Yonkers: Analysis for Wednesday 4/24

MEET STATS: 71 - 256 / $425.30 (-$86.70)
BEST BETS: 16 - 25 / $65.80 (+$15.80)
SPOT PLAYS: 4 - 25 / $46.20 (-$3.80)
BEST BET - ROYALTY BEER (7th)
SPOT PLAY - SMOKIN BY N (11th)

Race 1 - 15000CLM Pace

(3) MACHAHOLIC showed some improvement two weeks ago in his second effort for trainer Per Engblom, and I will look for him to put it all together tonight against a beatable group. (1) LYONS JOHNNYJNR just missed by a head last Wednesday. He starts from the pole here and gets to partner with Yannick Gingras again. (7) PRESTIGE SEELSTER gave the $20,000 claimers a couple of tries but didn't have any success. He starts from a bad post but won at this level twice in March.

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Race 2 - F&M Winners of 3 but not more than 5 PM Races or 60000LT Pace

(3) HONEY LOVE ships north from Rosecroft out of their Open. She had a recent four-race win streak, picks up Gingras, and races out of a barn that posts a high percentage out of town. (4) TRUE BLUE HANOVER picked up checks in all four of her tries against Blue Chip Matchmaker Series foes and finds a much softer spot tonight. (6) FIGHT NOT FLIGHT enjoyed a solid campaign last year at age 2 and makes her sophomore debut here off two solid qualifiers.

Race 3 - 15000CLM Pace

(3) ALOTBETTOR N came up just a neck short of winning last week in his first start back after some time off. He should be sharper tonight and gets an improved post to work with. (2) ITALIAN DELIGHT N has hit the board in both of his efforts since returning to action. He gets a driver switch to Jason Bartlett here, and he's had plenty of success with this horse in the past. (5) LIBERTY N FREEDOM was a winner at this level a week ago and hasn't been outside the top three since returning from Pocono late last month.

Race 4 - F&M NW2/25000LT Pace

(1) SHE'S NEVER WRONG invades from Saratoga with a couple of third-place efforts so far in 2024. This mare was off from September 2021 until this month, but when she was racing back at age 2 she showed the ability to finish second to a talented horse in Treacherous Dragon at the Meadowlands. (6) OAKWOOD DYNASTY IR won in this class two weeks ago and was second last Wednesday. (4) URSULA BLUE CHIP is zero-for-30 in the win column but has been finding her way onto the board at long odds lately, and I'll bank on that happening again.

Race 5 - 3-6YO Open Pace

(3) THUNDER HUNTER JOE rallied to finish second, just a head behind the winner, in his last try on 4-9. He's paced three straight sub-28 second final quarters, gets some post relief and has Bartlett to drive again. (5) DOWNRIGHTDELICIOUS was a closing third in this class last Wednesday and won impressively from off-the-pace prior to that. (6) ADAM TWELVE hasn't been outside the top three in any of his ten outings so far in 2024 and has co-owner Gingras at the controls again.

Race 6 - Winners of 3 but not more than 6 PM Races or 60000LT Trot

(3) SISTER MARY MAUDE was one of the top 2-year-old trotting fillies in the New York Sire Stakes program last year and looked ready to get her sophmore campaign going on the right foot in both her qualifiers at the Meadowlands. (4) CAL MILES N SHELL finds a softer spot here than the John Brennan Trotting Series or winners of six but not more than 9 races he's been in since winning on 3-20. (5) EL MISSION GODDESS owns a win and a pair of runner-up finishes in her last three appearances, and I'll toss her in the mix underneath.

Race 7 - John Brennan Series Leg #3 Trot

(3) ROYALTY BEER is two-for-two in this series thus far and gets some post relief off his victory from the six-hole last week. (4) WARRAWEE YANG also has a pair of victories in this event and I can't knock him in any way. I do think my top pick could offer a better price, and that's why I went that direction. (7) IMMANUEL K S starts from a bad post but has raced very well in finishing second to a pair of odds-on favorites so far in the John Brennan Trotting Series.

Race 8 - John Brennan Series Leg #3 Trot

(1) BY THE BOOK merits another shot tonight as he slides inside on the gate to the pole position and was second to Royalty Beer last week. (3) SEA CAN owns a second and a win in his two series appearances, and I expect he'll be favored again like he was a week ago. (2) OPRIX tallied in leg one but had to settle for third last Wednesday as the betting choice. I will include but think he might be a step behind the top two.

Race 9 - NW2/25000LT Trot

(6) MAGIC MELVIN races at a lower level tonight after facing winners of 3 but not more than 5 foes a week ago and gets reunited with Bartlett. (1) BARN CREDIT was fourth in the Excelsior A Series final for 2YO male trotters in 2023 and should be tighter here after finishing fourth in his 2024 debut at Harrah's Philadelphia on 4-18. (4) SHIV comes north off a winning qualifier at Pinehurst Training Center in North Carolina. She hit the board in five of her nine tries as a rookie and adds Gingras in the bike.

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Race 10 - John Brennan Series Leg #3 Trot

(6) TACHYON looks like the best horse in this series based on his two facile victories thus far and I'll put him on top. Expect a 1-9 price. (3) MYCROWNMYKINGDOM finished with some trot in the final quarter in the division won by TACHYON a week ago. He's shown more early foot in the past and gets a driver switch to Bartlett. (5) CASSIUS HANOVER is seven-for-seven finishing in the top-three so far in his 4-year-old campaign, and I'll put him underneath again.

Race 11 - 20000CLM Pace

(5) SMOKIN BY N didn't fire at all a couple of weeks ago, but he was re-claimed by trainer Dennis Laterza. This horse has won three straight out of Laterza's barn, and hopefully he'll rebound quickly with his return to those surroundings. (4) I'M J BEE N rallied from sixth to second in the final quarter of his race last Wednesday and gets a better post here. (3) SHARK PLAY came up pretty empty last week but does show hitting the board three times against $30,000 claimers. Maybe he's ready to return to a more aggressive approach after a couple of off-the-pace tries.