RACE 1 - (7) JESSE DUKE N hasn't been clicking (vs. much better) in his last few but he gets to take a
significant drop for his new connections, and may very well come to life in a big way in this much easier
spot - new barn is really going strong lately. (3) FLYINGEVENBETTOR N is 0 for 16 on the year and 0 for
9 here at Yonkers...but he's racing ok vs. better, and gets both post and class relief tonight - legit chance, but
don't take a short price. (4) BENHOPE RULZ N was an ok 3rd here in this class 3 back, and was able to
handle cheaper in Chester last week - his best effort could make him a player tonight. (5) WATERWAY has
been showing signs of life and last week's effort was very good, even if vs. a bit easier - can see him
grabbing a piece tonight, at a decent price. (2) ARQUE HANOVER hasn't won here in the last 3 years (0
for 29), but he does grab smaller pieces - ok to include underneath. (1) APEX SEELSTER saw his form tail
off in his class couple as he moved up in class, but he does have a good local history - assuming he's a good
price, he's ok to throw in underneath in exotics. (8) SOUTHWIND MOROCCAN is a legitimate player at
this level, but may need a better post to be a serious threat. (6) DRACARYS Z weakened to 3rd off a
pocket trip in last and now moves up in class while moving outside - prefer others.
RACE 2 - (1) CAVIART LUCA wasn't bad in his last local start and was able to handle a slightly easier
field at Chester last week - the rail draw should allow him to control the action tonight, and the classy
10YO is still tough on the front end - the one to beat. (7) FLYING FINN N was 3rd behind a couple of
sharp foes in a fast mile last week, debuting for his new barn - draws poorly here but does get some class
relief...and can be a threat if Bongiorno can find him a manageable trip. (3) ODDS ON DELRAY only
recent win came vs. considerably easier, but it was a sharp mile and he's hinted at being able to handle
better - worth a look if the price is right. (2) SANTAFES COACH rallied well for 3rd from a tough spot in
last and draws inside again for tonight - hasn't won in a while, but he's definitely worth including in exotics.
(4) ON THE VIRG has been well off top form for a while, but did race a bit better in his last - small piece?
(6) SHINY BLACK BEAMER has taken 2 in a row but steps up in class while also drawing outside - and
that's usually not a winning formula. (8) MACHEASY A steps up off a sharp win and would have been
rated much higher if not for the horrible draw - may struggle to get involved here. (5) GENIUS MAN can
pop up with a big mile at any time, but he's just too inconsistent for our tastes.
RACE 3 - (4) BELMONT MAJOR N has blossomed into a top notch horse, and has been more than
holding his own at the top level - tonight's drop should give him a good chance to pick up a victory. (3)
SOMEBADDUDE was very sharp beating lesser 2 back (another "First Time Dynamic Duo" winner), but
was hurt badly by horrible cover in last - deserves a chance to bounce back with a better effort, and belongs
in exotics. (1) TYGA HANOVER would prefer to be in a little cheaper but he's likely looking at an easy
trip from this spot, and may be able to parlay that into a good chunk of the purse. (2) THE REAL ONE has
been inconsistent at best lately - if he brings one of his better efforts tonight, he may be able to show up late
for a piece. (8) ON THE CARDS N is 10-2-2-5 here at Yonkers and picked up 3rds the last two times he
drew Post 8 -- he only has 1 start in 6 weeks, however, and may not be as tight as he'd like to be. (5)
ESCAPETOTHEBEACH cut the mile last week before finally giving way late - much tougher spot tonight,
and may be looking at only a minor share. (7) ROCK CANDY did a nice job winning his last at PRc after
being away for 6 months - not sure if he can find a way into the hunt in his Yonkers debut, though. (6) KER
FORD ROAD has been doing excellent work with cheaper - steps up while having been away for 3 weeks,
and that has us leaning towards others tonight.
