The Empire Report - Tuesday, August 24, 2021 - Race Analysis
RACE 1 - NYSS 2YO C&G: (3) EARLY ACTION showed promise right from the start with a very
impressive debut win at Chester - paced home in :25.4 from a no-chance spot in next over at The Swamp,
went a BIG mile for 2nd in his next behind the talented Layton Hanover then made his NYSS debut a
winning one at Tioga, overcoming an early bobble to win going away as the 1/5 choice - will be very tough
to beat here, assuming he avoids any mishaps. (6) BLUE COLLAR MAN may add some value to the
exotics - made breaks at Buffalo and Stga. but the ability is there, and he may be able to charge home for a
good piece of this if he can mind his manners tonight. (1) TE AMO BLUE CHIP was right there in his
Springfield elim. then made up a ton of ground in the Final after a costly early miscue - should be able to
grab a good trip from this spot, and has a chance to hit the board if that happens. (4) GONE BEFORE
DAWN came up 2nd best to the top choice at Tioga and has hinted at ability from early on - definitely a
chance for a good piece, but also figures to be overbet. (5) BOUNTY HUNTER grabbed 2nds at Stga. and
Monti but just wasn't at his best at Tioga - maybe can rebound, but this is a tough spot. (2) THIRD POWER
seems a bit overmatched at the moment.
RACE 2 - NYSS 2YO C&G: (4) PICKUP MAN HANOVER is off to a fine start in his career sporting a
5-2-3-0 record, with the 2 wins being NYSS blowouts at Stga. and Monti - was a solid 2nd best to
STRETCH THE LINE at Tioga last week but that rival is prone to making breaks, and this might be a good
week to take a shot against him. (2) STRETCH THE LINE has either won or made a break every time he's
hit the racetrack...and even won AFTER making a break one start (NYSS, at Stga.) - definitely the one to
beat IF he behaves, but since he'll likely be the heavy favorite, it's not a bad spot to take a small shot against
him. (6) PLEASELETMEKNOW followed in barnmate American Courage's footsteps, winning his
Springfield leg before taking the Final - was a NYSS winner at Stga. after that but was scr. sick at Monti,
and hasn't raced in a month - definitely risky as the 7/5 ML choice. (1) GREG THE LEG finished 2nd to #2
a couple of times already, but just doesn't seem to be improving as the season goes on - would hardly be a
shock to see him grab a piece, though. (3) KJ HUNTER would have been ok in his Springfield elim. if not
for a costly stretch break - just "ok" since then, however, and will need to find more tonight if he hopes to
grab a piece. (5) SEVEN HUNDRED has been a steady performer all summer, but may not land on the best
of trips tonight - suppose he's ok for 3rd/4th.
RACE 3 - EXCELSIOR A 2YO C&G: (2) VARNEY qualified nicely at Monti after shipping up from KY
then looked good in his career debut at PcD, finishing 2nd to the solid American Artist K - definitely
expecting a big race from him tonight, although that 6/5 ML price does figure to suck any value out of him.
(1) FOXHUNT has a pair of 2nds at this level after dropping down from the NYSS - draws best, and looms
a very dangerous player here. (8) GO WITH THE FLOW jogged in both preps but failed to deliver in a pair
of (well bet) NYSS tries - raced well from off the pace dropping to this level last week, and will offer some
value from Post 8 tonight - include in exotics. (5) BLOODHOUND failed to sustain his bid last week but
raced well in prior starts - eligible to bounce back and be a part of this. (7) AMERICAN ZESTAR hails
from live connections, and isn't a bad bomb for the bottom of the ticket. (6) GO GO DIGGY SCHMO has
just one 3rd from 6 starts - needs to be better. (3) HUNTING ANGELS is still a work in progress
RACE 4 - (8) POCKET WATCH N was used hard the last 2 weeks and still took home a 2nd and a 3rd - no
luck with the draw for his new connections here but he does have the right pilot to blast him out of there,
and this is definitely a shaky field - possibility! (4) LANAS DESIRE had been non-functional for weeks (at
BIG odds) but was sent off at an amazing 2-1 on 7/6, and was an easy winner despite being parked a long
way - up the track every week since then but IF that tote action shows up again tonight, it may be a good
idea to pay attention. (2) VILLAGE CHAMP can be somewhat unreliable but he does have 4 wins this
year, including victories in 2 of his last 4 starts - certainly has a chance to win again tonight (7) SLUGGEM
N hasn't functioned in his last 4 starts yet has been claimed in 4 of his last 5 - wouldn't even give him a look
here except that his new trainer has suddenly found the ability to improve horses dramatically in 2021 -
bomb threat? (5) MISTER HAT doesn't feel like a threat to win, but he raced well enough in his last to at
least be considered for a small piece. (3) WAVES OF FIRE A held on gamely to win on the lead 3 back but
he's just 2 for 38 over the last 2 years, and is hard to consider on top at that 5/2 ML price! (1) CASHNCAM
probably fits with these but he's off 25 days (sick scr.) and we'll just watch him, for now. (6) WAR DADDY
was a dull 4th in last, and moves outside tonight.
