MEET STATS: 112 - 515 / $825.30 (-$204.70)
BEST BETS: 28 - 51 / $120.00 (+$18.00)
SPOT PLAYS: 5 - 51 / $56.50 (-$45.50)
BEST BET - PATRIOT MISS (5th)
SPOT PLAY - BIG DREAM FELLA (6th)
Race 1 - New York Excelsior Series 2YO Fillies Pace
(6) MOANA HANOVER tired from first-over up at Vernon but debuts for new connections here and gets a driver switch to Matt Kakaley. Her baby races at Pocono were fine, and I'll give her a try in a field where no one has won thus far. (2) TWO TWENTY SWIFT was second in her division of the Excelsior Series at Vernon and was Jason Bartlett's choice of several. (3) WILLOW'S CHOICE gets some post relief off a second-place finish to a well-meant favorite at Vernon. Jordan Stratton takes over the assignment with Bartlett opting off.
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Race 2 - New York Excelsior Series 2YO Fillies Pace
(3) LONG SHORE dominated in the Excelsior Series at Vernon and I'll look for her to get the job done again here from a good draw. (1) TALADEGA EXPRESS was making some headway on LONG SHORE from first-over at Vernon but made a break. She gets her regular driver to come in and drive and hopefully can avoid any mistakes this time. (2) DELIGHTFUL DIVA struggled at Vernon but hit the board on the half-mile track at Buffalo prior to that and partners with Stratton for the first time.
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Race 3 - New York Sire Stakes 2YO Fillies Pace
(6) MISS GENIE MAE drew the outside, but she finished a solid second in the sire stakes at Vernon in her career debut. I think she should be sharper here with that start under her belt and hails from a strong stable. (2) ODDS ON ENIGMA got the better of my top pick at Vernon and has the post edge on her tonight, but I expect she'll take much more wagering support this time and will try and beat her. (3) AMERICAN CHEESE has hit the board in both of her sire stakes appearances thus far. She has raced from off-the-pace in her two pari-mutuel efforts but was much closer to the action in her second baby race at Pocono on 6-11.
Race 4 - New York Sire Stakes 2YO Fillies Pace
(4) PARTY PUMPS closed with pace in the sire stakes at Vernon and showed the ability to race on the front-end as well in her second baby race at Pocono on June 25. (2) ODDS ON MONETARY held sway over PARTY PUMPS up at Vernon and gets some post relief here off that performance. (3) LIBERTY STYLE could only manage a fifth at Vernon but prevailed on the half-mile oval at Buffalo before that. She was Bartlett's choice, too, and I'll include based on that.
Race 5 - New York Excelsior Series 2YO Fillies Pace
(1) PATRIOT MISS prevailed handily at Vernon from the pocket and starts from the pole position here after she had post six in that contest. (3) SURREAL SPIRIT made a big first-over move at Vernon but flattened out in the stretch. That was her first pari-mutuel outing, so she could definitely build on that tonight. (6) TETON BEAUTY battled back after being challenged by SURREAL SPIRIT at Vernon and got the job done. She drew poorly again tonight but does partner with Yannick Gingras for the second time.
Race 6 - 30000CLM Pace
(2) BIG DREAM FELLA remains winless in 2025 but hails from a stable that's sending out a lot of live horses right now and gained ground with a 27 and change final quarter in his fourth-place result on 6-30. (1) SADDLE UP has won in five of his last seven tries, including four times against $30,000 claimers. He won from this stable back on the 26th of May and they have him again off the re-claim from a week ago. (5) TO THE HUNT is riding a four-race streak of finishes in the trifecta and competes for a high-percentage barn.
Race 7 - NW20000L5 / Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5 / NW10 PM Races LT / 60000CLM Trot
(5) INFINITY STONE wound up with a difficult trip last week, so I can overlook his fifth-place finish. He's won in this class before at Yonkers and hopefully will be able to make the lead without much difficulty this time. (6) OVER AND BACK is on a lengthy run of top-three results, and while he hasn't won in two tries at this level, he's performed well on both occasions. (1) HOT FLASH KIMMY scored in the F&M Invitational on the 12th of June and starts from the pole off a strong qualifier against pacers.
Race 8 - Invitational Trot
(5) INCOMMUNICADO came in fourth in the top class down at Harrah's Philadelphia in his first outing of 2025 on 6-19 and all three of his victories last year came in the Invitational at Yonkers. (4) SOUTHWIND COORS has only missed the board once in 13 starts this year and has been victorious the last three times he's been in the local Invitational. (2) QUEEN OF ALL was third with some traffic issues in the Invitational won by SOUTHWIND COORS last Thursday and starts from another good post.
Race 9 - NW20000L5 / Winners in Last Start of the Base Class NW15000L5 / NW10 PM Races LT / 60000CLM Trot
(1) CECIL HANOVER cut the fractions and wound up third most recently down at Harrah's Philadelphia. He's had plenty of success at Yonkers before, gets reunited with Dan Dube and starts from the pole. (2) AUSTRAL HANOVER didn't have an easy trip last week and had to settle for fourth. He won in this class prior to that, though and was George Brennan's choice. (4) MAX steps up from the $40,000 claimers but has won four in-a-row and five of six since he came back to Yonkers and debuts for Ron Burke off a claim.
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Race 10 - 3-6YO 30000CLM Pace
(6) LMC PEANUTS WATCHN checked in second behind a well-meant favorite in his last appearance on July 1, and he gets to team up with Bartlett here. He was also racing well at the Meadowlands prior to that, and he gets to team up with Bartlett. (4) SIP OF BOURBON is on an extended run of sharp form, won in this class last Thursday and gets reunited with Brennan. (2) ALWAYSCUTTINSCHOOL shows a couple of thirds at this level and gets post relief and a driver switch to Gingras tonight for a high-percentage stable.
Race 11 - 25000CLM Pace
(2) ALWAYS ROCKIN lacks super-obvious form but moves in from the eight-hole and gets to partner with Bartlett again. I'll take a chance on him based on that. (4) BURNHAM BOY N has won both of his starts since he started racing against $25,000 claimers and looks like the one they'll have to beat again in this tilt. (1) I'M TALKIN HUNGRY just missed by a head to BURNHAM BOY N on 6-18 and then gained ground in a fourth-place finish to him on 6-26. He slides in from post five to the pole position here.