Wednesday Empire Report

RACE 1 – Tough opener! (7) RECORD YEAR got used hard early last week and came up short at the end – we’ve seen him bounce back from disappointing efforts in the past, and he has won 7 of his last 20 local starts – assuming he’s a decent price, he’s certainly worth a look tonight for another new barn. (1) MOONLIGHT SHADOW took plenty of $$ last week, was handled aggressively and only got beat right near the end – lands in another good spot, and should be able to have another big say tonight…assuming he’s as good as last week. (4) PRETTY HANDSOME beat both #1 and #7 last week, but also was helped by an easy trip – chance to repeat for sure, but may end up a bit overbet. (3) TIN ROOF RAIDER A comes out of the same race as the others listed so far, and might have been able to win had he kicked in a bit sooner – add him to the list of legitimate contenders! (8) HEISMAN PLAYER drops in for a $20K tag and absolutely fits with these– won’t be easy to get a trip from out here, but a big enough price makes him worth at least a look. (6) PRINCE OF TIDES was doing excellent work here – he decided to go to Pocono and drop down to 25s, and he finished up the track – returns at this $20K level, and the red flags are certainly flying. (2) DIAMONDBEACH is as unreliable as they come, but does throw a good one here and there – another to consider if the price is really juicy. (5) ARTIST BEST will need to be sharper to be a player in here.

RACE 2 – John Brennan Trotting Series, Leg #2: Excellent division, with 3 of the best in the series ALL in here together! (1) GOLDEN RAIN S is now 3 for 3 at Yonkers, with easy wins in both Leg 1 of this series, and also in the FM Invitational– she has the post advantage over her two main rivals, and we’ll give her the edge for that reason. (6) ANTOGNONI S has been a beast since arriving in the U.S., and that includes his 2 outstanding local scores – his upside seems limitless, but tonight’s draw may hurt his chances at least a bit. (4) SCOTTISH immediately took to his new surroundings, crushing the competition in a 1:54.2 blowout on 3/21 – a tougher trip in the first leg of the series resulted in a 3 rd place finish, but he still raced very well – would be no surprise to see him give the top pair a tussle tonight. (2) FULL SCALE is a solid trotter and has hit board in 7 of 9 starts this year (finishing 4 th in the other 2) – he does seem just a notch below the top trio, however. (3) LOUS GAMBLER broke last week and lands in a tough spot looking to bounce back – good week just to observe. (5) SAPPHIRERAINSTAR picked up a 2 nd last week but drawing into this stacked field will likely leave her looking at a much smaller share tonight.

RACE 3 – (1) FARAH TRIO IT was just 1 for 18 in Europe but it’s hard to believe that her high profile new connections would have included her in their recent purchase of Italian trotters if she didn’t show decent potential – that qualifier in Florida looks promising, and we’ll give her a try in her local debut…especially since she should be a decent price. (6) HILLOOKIN is clearly the one to knock off, an easy 3 ½ length winner in his last local try – he’ll be a very short price, though, and does start from a tough post. (4) ALEXANDER is winless in 14 local tries but he grabs his share of smaller pieces, and is in line for another tonight. (3) NAUTILUS B picked up a couple of 2nds not too long ago but her recent form hasn’t been up to par – needs to find one of those better efforts to have a say tonight (8) BAR KEEP DE VIE was given a chance on the front end last week but that didn’t work out – maybe he can sit back and rally for some minor spoils here? (5) WISTERIA HANOVER hasn’t been part of the equation in some time – major wake up call needed. (7) JAKEY JUMPUP has yet to get untracked in 2025 and now gets stuck with Post 7. (2) ACT ACCORDINGLY remains a work in progress – watching for signs of improvement.

RACE 4 – (2) JILLIAN JIGGS changed up tactics off the claim last week but the hard early use from Post 8 left her pretty tired in the stretch – she’ll likely revert to her more typically patient style tonight, and that may give her a chance at the upset in this seemingly wide open affair. (1) FORTUNADA has been claimed 6 straight times when entered for $20K and while she always “figures” (and is usually a big player), she hasn’t WON off any off those claims (burning plenty of $$ along the way)– maybe this is the week she gets her picture taken…but be careful about taking too short a price. (3) SHEIKH YABOOTY N has suffered from major inconsistency so perhaps it’s a good sign that she’s raced well in her last pair – worth a look, at the right price. (5) DELITFULCATHERIN N was a winner last week, but benefited from a perfect trip – she could repeat, but does figure to end up overbet. (6) LINE EM UP perked up with a big one last week, but compromised her own chances by engaging in a LONG duel – may be a sign that she’s sharp again, but this is a tough draw, even if that’s the case. (4) CANNERY ROW had been in the mix for weeks but recently changed barns and hasn’t been as sharp – needs to find that better form. (7) DREAM DANCING recently won a “fall apart” race and will need similar circumstances to reach from out here. (8) TYRA MAKES BANK has been pretty steady all year, but figures to be post-compromised tonight.