RACE 4 - Tough race: (3) REAL SURREAL doesn't have a lot of starts the past 2 years (racing in Canada)
but he does show several good recent efforts - he lands in a high % barn, gets Bartlett at the controls, and
looks like one of the main players in a pretty solid field. (4) DESIRES CAPTAIN ran right up the ladder
from basement claimers to 50s after joining the Super Siblings in July - has leveled off just a bit, but is still
sharp enough to beat these. (8) TONY TOO TALL wired these from Post 7 four starts back and was 2nd
best from that same post last week - pretty hard NOT to use him on your tickets at that 15-1 ML price, even
with Bartlett (understandably) opting for the top choice. (1) BRAVO TEX N seems to be racing himself
back into form after missing about 3 months - might be able to be a serious player from this spot. (6) SOM
EBEACH BARON shows some nice Pocono lines but has been struggling a bit at the end of his miles -
we'll see if moving to a new barn can help him elevate his game enough to be a real threat here. (2) VELOC
ITY KOMODO struggled last week but it seemed more because he was just no good, rather than because of
the class hike - drops back down, and we'll see if he bounces back to top form (which would make him a
player). (5) BETTOR NOTBITTER A has proven that he can go with these - if things fall apart a bit, he'd
have a shot to make some late noise. (7) DING DING DANCER ships in from PcD showing sharp recent
form but he draws terribly, and his barn has just 2 wins and 3 seconds from 40 local starts this year.
RACE 5 - (5) SWEET N FAST was 0 for 31 on the year and not really showing any early speed in any of
his starts - he was claimed on 10/9 at PcD by the hottest barn in the galaxy and immediately won his next
start off the pocket trip, not only breaking that 0 for 31 streak but also setting a new lifetime mark in the
process - shipped in to Yonkers for his next, made the top and absolutely dominated a good field of 40s to
jog for the 2nd straight week - bumps up another notch, but still seems tough go against in his new and
improved form! (1) CHANGE STRIDE N actually exits the barn that trains the top choice, but he's thrived
for several outfits this year, finishing 1st/2nd in half of his 26 local starts - seems the main danger. (3)
TOPVILLE OLYMPIAN was quickly reclaimed for $40K by his former connections so they must really
like this guy - if the top pair falter, he could be next in line. (2) GIVENUPDREAMING has a terrible local
win % but he often races well and does grab his share of smaller pieces - use underneath. (4) KINNDER
JACKSON has been racing well with easier lately - could be sharp enough to pick up a piece with these
too. (6) PEPPER GUY is pretty good right now, but will be coming from well back against some sharp
inside foes - maybe a minor share? (8) AIR FORCE HANOVER was clearly short last week racing off a
sick scratch - Post 8 won't make things any easier this time around. (7) HEAVENLY SOUND will likely fit
NW5000 next week - and that's when we might give him a look.
RACE 6 - Another tough race: (2) GLENGARRY KNIGHT N really struggled for a long time but like
many of his barnmates, suddenly came to life a few weeks ago and has remained sharp since then - he's
generally a juicy price, and may be able to upset these if the trip ends up going his way. (4) BELTANE A is
a similar scenario to stablemate SWEET N FAST (Race 5) - this guy was 1 for 25 on the year (racing for a
winning barn) but just transformed instantly after being claimed by the new kid on the block, winning his
last pair in wire to wire fashion...also grabbing the fastest win of his career - hard to leave him off the ticket
(1) ROBBIE BURNS N rebounded last week after a couple of disappointing starts, coming up a close 2nd
to #4 - he's won 4 of 11 local starts this year, and shouldn't be ignored tonight from this spot. (6) BLACK
CHEVRON N has thrived since joining this barn, and can obviously be excused for his last (parked the
mile) - another possible upsetter. (4) LOUS SWEETREVENGE moves up to face older foes after crushing
the 3/4YO 50s the last 2 starts - he's beaten the older 50s in the past, and is clearly in career form right now
- can't be counted out. (5) ALOTBETTOR N his hitting on all cylinders right now, a winner in 3 of his last
4 starts - the fact that he's listed this far down shows how solid this field is! (7) SNOWBALLS ROMEO
wasn't a bad 4th last week, but will probably need a better draw to contend against these. (8) AMERICAN
BOY N has taken 3 of his last 4 and is only being picked down here because of the brutal post!
