Yonkers: Thursday 1/23 Analysis

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2020

MEET STATS: 26 - 68 / $138.60 (+$2.60)

BEST BETS: 5 - 6 / $15.30 (+$3.30)

SPOT PLAYS: 1 - 6 / $10.80 (-$1.20)

BEST BET-BURNING DESIRE (1st)

SPOT PLAY-MISS REAL IDEAL (7th)

Race 1 - 12500CLM Pace

(2) BURNING DESIRE hikes up one notch on the claiming scale after a romp on January 14. He's in top form for the meet's hottest trainer so far, keeps Bartlett, and draws inside. I'll use. (1) TWOMACSONESHADOW regressed a bit last Thursday when taken back off the gate, but he switches back to the pole position this week and that might allow him to sit a trip behind my top choice. (5) MISTER TRUTH delivered on the switch to the Allard barn a week ago, and he makes another appearance for Rene tonight. I have to imagine Dube will be going forward with him again.

Race 2 - NW6/75000LT Trot

(3) CISCO PAL raced conservatively from an outside draw back on the 9th of January but moves inside this time, and that leads me to believe Marcus Miller will have him in the game. He beat NW4 locally back in November and his effort two back at the Meadowlands was solid. (5) CREDIT FRAUD has been battling some stout horses at the Meadowlands recently and gives Yonkers a try instead. He has plenty of half-mile experience and success, so I think he fits. (7) GETTIN MESSI romped in this class a week ago but does shift outside this time, and he did have to settle for second the last time he was slotted outside. I certainly respect him, but will attempt to knock him off at a short price.

Race 3 - NW4/50000LT Trot

(6) SWAN IN THE VALLEY just missed a week ago after a first-over trip and a three-wide duel to the wire. She draws outside again here but given the lack of obvious speed to the inside, I think she can get the lead or well-spotted at least. (5) FEEL THE MUSCLE scored over NW3's last Thursday and now steps up to NW4. Bartlett went elsewhere, but I think he remains a contender. (1) SHAMROCK SHAKER hasn't enjoyed a great deal of success as of late, but she does get some post relief off her last two performances and could follow to hit the ticket.

Race 4 - F&M NW10050L5/20000CLM/Winners of NW7500L5 in Last Start Pace

(2) MY KIWI LADY N drops off a fourth-place effort against NW15000L5's on 1-10. Last time she got to race in this class locally was back on the 14th of November, and she was victorious with Stratton in the bike. I'll hope for a repeat of that. (4) COLOR ENVY came up empty in that same race my top pick exits and receives the same class relief. She beat NW10000L5's on 12-17, so this is probably the right spot for her. (1) NEON SKY N didn't win at the bottom level at the Meadowlands or in Westchester but was victorious when in against NW7500L5's a week ago. She hikes up here but retains the pole position for Brennan and DiDomenico.

Race 5 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(4) FRANNEY LOVE DAT has had the bad post blues in most of her recent appearances but gets some relief tonight, starting from post four. She rallied to pick up a third from the seven-hole at this level two back, and although she does lose Goodell, she picks up the hot-driving Jim Marohn Jr. Trainer Chuck Connor Jr. has also been having some success both locally and at the Meadowlands early in 2020. (2) ROCK ME BABY continues to move down the class ladder and lands at the bottom tonight. Brennan drove her to a win against NW15000L5's back in November, and he is aboard tonight. She could certainly win, but given her lack of recent success, I'll attempt to beat her. (6) TAMMYSMIST won two in-a-row for Connor Jr. and was claimed last Thursday. She enters for the tag again, so she sticks at the same level, and she was Goodell's choice.

Race 6 - NW5000L5 Pace

(3) NOX VEGAS BLUECHIP switches drivers to Bartlett tonight after he wound up two-wide at every call in his most recent race. I'll hope for a smoother journey this time. (1) AMERICAN VENTURE finished up his mile nicely last Thursday, remains in the NW5000L5 class, and retained Brennan's driving services. Given those factors, he certainly looks logical. (2) DO OVER HANOVER also stays at the bottom level for the third straight time. He showed a little improvement a week ago and slides inside to post two.

Race 7 - F&M NW5000L5/12500CLM Pace

(2) MISS REAL IDEAL had to wait until mid-stretch to angle out and split horses last Thursday and then finished up well. She races against NW5000L5's again tonight, and it looks like she could be another contender for the Connor Jr. barn on the card if the trip works out a little better this week. (5) CULINARY DELIGHT N hasn't had much success over at the Meadowlands, but she was racing well up at Saratoga, so maybe the half-mile track is more to her liking. I'll slot underneath. (4) PIRINEA'S PRINCESS wound up with a driver change to Brennan during the card a week ago, and he almost got her home as she rallied for second. George sticks in the bike here, and usually he seems to handle the Blumenfeld trainees well.

Race 8 - NW5000L5 Pace

(4) GO COLLECT N battled hard from first-up on the 9th of January but had to settle for a dead-heat for third after tiring late. The winner of that race, Ari Allstar, came back to score again on Monday night, so hopefully it was a live race and Stratton can map out a smoother journey. (1) MARINER SEELSTER is sure to attract attention as he rallied strongly to get second a week ago and now moves to the pole position. I just didn't want to take a short price in this type of race, so I went elsewhere. (7) CONSTNTLYSIDEWYS A surged from last to third in the final quarter last Thursday, but that was at the height of the windy conditions during the card and in a slow final quarter. Bongiorno hops in the bike this time.

Race 9 - NW5000L5 Pace

(1) TUAPEKA TRICK N hung around to finish third from first-over against NW7500L5's last Thursday. He drops in class here and wound up with Dube in the bike again. I think he might try and wire this group. (6) CASUAL COOL made front past the opening quarter but weakened in the stretch a week ago. He may have needed that race given the long gap in his schedule, and the winner of that event, Alberto Contador N, was victorious again on a class hike on Monday night. (5) DEMOCRACY N is a win-shy type but hasn't been bad in his last two, and this is another one that has the Brennan/Blumenfeld combination.

Race 10 - NW8/100000LT / NW6/75000LT Drawn Inside Trot

(7) RACEACE qualified well at the Meadowlands, winning clear and in a good enough time given the two-second variance. He just missed against NW8's to wrap up his 3-year-old campaign, and I think has enough early foot away from the gate that the outside post won't be a major issue. (3) VICTORYISALLUNEED stayed flat in the qualifier down at Dover, which was a positive step. She showed talent in those wins against NW4's at Yonkers in November and December and got a vote of confidence from Bartlett as he took her over a Harris trainee in here. (4) INTEROVER finished second behind the red-hot Gettin Messi last Thursday in an improved effort and has experience against NW8's.

Race 11 - F&M NW8050L5/15000CLM/Winners of NW5000L5 in Last Start Pace

(6) KAY'S DELIGHT got an aggressive drive from Bongiorno last Thursday and it almost paid off as she was second, beaten just a head. Bongiorno stuck with her over another one in here, so hopefully he'll employ the same tactics and finish one spot higher. (3) AZURE SEELSTER moved up to the NW10000L5 level a week ago and regressed, backing through the field in the final quarter. She was a solid second in this class two back, so she might be capable of turning it back around. (1) CERTIFIED IDEAL shifts from the far outside post to the pole position this time after closing to get a third most recently. She was just one-for-16 in the win column last year, so while I acknowledge her form both here and at the Meadowlands, I will put her underneath.