RACE 5 – Much tougher of the NW2-4PM divisions! (1) EUGENIO RL IT appears to have plenty of speed and talent but also has been prone to miscues since arriving in the U.S. – would definitely consider using if the price is good, but would probably be cautious if he’s overbet in this solid field. (8) BRONZER added hopples for his local debut and looked smooth all the way in his dominant wire to wire victory – would absolutely use him again (if the price is fair), even from Post 8. (3) STAR HAIRDRESSER just missed upon arrival last week and now adds Lasix – another possible value horse to consider. (6) FAST APPROACH races well enough to hit board week after week… but he has just one win (from his 12 starts) this year, and has burned a decent amount of $$ along the way – remains a good one to use underneath. (4) MICHELONS STAR had a productive 2YO campaign and just qualified back solidly (twice) in PA, with her new trainer on board – brother Jordan hops on tonight, and she just may be good enough to be in the mix. (5) KELLYS GREATEST was probably a bit over-aggressive last week, ending up 4 th (but probably had a decent chance for better with more patience – another possibility for the bottom of exotics. (7) SHES SPICY got better as her 3YO season went on last year – shows a pair of solid preps for our leading barn, but may need to wait for a better spot before we see her best. (2) CHASING CRYSTALS seems a notch below a few of these, but an easy trip could help him grab some minor spoils.

RACE 6 - Good race! (6) THE PRINCE was sent off at 3/5 last week and something just wasn’t right from the start – it was his first race off the claim, and his (sharp) connections drop him right back in the box (suggesting it wasn’t a major issue) – his price will go way up tonight, and he may be one worth sticking with. (2) OPTRIX lost valuable lengths when caught behind an early gapper last week and still finished only 5 lengths behind a trio of VERY nice trotters – he’s another with a solid chance to outrace his odds tonight. (3) MYCROWNMYKINGDOM and (5) CANTSTOP YANKEE finished a head apart in a division last week, easily besting the others – BOTH are capable of winning in here, depending on how things play out this week. (1) BLOCKCHAIN won his first 3 local starts (after a private purchase) but could only manage a 3 rd stepping up to face these tougher ones last week – way too soon to dismiss his chances in this series, but he will need to be a bit sharper if he hopes to have a bigger impact. (7) LUCKY MUM N is another that has had a tougher time since graduating from the “NWPM” classes – leaning towards others. (7) DEADLINE HALL wasn’t bad last week and is a solid performer…but tonight’s draw may limit his production.

RACE 7 – (6) NOWHERE CREEK A gave it a much better try last week dropping down to 15s, holding on for 2 nd even after cutting the mile and getting outbrushed by the (dominant) winner on the final turn – maybe this is a field he can take wire to wire? (5) DELIGHTFUL TERROR has been a model of consistency, hitting board in 9 of his 10 starts this year (including 3 victories) – a live trip makes him a solid threat. (2) EL PARRANDERO Q shipped in with ok form last week and raced ok here too, a no threat 2 nd after sitting the pocket to HELSINKI – he’s in for another good trip tonight, and certainly belongs in exotics. (4) SAILBOAT HANOVER may improve dropping in for $15K but note that he’s 7-0-0-0 $2,310 to start off the year before accepting any kind of short price. (7) VELOCI TY KOMODO had a somewhat adventuresome trip last week but was able to come out on top in what proved to be a “fall apart” race – may not be as fortunate tonight, especially from out here. (8) HELSINKI moved all the way inside last week, stole an easy half on the lead and was able to make it hold up against #2 and #5 – back outside for tonight, though, and that could slow him down considerably. (3) PINE BUSH UP DRAFT didn’t show any “crazy” lines out of town but he got too hot for Siegelman to handle last week, and cost himself any chance after having to be cut loose well before the quarter – not really sure he can hang with these even with a better trip. (1) YOUR BRO THER had a solid 2024 season but is having lots of trouble getting anything going in ‘25.

RACE 8 – (6) VOSS BLUE CHIP made a pair of breaks here in February but may just not have been quite right at the time – he’s been MUCH sharper in NJ since then, behaving himself for the last 5 starts – we’ll give him top billing here, but not willing to take too short a price. (2) OLIVER THE GREAT was a winner at PcD 3 back and a solid rallying 3 rd here last week – definitely sharp enough right now to have a big say here. (1) KEWPIE DOLL had a solid 2YO campaign, staying trotting regularly and displaying the ability to race from on or off the pace – she had a useful qualifier for a sharp barn, and may be ready for action right off the bat. (3) MA ISABELLE was pretty well backed for her local debut 2 back but made a costly miscue on turn two – was content to just stay trotting in the back last week, but MAY be able to bring a more serious effort tonight – attractive at that 15-1 ML price. (5) WALKWHI LEYOURTALKIN rallied steadily from well back in his Yonkers debut to just miss, and has some decent NJ lines as well – definitely playable on the bottom of exotics. (7) STOCKHOLM HANOVER has been “meh” for a while – we’ll see if tonight’s driver change can help him find a bit more pop. (8) HL OLMAYA seemed to be bothered off turn three last week and that break wasn’t really her fault – no spot tonight, though. (4) DEVILLE HILL just hasn’t clicked so far at Yonkers.