RACE 5 - (1) CURBSIDE PICKUP has been knocking on the door in NJ and PA in every recent
"non-stake" start - seems the most talented of these and looms the one to beat....but he'll be a short price off
a bad date, so not one to bet the rent money on. (4) JIM BLUE has a few good recent tries in Canada and
ships down to a hot barn - one to consider, if the price is right. (6) SOME DEAL HANOVER has been on
the improve lately, hitting board in 3 straight Excelsior A starts - tough draw, but still a decent chance for a
good piece. (2) CONFIDENCE MAN has some pretty ordinary Canadian form but he ships in to a live
barn, adds Lasix, and is eligible to improve quickly. (7) MICKEYS SPIRIT was sent off favored from Post
7 in his only local try but struggled to grab the bit, and ended up a non threatening 2nd to the longshot
winner - another outside draw figures to limit him to a smaller piece tonight. (3) MICHAELS MONSTER
was a 20-1 upset winner at PcD in his last, but was scr, sick after that - maybe a minor share? (8) MARLB
ANK ROAD ships down to a strong barn from Canada and does show 3 recent wins - guessing he'll race
conservatively from Post 8, but a quick check of the tote board couldn't hurt. (5) LINEMAKER doesn't
have "bad" lines out of town but does seem a little bit on the cheaper side - we shall see.
RACE 6 - (4) MILITARY MASTER A was a sharp 3rd on 7/9 returning from a layoff - was scratched sick
from his next but still was able to come right back to win his next start - excellent rally for 3rd from well
back in last and has a legit chance to win tonight, despite moving up in class once more. (1) MAJOR
BUCKS is sharp right now, lands the rail and looms a very dangerous threat - he also has just 2 wins from
his last 43 starts here, so be careful about jumping on board at too short a price. (6) KINGSTONS BAD
BOY hasn't been sharp and wouldn't be getting a look EXCEPT for the fact that he's moving to a barn that's
been clicking at an insane 40% clip over the last couple of months...and that makes it hard to leave him off
the ticket. (2) RANSOM DEMAND normally needs to be in cheaper than this to be a threat but that last
win was definitely sharp, and he probably shouldn't be taken too lightly here. (5) FOREVERNALWAYS
was claimed from his last but somehow still has the same trainer (wasn't aware that was even permitted) -
never had much luck at YR but on his best, COULD make some noise here. (7) RECORD MACHINE
raced well in his last couple but he's in tough and gets stuck with Post 7. (8) ELECTRIC WESTERN is
undeniably sharp, but the class hike and poor draw (for a new barn) figure to slow him down a bit. (3)
MACH TIME N hasn't looked good in a pair of starts off the layoff
RACE 7 - (2) FINE DIAMOND beat the Opens with a first over move about 2 months ago, so clearly he
deserves a lot of respect dropping down to NW15000 - wouldn't say that he's a "cinch", but he's definitely
the one to beat. (1) PAT STANLEY N changed barns after causing that unfortunate wreck at The Swamp
and has actually done good work ever since - gets major post relief tonight, and he figures to have a big say
in the final outcome. (6) TIGER BARON was a VERY impressive winner 2 back, then lost all chance in
last when hopelessly trapped behind a tiring leader - not a great draw for tonight, but still a chance with
some trip luck. (5) INDICTABLE HANOVER hasn't had much luck here in the past but was a very game
first over winner last week, coming out on top after a very long battle - we'll see if he builds some
confidence off that victory. (3) FIZZING N would look better one level down but he can still grab pieces in
this class with an easy enough trip. (4) ONE OFF DELIGHT A is another that would look better one level
down - needs an easy trip if he hopes to show up late for a small share. (8) ISLANDSPECIALMAJOR
raced better than expected last week but will be up against it from Post 8. (7) JMS DELIGHT draws Post 7
while moving up in class - not a winning formula
RACE 8 - (1) DEAL THE CARDS had only 7 starts at 3 and earned less than $5K - he took off an entire
year but has come back a different horse, winning all three starts by convincing margins - won't offer any
value tonight, but he's clearly deserving of top billing. (3) FURIOUS BEACH has picked up his game since
the recent claim, rallying for 3rd the first start then holding for 2nd after cutting the mile in last - seems the
main danger. (2) DANCING JOE raced very well for several starts but weakened at Btva. then tired in his
last start here at YR - needs to find that better form if he hopes to be a serious player tonight. (7) UNCONT
ROLLABLE was a solid 2nd in his local debut off a conservative steer but definitely disappointed in his
last - outside draw doesn't figure to help his chances tonight. (5) CARRYTHETORCHMAN did some good
things at 2 but has struggled to find that top form (so far) at 3 - we'll see if he can perk up a bit tonight. (4)
MR DUNNIGANS won a pair of qualifiers off the layoff but we'll just keep an eye on him for now. (6)
HURRIKANE GEORGIE has good form on paper, but has really been facing much easier - needs to prove
