Yonkers: Analysis for Wednesday 4/17

MEET STATS: 63 - 233 / $395.20 (-$70.80)
BEST BETS: 15 - 23 / $61.70 (+$15.70)
SPOT PLAYS: 4 - 23 / $46.20 (+$0.20)
BEST BET - TAKE A GAMBLE (8th)
SPOT PLAY - DYLADMAR (9th)

Race 1 - 15000CLM Pace

(5) ART SCENE returns to the $15,000 claiming level tonight and doesn't have the eight-hole like he's had in his last two tries. He gained spots and ground in the final quarter when he raced in this class on 3-27. (6) SWAGASAURUSREX tallied against $15,000 claiming company on March 13 and is another horse coming out of a race where he had post eight. (3) LYONS JOHNNYJNR was third a week ago against $15,000 claimers. He gets a chance to team up with Yannick Gingras here.

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Race 2 - John Brennan Series Leg #2 Trot

(4) SEA CAN closed with some trot in the fastest division of this series last week and makes his second start of the year tonight. (2) IMMANUEL K S just missed against a 1-9 favorite a week ago and gets post relief off that mile. (1) FERRETTI had to settle for second as the favorite in his split of this event last Wednesday. He did have to do the first-over work into a slow pace and had a bit of a gap in his schedule coming into that tilt.

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Race 3 - John Brennan Series Leg #2 Trot

(4) OPTRIX, (1) WICKENBURGH and (3) COVENTRY HALL finished first, second and third when they faced off in the same division a week ago, and I'm going to bank on that result happening again. I think (4) OPTRIX should be sharper here in his second outing of 2024.

Race 4 - F&M NW2/25000LT Pace

(5) BATH BOMB is making her career debut tonight but has two eye-catching qualifiers out of town, and I'll use. (1) OAKWOOD DYNASTY IR picked up her first win in the U.S. last Wednesday. She has the pole and Gingras back in the bike again here in the same class. (2) GROOVY JANE ANN ships in from Monticello with two straight victories, and I'll hope she performs better than she did at Yonkers back on March 20.

Race 5 - 15000CLM Pace

(2) ITALIAN DELIGHT N was pretty good last week, finishing second despite an extended first-over journey. He slides inside on the gate here and is back on a regular weekly schedule. (1) LYONS PRIDE should be full of confidence after a front-end victory in this class last Wednesday. He defeated my top pick in that tilt. (4) DAAMERICANSKY has hit the board in four of his last five outings and was Brent Holland's choice.

Race 6 - John Brennan Series Leg #2 Trot

(3) MOHATU AS flashed some trot in the stretch last week after sitting in and taking a shuffle. He's making his second start of 2024 tonight, and I'll look for him to be sharper. (1) WARRAWEE YANG is riding a five-race win streak and looms as a heavy favorite again from the pole. (4) CRISTAL TRIO IT was two-wide early last week and stopped past the half. She was much better in her two starts before that, and I'll look for a bounce-back.

Race 7 - Winners of 3 but not more than 5 PM Races or 60000LT / NW2 or 25000LT Draw Inside Trot

(2) MAGIC MELVIN picked up a check in a division of the Weiss Series over at Pocono on 4-8. This is his second appearance of 2024 tonight and Gingras takes over the driving. (6) EL MISSION GODDESS was a closing second in this class last Wednesday and defeated NW4's at Pocono prior to that. (7) SIR PINOCCHIO won the NY Excelsior A Series final for 2YO male trotters in 2023 and qualified well twice at Pocono. He was Jason Bartlett's pick over my top selection.

Race 8 - 3-6YO Open Pace

(1) TAKE A GAMBLE scored in the top level Invitation on 4-8 and faces age-restricted foes tonight. He's had plenty of success in this class before and should be tough, especially with the pole. (5) ADAM TWELVE finished third in the race won by TAKE A GAMBLE on March 8 and I'll include underneath. (6) DOWNRIGHTDELICIOUS swept to an impressive win against NW20000L5 rivals on the 9th of March. He had a gap in his lines coming into that race, too.

Race 9 - John Brennan Series Leg #2 Trot

(2) DYLADMAR trotted home evenly and was fourth in his division of the first leg. He gets some post relief off that performance tonight and does have some prior success on half-mile tracks. (7) TACHYON starts from the outside but won the fastest division of leg one. He has a new pilot with Gingras taking over. (1) CASSIUS HANOVER hasn't been outside the top three in any of his six efforts thus far in 2024 and has the pole.

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Race 10 - John Brennan Series Leg #2 Trot

(4) BY THE BOOK passed foes in the final quarter from a poor draw in his division of leg one. Hopefully this improved post will allow for a more aggressive approach as this horse has been very good at the top level up at Saratoga. (6) ROYALTY BEER broke through for his first win of 2024 in his split of the opening round and is definitely capable of repeating. (1) BONTONI DEGATO S starts from the pole again and was second to ROYALTY BEER a week ago in another good effort.

Race 11 - 20000CLM Pace

(6) OZONE BLUE CHIP tumbles down the class ladder out of the $40,000 claimers, and I'll look for that to result in a winning performance. (3) PRESTIGE SEELSTER got parked out last Wednesday and tired. He had won two straight prior to that, though, and gets an improved post to work with tonight. (1) IMABEACHBOY moves up from the $15,000 claimers but has won two in-a-row and drew well again.