RACE 7 - (2) OAKWOODINITOWNIT IR had been a little disappointing for a while but delivered the
win over cheaper 2 back, then continued to improve with last week's fast charging 3rd in his first try at this
level - willing to give him a shot with the move inside. (8) JOESSTAR OF MIAA has 5 wins, two 2nds
and a close 4th from his last 8 starts and is a major threat every single week - his price will go up tonight
(Post 8) but he should easily be able to improve at the start without being used too hard) - still has a very
legitimate chance, despite the terrible draw. (1) WALKINSHAW N was a huge 11-1 overlay winner last
start and has the pole tonight - the price will drop considerably, but he still has a chance to come out on top
again. (3) WHITECOOKIE raced big in both local tries despite getting a little too hot in both tries (a win,
and a 2nd) - he would be an even better horse if he could relax a bit more...still worth including on your
tickets tonight (6) TELLITSABB steps up to the highest claiming level after beating the 75s the last 2 starts
- would have liked his chances more had he not drawn outside so many main rivals, (5) IMSTAYNALIVE
went a career mile with that victory 5 starts back but has had trouble replicating that huge effort (to be fair,
he's been in some tough spots) - maybe can rally for a piece? (4) SILAS SEELSTER lost a zillion times to
much cheaper so it was definitely a surprise to see him beat this class 3 back - hasn't had that same success
the last 2 starts, however, and is looking at only a minor share tonight, as well. (7) OSTRO HANOVER
lands outside and figures to be too far back to make any real noise.
RACE 8 - (1) BEACH BOOGIE will throw a dud here and there but he has 2 recent wins in this class,
draws the pole tonight (with Yannick substituting at the lines) and that has to give him at least a narrow
edge. (5) UPTOWN FUNK does his best work one level down but was very good in this class last week
(despite a horrible trip), and may be worth a look tonight. (6) MACH DORO A comes into tonight off back
to back front end scores at this level and while he'll have a hard time doing it a 3rd time, it's certainly not
impossible - won't be that juicy 13-1 price from last week, though! (8) IDEAL STAR N has come up big in
all 3 starts since returning from the layoff but very tough trips kept him out of the winner's circle - won't get
any easier tonight from Post 8, but he WILL be a big price for anybody looking to give him a shot. (7)
MONEYMAN HILL is another that's in raging form (just ignore that start 2 back in poor conditions), but
who draws a terrible post - may need to wait for a better spot before doing any serious damage. (2) WAR N
MUNN has been facing much easier, but he's pretty good now and draws inside - minor piece? (4) SUMTH
INBOUTIM struggled at this level in the past, but his barn is much hotter now - still leaning to others,
though. (3) LIKE CLOCKWORK is in fine form, but will face much tougher tonight - has to prove that he
can hang with these too.
RACE 9 - (7) TATTOO ARTIST was a wire to wire 1:49.3 winner in his first local start but has come up a
little short at the end in his last pair, ending up 2nd and 3rd - still feels like the one to beat, but it's hard to
be quite as confident after the last 2 starts. (8) FUNATTHEBEACH N actually went off favored against the
top choice 2 and 3 starts back, trading victories with that one - incredibly was sent off at 19-1 last week,
and predictably made no moves at all from the back (but still had plenty of pace finishing) - guessing that
Stratton will try to get him in play this week...and we know that he can be very dangerous if that happens.
(1) TITO ROCKS was racing well most of the year but really started to click recently, and has earned his
way up to the Open with 3 straight victories - with the rail draw, he'll at least have a chance to make his
presence felt. (2) WINDSUN RICKY is hitting on all cylinders right now, but would probably still need the
top pair to falter to have a real shot at the top prize - definitely ok to use in exotics, though. (3) KILOWATT
KID N continues to race well, even as he rises up through the classes - last week's 3rd place finish suggests
he can at least contend for a piece of this. (5) ROCKAPELO would never be a total shock, but even his
"good" efforts lately would probably leave him short against these - still trying to find that real "A Game".