that he can hang with these too. (8) BEACH BLOGGER tripped out and sprung the big upset in last - will
have a hard time replicating that from Post 8, though
RACE 9 - (5) ALTA LEROY N's last may not have been his best effort, but it should still serve as an
excellent confidence builder after having some issue the start before - he's usually a pretty fair price, and is
definitely worth using tonight. (2) BIG BAD BILL had some life racing for a new listed trainer 2 back, then
was razor sharp in last week's front end score - wouldn't be surprised if he was able to step up and take
another. (3) KILLER MARTINI will attract plenty of $$ off last week's fast closing 4th (off the horrible
trip) - hard to leave out ANYTHING the talented training tandem sends out these days, but also hard to take
too short a price on this guy. (1) BALLERAT BOOMERANG has been sharpening since returning from the
layoff and he certainly shouldn't be listed at 15-1 ML from the pole - legit chance to land somewhere on
this ticket. (4) ABERDEEN HANOVER figured to have a big chance last week but came up 2nd best to a
razor sharp BIG BAD BILL - hard to leave him out of exotics tonight. (7) CAPTAIN CASH took a tough
late beat after enjoying a big lead around the track last week - moves outside vs. a much better field, and
may have to wait for a better spot to strut his best stuff again. (6) SPORTS BETTOR landed on a perfect
trip and was able to beat lesser last time - may have a much harder time with these. (8) ZACH MAGUIRE
N isn't bad right now, but seems pretty buried from all the way out here.
RACE 10 - (2) CAPTAIN FANCY raced very well last time, digging in gamely through the stretch for 3rd
despite a tough first over trip on a terrible surface - has some class to him, and may be able to pick up a
victory from this spot. (1) CAPTIVATE HANOVER is one of several from this barn that have upped their
games lately - draws best, and should be a serious player once again. (6) LATISSIMUS HANOVER held a
long way before tiring last week despite a very tough trip - moves to a barn having a solid 2021 season,
and could bring some value to this ticket. (4) ROLLING WITH SAM is just 1 for 20 at YR but raced pretty
well last week off a horrible trip - willing to include underneath. (7) LINNYCALLEDFRANKIE's last line
already looks good on paper but it was even better than that, as he made a break (uncharted) to the final
turn (ran over the top of a rival) then recovered in a big way to get 4th - bad spot, but maybe can find a
way onto the ticket. (8) GAMBLINGTERROR is having a solid year, and has snuck onto some tickets from
seemingly impossible spots in the past - throw him in for 3rd/4th. (3) GONNAHAVEONEMORE is hard to
gauge - draws well enough, but still prefer others. (5) GET LIT tired chasing a very strong field in last -
eligible to improve against this lesser bunch, but would still prefer to just observe, for now
RACE 11 - (4) CAN B PERFECT is very solid at this level and comes into this off a sharp try in his last -
should be able to work out a decent trip and is definitely worth a play...as long as he's not way overbet. (2)
MACHEASY A was ready for a big mile last week...unfortunately, the winner was ready for a HUGE one -
remains a solid threat from this inside slot. (3) OAKWOODINITOWINIT IR was no factor for his new
barn last week but he also had Post 7, off a month - drops, moves inside, and a much better effort is
expected. (1) DANCIN DRAGON may or may not be up for a very aggressive try with these but that's
likely what he'll get - not really sure how he'll respond! (5) BENHOPE RULZ N made a break in his last
but was racing well prior to that - ok to include underneath. (8) AIR FORCE HANOVER gave it a decent
speed try for his new barn last week (before weakening to 3rd) - stuck all the way outside tonight, and that's
going to hurt. (7) FLAMING FLUTTER N wasn't bad last week but he ends up with an amateur driver
from Post 7 tonight - pass for now. (6) EPIC ACE has a couple of good recent tries but bumps in class
while moving outside.
RACE 12 - (2) THE DOWNTOWN BUS shook free a little too late when a close 2nd 2 back, then finished
with sneaky pace in last from an impossible spot - moves inside, and it seems time for a more aggressive
try. (3) LIFEONTHEBEACH A shipped in sharp but landed on a tough first over trip, unable to fully
sustain his bid once into the stretch - could be a tougher player tonight with the class drop. (1) TOPVILLE
OLYMPIAN drops out of the tough claimers and gets significant post relief - expect a strong effort from
him tonight. (4) AWESOMENESS was ultra game beating cheaper 2 back, then had sneaky pace finishing
in last - definitely a chance to land somewhere in the exotics. (6) OZONE BLUE CHIP fits well at this
level but gets stuck with Post 6 - ok for the bottom of the gimmicks. (7) WARDAN EXPRESS A was
empty last week but raced well in his prior pair - at 20-1 ML, willing to use him for 3rd/4th. (5) OUR
MAJORDAN A seems to need a bit easier to be a significant player. (8) MISTER SPOT A lands Post 8
after seeming difficult to steer last week - will pass and watch, for now.