RACE 9 – (5) HELLO GORGEOUS may be worth a stab tonight – he was a winner at PcD two back (off the barn change) and really wasn’t bad here last week, despite a tough 8 hole trip…with the main players in here seeming a bit vulnerable, he could be a good value play. (1) GINGER TREE PETE isn’t quite as reliable these days but he’s a classy horse that will fight hard whenever he’s in contention, and that should be the case from the pole tonight– very logical threat. (4) SHADOW IN RED is a pretty good $20K claimer when anywhere close to 100% but he drops in for $15K tonight after being scratched lame on 3/12, and that makes him somewhat of a question mark – hard to know what to expect from him! (2) SMOKIN BY N hasn’t been on his best game but he’s been picking up pieces every week and the good draw should put him in position to grab another one tonight. (3) THREE GRAND is winless in 24 local starts but he’s picked up smaller pieces, and does get post relief…maybe 3 rd/4 th? (7) MASTER MIKI probably needs a much better draw to contend for even a smaller slice. (6) WAR DAN DELIGHT N (8) LUCI ANO N would be surprises, especially with the poor posts.

RACE 10 – John Brennan Trotting Series, Leg #2: (7) BELLISSIMO FACE AS added Lasix 2 back and beat a very solid NW20000 field – he followed that up with a 2 nd behind the very talented ANTOGNONI S last week and we’ll go with him on top tonight, mostly because he figures to be a better price than his main rival. (1) BUSY MAKING MONI was freshened up, qualified super, then came up 2 nd best to the razor-sharp GOLDEN RAIN S in the first leg of the series – has a big post advantage over his main rival, and he’s the one to knock off. (2) CHEF ROCCO seems a notch below the top pair, but will be waiting in the wings should either/both of them falter tonight. (5) CRAZY BR OTHER JIM seems a bit below the top ones, but may be able to beat out the others for a minor share. (6) MEETME ATTHEBAR benefited from an inside trip last week but still raced much better than expected – we’ll see if that was a fluke, or if she’s really on the upswing. (3) WALL STREET EDGE took no $$ for his local debut (for a new barn) and made a break that night – he missed the first leg of the series, and we’ll keep an eye on him tonight. (4) MOSQ UITO came close to breaking when he beat much cheaper 2 back so it was no surprise to see him on a gallop last week – the ability is there for sure, but he just doesn’t feel safe enough to consider right now.

RACE 11 – (3) IM J BEE N was a solid rallying 3 rd three back, an easy winner in his next then just missed last week (to a horse than came back to jog in his next start) – the 11YO is feeling good right now, and feels like the one to beat. (5) WAIMAC ATTACK N has been away since August but qualified back nicely at PcD, finishing 2 nd behind DESPERATE MAN (though obviously no threat to that one) – the barn has been known to have them ready off the bench, and this guy may be primed for a contending effort. (1) SNOUZE U LOUZE has been getting away too far back to threaten in most of his recent starts – he should be a lot closer to the pace tonight, and that could put him in the mix for a good chunk of this. (2) SHAKE IT rallied from well back for 2 nd two back, though that was a big time fall-apart race – he tired after getting a great start from Post 8 last time, and now moves inside – ok for exotics. (7) LOU ON THE BEACH was invisible for weeks but everything turned around instantly upon joining a barn that has simply been en fuego out of town lately – don’t toss him too quickly at that 20-1 ML price. (4) ROSE RUN X CON has been stuck on minor pieces lately and seems destined for a similar fate tonight. (8) THE WILL TO PLAY has shown that he CAN win at this level…but will probably need a better post for a chance to do so again. (6) DEEDEN UTO is now 16-0-0-1 at Yonkers and hasn’t come close to hitting board in a long time.

RACE 12 – (1) KISS MY CHEEK has raced well in this class many times and has been doing some good work recently in PA – she exits a sharp barn, but joins one that has shown they can take horses from anybody, and do just as well, or better…attractive at that 6-1 ML price. (5) MISS PERIGNON N took some decent tote action for her 2 nd U.S. start and was a nice 2 nd to the very talented BATH BOMB – could be a serious threat tonight. (3) SHES EPIC has some speed/talent, but has to avoid getting too hot during the mile – if she can relax and time her move tonight, she can have a say here. (2) LADY BLUE JAY had been “sneaky good” foe a couple of starts but did disappoint when 3 rd in her last– she’s missed some time since then, but still could bring some value to the exotics (4) FLOWER SHOPS went some good miles at 3 for our leading trainer and just qualified back nicely for her 4YO campaign – would be no surprise at all. (8) PUSSYCAT DOLL GB was a well backed winner in her 2 nd local start but wasn’t nearly the same last week – she lands all the way outside for tonight, and that has us leaning elsewhere. (7) IM A BE LIEVER hit board in her first 3 starts of 2025 but struggled last week, and tonight’s draw may cause some trouble for her as well. (6) BE YOUR BEST was just 1 for 25 last year – she’s already won 4 of 8 to start off 2025, but those were vs. easier, out of town – still needs to prove she can hold her own here at Yonkers.