MEET STATS: 221 - 989 / $1,640.74 (-$337.26)
BEST BETS: 51 - 99 / $220.64 (+$22.64)
SPOT PLAYS: 8 - 99 / $92.50 (-$105.50)
BEST BET - MISSPANZEE (4th)
SPOT PLAY - QUEEN OF ALL (8th)
This wraps up my Yonkers analysis duties for 2025. Thanks for following along through the meet, and I'd like to wish you all Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!
Race 1 - F&M 20000CLM Pace
(1) SHANGRI LA HANOVER was second at this level two back and fourth from post seven last Thursday. She slides in on the gate to the pole position tonight and I'll give her top call. (4) FIGHT NOT FLIGHT has hit the board in five of her last seven outings, and that includes wins over $20,000 claimers on 10-28 and 12-4. (8) YOU BEDA ROCK will have to overcome the eight-hole but has romped in back-to-back outings and will be tough to beat if she's that good again.
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Race 2 - 15000CLM Pace
(3) TIN ROOF RAIDER A gets reunited with Yannick Gingras here, and while I do think he's tailed off some since October, he's still capable of getting the job done like he almost did on November 20. (1) AMERICAGREATAGAIN has a win and a runner-up finish since he dropped to this class and slides in from the six-hole to post one. (4) MUSCLE BART A gets post relief in his second outing back in Scott Di Domenico's stable and George Brennan has gotten along well with him in the past.
Race 3 - F&M 20000CLM Pace
(2) DEAR ABBEY closed well to just miss in this class two back and returns from the Meadowlands off a winning effort over there. (1) BOUT DAMN TIME A converted a pocket trip into victory against $20,000 claimers on 12-9 and starts from post one again tonight. (5) YUENGLING held sway on the front-end to prevail at this level last Thursday and shows another effort where she came up only a nose short of a victory back on October 28.
Race 4 - NW20000L5 / Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5 / NW10 PM Races LT / 60000CLM Trot
(3) MISSPANZEE came up a little flat last week, but her wins prior to that were good, and she gets post relief plus a driver switch to Gingras here. (1) DIAMANTE TRIO IT posted a second-place finish at this level last Thursday and slides in from post four to the pole position tonight. (2) AQUARIUS FACE S never got involved from post seven a week ago but drew much better this time and was second in this class on the 30th of October.
Race 5 - NW7500L5 / Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW5000L5 Pace
(6) PINE BUSH ITALIANO rallied to finish third in a NW10000L5 base class event last Tuesday and drops here. He was second against NW7500L5s back on 11-11 and he partners with Brent Holland again. (2) PRINTVILLE was fourth from first-over in the same race my top selection exits, and he shows a victory at this level on October 27. (4) VICI moves in from the eight-hole to post four tonight and posted a third-place finish against NW7500L5 company on the 2nd of December.
Race 6 - 40000CLM Trot
(8) CHIPPER DALE landed the eight-hole at the draw, but outside of that out of character break last week his form has been super, and I think he can get involved. (5) EYES OF JUSTICE tallied against $40,000 claimers a couple of weeks ago when he got to team up with Tyler Buter, and he's in the bike again here. (1) BLUEBIRD BISHOP went down the road to prevail at this level last Thursday, and as long as he minds his manners, he's capable of doing that again from the pole position tonight.
Race 7 - 15000CLM Pace
(4) MY CARBON COPY enters this event with a second and a third in his last two outings. He gets a bit of post relief tonight and does own a win over $15,000 claimers on 10-23. (5) FULL SUPPORT has just the one recent off-the-board result, and that was from the eight-hole and with an awful trip. He held on gamely to tally in this class a week ago. (1) TAKE A CLOSER LOOK woke up in a big way with a handy victory on the front-end last Thursday and slides in from post six to the pole position.
Race 8 - NW20000L5 / Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5 / NW12 PM Races LT / 60000CLM Trot
(3) QUEEN OF ALL exits the MGM Grand Prix Trotting Series, and it wasn't all that long ago she was one of the top horses in both the Invitational and F&M Invitational at Yonkers. (1) LEFTIES RIGHTIES comes in from out-of-town in sharp form and won over NW15000L5 foes when last seen at Yonkers back in early October. (4) BELLISSIMO FACE S prevailed in this class last Thursday, and there's every chance he could improve here as he makes his second start back after a layoff.
Race 9 - F&M 20000CLM Pace
(1) PINK RUBY had a win and then a second before she wound up with post eight and couldn't get involved last Thursday. She should have every chance to get back into the hunt tonight though as she moves in on the gate to the pole position. (4) BIG CITY DAISY saw her run of victories end a week ago, but she did finish second, so she's up to five straight on-the-board results. I'll put her underneath tonight. (6) SP DANCINWITHSTARZ is on a streak of four consecutive third-place efforts between here and Harrah's Philadelphia and gets reunited with Brennan.
Race 10 - 40000CLM Trot
(3) VLAHOS tired after a parked-out trip a week ago but landed a much better post tonight and picked up a couple of checks in the Open at Dover before coming to Yonkers. (2) VOSS BLUE CHIP enters with four consecutive results in the trifecta, including a third against $40,000 claiming company at Yonkers a couple of weeks back. (4) CROWN MONARCH came in third in his second chance at this level last Thursday and retained Gingras's services for leading trainer Per Engblom.
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Race 11 - 40000CLM Trot
(4) ENERGY KING doesn't have a great win record this year but was second at this level two back and then gained spots and ground from the eight-hole last week. He gets reunited with Austin Siegelman tonight and moves back in on the gate to post four. (5) JAS BLUESTONE hasn't been seen since 11-20, but he shows three victories against $40,000 claimers and has Tyler Buter to drive again. (1) BARN HALL lacks some recent form but races out of a high-percentage stable, and this is his first inside post since November 7 when he just missed by a nose in a NW5000L5 tilt.
Race 12 - 15000CLM Pace
(7) FRANCO NANDOR N makes his third start back after being off for over a year and was second to a well-meant foe last week. I'll hope some additional improvement is ahead tonight and use. (1) SQUADRON SEELSTER gets significant post relief tonight after he had the eight-hole at Harrah's Philadelphia and the seven-hole at Yonkers in his last two appearances. (5) GALANTE A drops out of the $20,000 claimers and catches a wide-open group in this tilt.