MEET STATS: 104 - 449 / $759.90 (-$138.10)
BEST BETS: 27 - 44 / $113.60 (+$25.60)
SPOT PLAYS: 3 - 44 / $32.10 (-$55.90)
BEST BET-SOUTHWIND IRON (4th)
SPOT PLAY-COALFORDSNSHINE GB (10th)
Race 1 - New York Sire Stakes 2YO C&G Pace
(5) QUICKAWAY won his lone qualifier at Woodbine Mohawk Park and I think it may be significant that Yannick Gingras ends up on this guy and not the Ron Burke trainee. I'll fire. (2) KILLING JOKE drew well and won his second qualifier at Vernon in handy fashion with a good final quarter. He adds a catch driver here as Braxten Boyd takes over. (1) FINDING NEMO starts from post one and has two qualifiers under his belt, including one over a half-mile track at Saratoga. You also get an entrymate in (1A) ARTISTIC LOVER, but I prefer FINDING NEMO.
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Race 2 - 40000CLM Trot
(3) BAR COINS is back with Joe Bongiorno and he's had success with this horse in the past. I think there'll be value here and he's worth giving a shot. (4) BEACON BEACH won in this class two back and I can excuse his fourth-place finish last week as he wound up first-over. (6) ALL STAR SWAN was facing tougher competition than this before she went on the shelf back in the winter. She returns to action tonight off a solid qualifier and has co-owner Gingras in the bike.
Race 3 - New York Excelsior Series 2YO C&G Pace
(3) COURT'S CHOICE doesn't have any charted lines coming into this event but I'll bank on him being ready, especially since this is the same driver/trainer combo I went with back in race one. (2) JERICHO JOHNNY gained ground in his second qualifier over at Pocono. Tyler Buter handled him both times in the morning and has the call again tonight. (4) HE'S SO SMART qualified out at Harrah's Hoosier Park and now comes east for a high-percentage stable and gets Jason Bartlett in the bike.
Race 4 - New York Excelsior Series 2YO C&G Pace
(1) SOUTHWIND IRON qualified fine down at Harrah's Philadelphia in his one appearance with the trainer in the bike and now picks up Gingras from post one. (2) U CAN'T PIK FAMILY is owned by the Bartlett family and trainer Scott Blackler has been having a strong meet. Neither of his qualifiers were overly eye-catching, but I trust he'll be ready to fire. (5) AGGIEVILLE didn't threaten in a fast baby race at Pocono on 6-11 but won prior to that and I'll include.
Race 5 - New York Sire Stakes 2YO C&G Pace
(5) HUNT OFF THE PRESS performed well in a pair of qualifiers at Pocono and produced 27 and change quarters in both. That's good enough for me for a stable that had an excellent season with 2-year-olds in 2024. (2) FRAGMENT enters off a big mile in his second baby race at Pocono for leading trainer Per Engblom and drew inside here. (1) KNOXVILLE qualified well behind FRAGMENT at Pocono on June 11 and switches pilots back to Mark MacDonald from the pole position. Like back in race one, you get an entrymate here in (1A) CASPER THE GHOST, who was third to my top selection at Pocono during that same 6-11 baby race session at Pocono.
Race 6 - 3-6YO 30000CLM Pace
(1) TOPVILLE SOMEBEACH landed the pole here after he had the eight-hole in back-to-back tries and shows a pair of wins in this class in May. (3) HELLO GORGEOUS never got involved from post seven a week ago but was very sharp prior to that and gets post relief tonight. (7) TO THE HUNT will have to overcome the outside but comes in with back-to-back runner-up results to a pair of well-meant rivals.
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Race 7 - 40000CLM Trot
(1) ON HIGHER GROUND doesn't have a win yet in 2025 but has hit the board in half of his eight tries and drew the pole tonight after he had poor posts in his last two tries here and over at Pocono. (3) MAX rebounded from a break on 6-5 to post a handy win last Thursday and should be a threat again tonight as long as he minds his p's and q's. (5) FULL SCALE was the runner-up to a well-meant foe in this class a week ago and takes a second shot at $40,000 claiming company tonight.
Race 8 - F&M Invitational Trot
I'm going to take a shot with (2) MA ISABELLE here in the hopes an improved post this time will allow for a more aggressive approach to be taken. She won at Yonkers back on May 24 and then was third to two mares she faces tonight in a subsequent effort. (7) TIPSY MONI is often the one to beat in this class but she has suffered two straight defeats, including a rather dull fourth on 5-29. I don't think she's worth the short price right now, especially from another outside post, and will try and beat her. (5) QUEEN OF ALL is on an extended run of sharp form and won the F&M Invitational on the 29th of May.
Race 9 - NW20000L5 / Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5 / NW10 PM Races LT / 60000CLM Trot
(4) DRAW THE LINE moves up in class tonight but has won two of three starts since she went on Lasix and I think she'll offer some value. (3) ASTEROID comes down from Plainridge off a second and a fourth up there, but what caught my eye most was that Bartlett ends up here instead of an Engblom trainee. That's usually significant and Bartlett did win with the horse at Pocono on May 24. (2) AQUARIUS FACE S is the Engblom trainee that Bartlett chose off. He tallied in two straight tries at Yonkers in April and has been racing in the top class at the Meadowlands since.
Race 10 - F&M 20000CLM Pace
(2) COALFORDSNSHINE GB hasn't won since she came up from Maryland but all of her performances have been good, and she gets post relief tonight for a stable that's always capable of having one ready to fire. (3) FIGHT NOT FLIGHT has been first or second in five of her last six appearances and debuts for new connections off a claim. (1) TYRA MAKES BANK defeated $20,000 claimers two back and has been on-the-board in five of her last six trips behind the gate.