MEET STATS: 166- 586 / $1,022.20 (-$149.80)
BEST BETS: 29 - 56 / $137.00 (+$25.00)
SPOT PLAYS: 7 - 56 / $88.40 (-$23.60)
BEST BET-HOWLENTHEHILLS (2nd)
SPOT PLAY-SWAN FLYER (12th)
Race 1 - New York Excelsior "A" Series 3YO C&G Pace
(2) IDEAL PAR makes his third start back after a layoff tonight and gets considerable post relief compared to his appearances at Monticello and Batavia. (6) PRINTVILLE is riding a four-race win streak and gets reunited with Scott Zeron, who guided him to one of those victories at Monticello. (3) JONES HANOVER finished with pace in a second-place result most recently at Monticello and shows competing in the top level of the sire stakes earlier this year.
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Race 2 - New York Sire Stakes 3YO C&G Pace
(1) HOWLENTHEHILLS just looks too tough for the others in here as he's won eight of nine this season and just missed in the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes final against open company when last seen at Yonkers on 6-28. (2) VANDIEMEN BLUECHIP hasn't won in 2024 but has been in the top three in four of his five efforts. Braxten Boyd has piloted him in his last two starts and is back at the controls here. (3) TARANAKI shows four on-the-board results in five sire stakes outings and adds Tyler Buter in the bike tonight.
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Race 3 - 40000CLM Trot
(6) LOS BALLYKEELAMIGO is going to get one more try from me this week as he's been second to the blistering-hot Cantkeepmiasecret in his last two outings and doesn't have to face that rival tonight. Buter has had success with this gelding before and is back in the bike this time. (2) PC FREE WHEELING gets signficant post relief this week after she had a dreadful trip from the eight-hole last Thursday. She won two back with a clean journey from a better draw. (3) AIRMANS JACKPOT returns to Yonkers after one try over at Pocono. She's had some success at this oval in 2024 and goes for the potent driver/trainer combo of Matt Kakaley and Travis Alexander.
Race 4 - New York Sire Stakes 3YO C&G Pace
(2) HUNTINGFORCHROME has performed very well in his last four starts for the Alexander barn and comes off a sire stakes victory at Batavia. I'll look for him to deliver again in this race. (5) BOSTON ROCKS is having another solid campaign but was third to Howlenthehills in the sire stakes at Batavia on 7-31 and is in against another tough customer here. I'll use underneath. (1) ESCAPE TO AMERICA enters off a big mile in the Excelsior "A" Series at Batavia last time out. He lost Bartlett to BOSTON ROCKS but picks up George Brennan and did make the MGM Grand Messenger Stakes final here in June.
Race 5 - New York Excelsior "A" Series 3YO C&G Pace
(1) POP IT hasn't won yet in 2024 but has back-to-back second-place finishes and is switching drivers to Brent Holland tonight. I'll give him a chance. (4) WITHIN THE WILD shows nothing but on-the-board results thus far. Jordan Stratton piloted him to a runner-up result two back at Monticello and takes back over the driving here. (3) CRUZIN AMERICA doesn't have any victories this season but I always respect anything out of the Alexander barn and he did come in second on 7-22 at Monticello.
Race 6 - Amateur Race for Winners Over 3779L5 Starts Trot
(5) INFINITY STONE will probably clobber these if he's anywhere close to as good this time as he was last Thursday. Andrew Adamczyk has had the hot hands in the amateur events at Yonkers lately and hops in the bike. (2) ICE BREAKERS K finished a solid second to the red-hot Stick With Me Kid last week and doesn't have to contend with that horse this time. (4) WINDSONG PIONEER went a long way on the lead a week ago before he finished second. He has a new pilot this time with John Calabrese taking over.
Race 7 - 40000CLM Trot
(4) MISSION VOYAGE gained some ground in the final quarter behind Cantkeepmiasecret and Los Ballykeelamigo in a $40,000 claiming event last week. Since I used Los Ballykeelamigo earlier, I'll give this one a shot too as he gets away from Cantkeepmiasecret. (5) PASSIONATE PROMISE was third when she dropped down to this level a week ago and gets reunited with Kakaley for Alexander. (2) CARRERA HANOVER broke most recently at Pocono but turned in a couple of good efforts at Yonkers before that and is getting some post relief.
Race 8 - F&M Invitational Trot
(5) DIAMANTE TRIO IT was Brennan's choice of a pair in here. Just ignore her try last week as she had no shot after getting bothered from post eight in an amateur race and focus on the fact she was second to Tipsy Moni on 7-25. She doesn't have to meet that rival here and did win in this class back on June 27. (6) P L NOTSONICE starts from the outside but has often been able to win at this level when Tipsy Moni isn't around. (1) CANTKEEPMIASECRET gets a big test here as she steps up from the $40,000 claimers off a claim. Brennan went to my top pick, but she lands leading driver Bartlett instead.
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Race 9 - Amateur Race for Winners Over 3779L5 Starts Trot
(3) VOYAGE TO PARIS tallied in pretty handy fashion in an amateur race at Yonkers a week ago, and I will bank on him delivering another victory here. (1) SKYWAY PROFESSOR moves inside to the pole this time and gained some ground in the stretch in the dash won by my top pick last Thursday. He also gets a new driver with Adamczyk taking over. (6) CAL MILES N SHELL turned in an improved effort last week by finishing third in the same event VOYAGE IN PARIS and SKYWAY PROFESSOR exit.
Race 10 - Invitational Trot
If (5) STORMY KROMER is going to fire, I think it could easily come tonight as he is making his third start back after a layoff and switching drivers to Bartlett. I'll bite. (1) MISSISSIPPI STORM starts from the pole and has finished second in two straight tries in the Invitational. (4) NOWS THE MOMENT was on the front-end on the first turn last week when he miscued. He can always be dangerous in the Invitational and gets a new driver in Kakaley.
Race 11 - 3-5YO 30000CLM Pace
(6) GENTLE GIANT prevailed in this class two back and even though he made a break last Thursday, he went a huge trip after that to finish third. He was claimed by Ricky Bucci out of that event and that gets him Bartlett's services tonight. (7) SURFRIDER won at this level on both 7-11 and 7-29 and gives the Kakaley/Alexander duo another contender on the program. (4) CAPTAIN T HANOVER has two victories and a second in his last three tries in this age-restricted $30,000 claimer. He was just a neck behind SURFRIDER most recently.
Race 12 - NW21601L5/Winners in the Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5/NW10 PM Races LT/60000CLM Trot
(4) SWAN FLYER starts out of the Alexander barn for the second time tonight, and often horses will improve significantly in that situation. He also gets Kakaley in the bike, and I'll put him on top. (1) RITSON comes north from Harrah's Philadelphia off a tally in their top trotting class in his last outing. He starts from the pole again and is now with trainer Noel Daley. (2) CECIL HANOVER is two-for-two since coming to Yonkers from Kentucky and even though he's moving up the ladder, he offsets it by
