Yonkers: Analysis for Wednesday 3/24

MEET STATS: 45 - 160 / $268.60 (-$51.40)
BEST BETS: 8 - 16 / $29.80 (-$2.20)
SPOT PLAYS: 2 - 16 / $9.90 (-$22.10)
BEST BET - PANTHER TIME (6th)
SPOT PLAY - FEAR MY SHADOW (10th)

Race 1 - F&M NW2/28000LT Pace

(3) POWERED BY MACH got a start over the track a week ago, and I will look for some improvement tonight after that. She had a tough first-over grind, so I can excuse that she faded in the last quarter, and she gets a new driver in Jim Marohn Jr. (2) CHELSKI went pretty quick fractions on the lead last Wednesday and got caught. She has hit the board in her last seven, so she's very difficult to leave out. (1) UPTOWN CALLIE returns to Yonkers after making several starts at the Meadowlands. I think she could sit a cozy, inside trip here and hit the board.

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Race 2 - NW10000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Trot

(3) HAMMER CREEK drew an inside post tonight after a good try on the lead from the seven-hole last Wednesday. He was not Mark MacDonald's choice, but Brent Holland won with him back on 1-27 and returns to the bike here. (4) FULL RIGHTS picked up a couple of confidence-building wins at lower levels in his last pair and is probably the one they'll have to beat again tonight. (5) NEW HEAVEN beat NW15000L5's on the 29th of January, so he's definitely got enough class to contend against this group.

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Race 3 - NW5450L5/12500CLM Trot

(3) ASKMELATER HANOVER drops and gets considerable post relief this week. This horse got very hot in the fall and winter last year, winning seven straight, including once over NW4 company at Yonkers. (6) SHOWMEYOURGUNS hit the board in his two chances against NW5000L5's in February and returns to the level here after facing NW7500L5's in his last pair. (4) LADY EAGLE faded after sitting a pocket trip behind Full Rights last Wednesday. She retreats to the bottom class here, and that could help her chances of getting a win.

Race 4 - F&M NW6/75000LT / F&M NW9/100000LT Drawn Outside Pace

(5) MAJOR BATTLE delivered a solid win in this class last Wednesday and gets another crack at it here. The combination of driver Todd McCarthy and trainer Jenny Melander has been very potent, and they team up here. (7) NORTH STAR IDEAL gained a bunch of ground in the last quarter with a solid kicker in the same race my top pick exits. She's raced closer to the pace before, so driver Jordan Stratton has some options. (6) ALII NUI appears she's going to exit the Blue Chip Matchmaker Series tonight. I wasn't 100 percent sure what to do with her, as this is obviously a much easier spot than that, but ultimately decided to include.

Race 5 - NW5000L5 Trot

(6) ER SOPHIA picked up two checks against NW6's since coming over from Monticello, and now she drops down to the NW5000L5's. I think that puts her in the hunt as a win threat, and she also wound up getting Stratton to drive. (2) CON AIR HALL slides inside on the gate and also exits the NW7500L5's. He hit the board in a couple shots at this level on 2-24 and 3-3. (3) TOTAL DIVA is another one with considerable post and class relief working in her favor.

Race 6 - M Life Rewards Gents Series Consolation Pace

(2) PANTHER TIME just missed out on making the final of this series, but he appears to be one of the main dangers in the consolation. He hasn't won yet for Joe and Jenn Bongiorno, but I'll look for that to change here. (5) MY PAL JOE surprisingly struggled in the preliminary legs of this event and has to settle for trying to salvage a win in the consolation. I wouldn't be surprised if he woke up tonight, but I think you have to try and beat him on top. (4) ODDS ON BREXIT paced two good final quarters in his last pair and could add some value underneath.

Race 7 - M Life Rewards Gents Series Final Pace

I think there's destined to be pace to chase with the big money on the line in this race, setting it up for the closers. The best one of those, in my opinion, is (6) SCOOTNROLL, who had two wins and a fourth in his preliminary legs. (2) CIGAR SMOKING TONY looks like he could be sitting chilly somewhere near the pace from this inside draw, and he picked up some confidence with a victory last Wednesday. If (7) DRAGON SAID is as good tonight as he was in round one of this event, he'll probably be impossible to beat, but I'll hope the outside post equalizes things out, and that the others can beat him.

Race 8 - NW7500L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5/15000CLM Trot

(5) CRAZYCAT owns many wins in his career at Yonkers, and I think he's well-spotted from a class standpoint tonight. (4) BULLY BOY steps up after a crunching victory over NW5000L5's last Wednesday and is another contender for the McCarthy/Melander duo. (1) INNISFALLEN backed up his triumph at the Meadowlands two back with a third-place result on the front-end here at Yonkers a week ago and has the pole position here.

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Race 9 - NW10000L5/Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW7500L5/20000CLM Trot

(1) WINDSONG PIONEER prevailed the last time he met up with NW10000L5's on 2-10, and I have to think he'll be getting an aggressive drive from post one with Dan Dube at the controls. (4) AFTER ALL PAUL rebounded after breaking stride on 2-26 with a gaining third-place effort against NW15000L5's on March 12. He gets to drop here and gets reunited with Scott Zeron. (5) BLUE AND BOLD has gone off-form a bit in his last few, but I think he could get back on track tonight as he makes his way down the class ladder.

Race 10 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(4) FEAR MY SHADOW did some nice work at Freehold before that start at the Meadowlands were they just went too fast for her, especially in the third quarter. I think this is a much more reasonable spot, she picks up Zeron's services, and I'll hope she offers some value. (5) AFFLUENT SEELSTER is up for sale tonight as she's in for the claiming tag. She won the last time she raced in this class on 2-10, so don't be surprised if a strong performance is looming. (3) DEWAR N SODA was able to make just one start last year. She's had success at Yonkers in the past, and the connections might look to strike while she's able to race given the time off.