(4) ROCK THE DEVIL continues to deliver sharp efforts, but probably needs easier to be a serious threat.
(6) SAN DOMINO A tends to be pretty inconsistent, but he certainly brought his best last week - that was
vs. cheaper, though, and the outside draw figures to limit him against this crew.
RACE 10 - (6) PRETTY HANDSOME was a sharp 2nd against a very good BETTER MEMORIES in his
local debut - disappointed in his next but was "sneaky sharp" in his last, finishing full of pace into a fast
final half despite missing almost 4 weeks - good week to hop on board. (2) CAN B PERFECT beat this
class back on 8/24 and has been holding his own vs. better ever since - major threat dropping back down to
NW15000. (4) SHNEONUCRZYDIAMND A had no chance in his last pair (8 holes) but was a close 2nd
after cutting the mile in the start before that - legitimate player here if he brings his best effort. (1) MINNIE
VINNIE has been good since shipping in from Iowa but he'll be facing considerably tougher tonight - we'll
see if the rail can help him be a player. (3) THE WILD CARD is the "x factor" tonight - plenty of efforts
that would give him a chance here, but he looked as bad as he raced last start - no clue what to expect
tonight. (5) REDBANK BLAZE A does his best work with a bit easier, but a live trip could at least put him
in play for a small piece. (7) LYONS NIGHT HAWK is hard to fault off his current form but he's stuck
outside, and is still seeking his first local win (has raced well, but is 0 for 7) - willing to include underneath.
(8) OUR MAX PHACTOR N moves back up in class and lands the toughest post - wait for a better spot.
RACE 11 - (2) GINGER TREE PETE was stuck first over in 3 of his last 5 starts (pair of 2nds and a 3rd)
and was also stuck with two 8 holes - he's overdue for an "easy" trip...and sharp enough to cash in if that
happens. (1) GHOST DANCE has also been hurt by some tough trips lately...and is another capable of
taking this with a better journey. (4) DARK ENERGY N has been thriving for some time and was
re-claimed out of last week's victory - remains a very legitimate threat. (5) ROCK N TONY was stuck with
posts 7 or 8 in 3 of the 4 starts he raced for this barn...but was a Post 4 winner in the other - chance tonight
with the improved draw. (7) RECORD YEAR has hit board in 4 straight, but the move outside may hurt
quite a bit tonight. (3) LATE MAIL N was driven like he was best last week but wasn't up to the task -
underneath only, for now. (6) AMERICAN WIGGLE used a perfect trip to be a close 2nd two back but his
overall form isn't that great - prefer others. (8) DAVIDS COMING HOME does his best work vs. easier -
and from a better post.
RACE 12 - (2) ROCKIN M shipped east off a sharp win at Hawthorne and is 2 for 2 since joining the
terrific training tandem - goes for his 4th straight here, and just may get it...despite the class jump. (6)
MISTER DONALD A got beat a head to MELODIES MAJOR last week and that one is listed here at 3/2
ML, while this guy is at 20-1...good bomb to try to get into the number somewhere. (5) KNOCKING
AROUND has trouble winning races this year (and last year too) but he's good enough to rally late for a
piece of this. (1) MELODIES MAJOR was on odds winner off the big class drop last week but wasn't really
all that dominant - steps up, and may be at least a bit vulnerable tonight. (4) JACKAMINO finished alertly
from an impossible spot last week and now gets some post relief - another good bomb to try to get into the
number. (3) EDDARD HANOVER was a little disappointing last week, seemingly not enjoying the first
over trip - goes for a new barn tonight, and we'll see how he does for his new crew. (7) KJ LEO seems
better suited for the competition upstate...will at least wait until he's in the bottom class here before
considering. (8) LUCIANO N was a close 2nd last start but he has just one start in 45 days and gets stuck
with Post 8...will wait for a better scenario.