKY went two-for-two down at Rosecroft in Maryland to begin her career and now ships north and into Linda Toscano's barn. I expect she'll be a heavy favorite. (5) URUSULA BLUE CHIP has hit the board in two straight at long odds and I'll toss her in underneath in the hopes she can do that again for value.

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Race 3 - 15000CLM Pace

(3) LYONS PRIDE doesn't show much in the way of current form over at the Meadowlands but his two best races this year across the river were against $15,000 claimers and he gets a driver switch to Joe Bongiorno. (5) DAAMERICANSKY has a win and a second at this level since Bartlett hopped aboard and he has the assignment again here. (2) COALITION HANOVER was fourth two weeks ago in his first start back after a bit of time off and I expect he'll be sharper tonight.

Race 4 - 20000CLM Pace

(1) JOJO'S PLACE takes a second crack at this class tonight and, more importantly, moves from post eight to the pole position off a race where he did have some pace in the final quarter. (4) SMOKIN BY N held sway on the front-end to win at this level a week ago and wasn't claimed. Trainer Dennis Laterza has two victories and a second in his last three tries with this horse. (5) SWAGASAURUSREX steps up from the $15,000 claimers but does so off a hard-fought first-over win last Wednesday for a high-percentage stable.

Race 5 - F&M Winners of 3 but not more than 5 PM Races or 60000LT Pace

(1) FORTUNADA had a good enough season last year to make the Indiana Sires Stakes Super Final and when she came east to Yonkers, she was facing NW20000L5 foes. She had a good enough qualifier to get ready over at Pocono on 3-6 and I'll use from the pole and with Bartlett. (6) CANNERY ROW finished with plenty of pace to finish second against NW4 foes over at Pocono in her 2024 debut on March 12 and has raced well at Yonkers before in her career. (2) DEVILISH DREAMS comes in with two straight on-the-board finishes in this class and gets some post relief this time.

Race 6 - NW2/25000LT Trot

(4) CAL MILES N SHELL was loaded with trot in the final quarter against tougher foes a week ago and vaulted from eighth to third. He moves inside on the gate this time, and while all that value will be gone, I will stick with him. (1) ENERGY KING comes over from Pocono where he was fourth in his first outing of 2024 on March 5. He adds Bartlett tonight from the pole and could be tighter with the start under his belt. (2) TITAN YOUR GRIP made the New York Sire Stakes final a year ago and hit the board in five of eight appearances. His comeback qualifier at Pocono on the 13th of March was a solid, front-end victory.

Race 7 - F&M NW2/25000LT Pace

(2) OAKWOOD DYNASTY IR came up completely empty at 4-5 two weeks ago, but I think that'll only inflate her price tonight, and she did qualify well on February 23 behind a mare who has hit the board in two straight against tougher company. (1) VARSITY BLUE CHIP looms as the one to beat again tonight as she's riding a three-race win streak in this class and gets significant post relief. (3) SILKEN SMILE returns from Pocono after another on-the-board finish over there and gets a new driver with Jordan Stratton taking the lines.

Race 8 - Winners of 2 but not more than 5 PM Races or 60000LT Trot

(5) THE BALLYKEEL DEAL makes her second local appearance tonight. She was an even seventh last week, but I'm going to expect a more aggressive approach and better performance here from a slightly better post as trainer Travis Alexander is sending out lots of live horses right now. (7) ENOLA posted her first victory of 2024 at Pocono on 3-9. She has been at Yonkers before, too, and tallied over NW4 foes in early November of last year. (1) CASSIUS HANOVER turned a pocket trip into a score in a similar class a couple weeks ago and moves to the pole tonight for Pat and Mike Lachance.

Race 9 - 15000CLM Pace

(4) MISTER SPOT A advanced from last to fifth in the back-half of his race last Wednesday. He moves inside on the gate after having the eight-hole in that event and shows a win at this level back in early February. (5) PRESTIGE SEELSTER gives the Laterza barn another contender on the program as he was victorious in this class a week ago and shows three other triumphs in his lines. (2) OURRHYTHMNBLUES N finished fourth last Wednesday in his first outing since February 21. He slides inside on the gate and gets to partner with Bartlett again here.

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Race 10 - Winners of 6 but not more than 9 PM Races or 155725LT Trot

(3) SEVENSHADESOFGREY showed some trot in the stretch last week in his first try back after some time off. Trainer Ricky Bucci has been doing well lately with some other trotters in his barn and George Brennan is going to take over the driving this time. (4) MANCLANE scored at this level back on 2-21 and had to do the first-over work before fading last Wednesday. He gets a new pilot with Bongiorno going in the seat. (6) BONTONI DEGATO S returned to his victorious ways last Wednesday on the front-end, and when this horse got hot earlier in 2024, he reeled off several tallies in-a-row.

Race 11 - NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(1) CAVIART SARGENT looks like he has a similar profile to his stablemate back in race four that I put on top as he is taking a second crack at this bottom level from the pole position after having pace in the final quarter from the five-hole when last seen on 3-7. (3) ROLLWITHPAPAJOE is back with Joe and Jenn Bongiorno as he resumes his 8-year-old campaign. They've had lots of success with this horse in the past and he closed with pace in his local qualifier on March 8. (2) HEISMAN PLAYER is just one-for-30 in the win column over the last two seasons but does get significant post relief here after having two seven-holes and the eight=hole in three starts since late January.