Meadowlands Race Picks
by Bob Pandolfo
Saturday, December 21

RACE 1
3 POLAK A 4-1
1 BORN OF FIRE 9-2
9 DUBIOUS CLAIM 9-2
10 BUSHWACKER 8-1

With Yonkers, Pocono, and Philadelphia all closed, we get one of the best non-stakes cards of the year with 14 very competitive races due to all of the quality shippers. POLAK A gets a better post and recent form has been sharp…BORN OF FIRE rarely wins and is 0 for 20 at this track but he moves back inside while in good form…DUBIOUS CLAIM shows improved recent form and gets Dunn in the bike

RACE 2
7 STORMONT CZAR A 4-1
10 HOO NIEN A 4-1
3 INTERNET HANOVER 4-1
6 CHIP WALTHER 5-1

STORMONT CZAR A broke early in last, and I’m hoping that was an aberration caused by the off track; can leave…HOO NIEN A broke early in last and came on gamely; two back was a sharp effort against tougher; dangerous despite the post…INTERNET HANOVER has been trying to work his way back after missing ten months and he got a game win when dropped down in last at Dover…CHIP WALTHER drops and is a threat with the right type of trip.

RACE 3
5 ABERDEEN HANOVER 7-2
1 SHARP ACTION MONEY 2-1
8 TORRID BROMAC N 4-1
2 STARZNHEAVEN 4-1

ABERDEEN HANOVER ships in from Yonkers, took his mark of 1:49.4 over this track, gets a catch driver…SHARP ACTION MONEY only has 1 win in 20 starts over this track but has turned in some solid miles since moving into the Burke barn; takes a key drop and a better post and may be tough to beat…TORRID BROMAC N has been sharp for new barn, ships in from Yonkers with aggressive driver…STARZNHEAVEN best needed.

RACE 4
1 RANCOUSY 5-2
7 DECOY 5-2
5 DRAWING DRAGONS 4-1
3 EVER AGAIN 7-1

RANCOUSY ships in from Yonkers, drops, handles this track…DECOY fits well here…DRAWING DRAGONS went a sharp mile at Yonkers first off the claim…EVER AGAIN gets Gingras and is better than last when he chased a sharp favorite.

RACE 5
3 MINDTRIP 4-1
7 ATTA BOY DAN 5-2
2 SHOREVIEW 4-1
5 LIKE CLOCKWORK 9-2

MINDTRIP was full of pace rallying to win first off the claim in last and that was off the bench…ATTA BOY DAN may be the one to beat here as he drops for live barn…SHOREVIEW has been racing very sharp at Yonkers…LIKE CLOCKWORK had a tough trip in last at Philadelphia.

RACE 6
2 WESTERN EXPOSURE 8-5
6 DUDDIE’S LOR 5-2
5 TAP TAP TAP 9-2
3 BICORNE HANOVER 6-1

WESTERN EXPOSURE chased Breeders Crown winner Dancin Lou in his last two starts; qualified back well for a top barn…DUDDIE’S LOR may be the one to beat here…TAP TAP TAP comes out of some good races at Yonkers…BICORNE HANOVER best needed.

RACE 7
3 CASTLE FLIGHT** 2-1
2 OCEAN COLONY 5-2
6 TALBOTCREEKWHISKEY 3-1
7 HAMAMBE DEO 9-1

CASTLE FLIGHT went well in first off the claim by live barn, ships in from Dover, and this fast gelding is better around two turns…OCEAN COLONY gets a better post this time…TALBOTCREEKWHISKEY ships in sharp for Burke.

RACE 8
7 PALOMAR 4-1
6 TYMAL PEACEMAKER 4-1
10 ODDS ON LAUDERDALE 4-1
1 BELL I NO 4-1

The late Pick 4 starts with a very good field of pacers, tough race to put an accurate odds line on. PALOMAR drops off a game first over effort and won a fast race here two back…TYMAL PEACEMAKER ships in for good barn and finished with pace off a slow pace in last, faced tougher at Yonkers recently…ODDS ON LAUDERDALE drops for a top barn and may try leaving…BELL I NO was 2nd against similar in last two, adds lasix.

RACE 9
4 THISBEACHRGHTHEREA 4-1
6 CITY HALL 4-1
7 LAREDO TORPEDO N 4-1
2 ITS JUST TOO MUCH 5-1

THISBEACHRGHTHEREA drops while in good form, can upset another very competitive field…CITY HALL drops and loves this track; note that driver Tyler Buter took City Hall over my top pick…LAREDO TORPEDO N raced well in U.S. debut; faces a better field here…ITS JUST TOO MUCH made a big move to the lead in last and held well for the show.

RACE 10
6 FRANCO TOTEM N 7-2
5 LYONS STEEL 4-1
9 SAN DOMINO A 4-1
1 WHEELS ON FIRE 5-1

FRANCO TOTEM M finished sharp from a tough spot in last; remains sharp…LYONS STEEL was uncovered and held well; continues to race sharp…SAM DOMINO A won here two back then stepped up and won easily at Yonkers…WHEELS ON FIRE is better than last.

RACE 11
5 GRIFFON HANOVER 5-1
8 DA MAGICIAN 5-1
4 ROOTIN TOOTIN 6-1
1 ALL IT TAKES 6-1

GRIFFON HANOVER gets a better spot and was in with tougher last week; form has been solid…DA MAGICIAN steps up off a nice win and gets Dunn…ROOTIN TOOTIN went backwards at 14-1  against a much tougher field in last but beat this type as the favorite two back…ALL IT TAKES comes off an improved effort.

RACE 12
7 TRUMP THAT 5-2
2 SMILEANDSAYCHEESE 7-2
4 JOHNNY Q 5-1
3 PARTY BOY 8-1

TRUMP THAT didn’t have the smoothest trip in last; drops for top connections…SMILEANDSAYCHEESE ships back in and has raced well over this track…JOHNNY Q steps up while in good form and this really isn’t much of a step up…PARTY BOY had no shot in last at Yonkers; gets a catch driver who has been driving very well here.

RACE 13
6 CHEYENNE SEEBER 8-1
3 WHATSTROUBLNUROCKY 5-1
7 JOHN DALLY 7-2
5 MAKE IT BIG 5-1

CHEYENNE SEEBER had a tough spot in last at Harrahs Philly, handles this track well and form has been improving; upset call in another wide open race…WHATSTROUBLNUROCKY picks up Gingras, beat top pick two back…JOHN DALLY raced well against similar in last…MAKE IT BIG was used hard in a hot pace in a race that fell apart late.

RACE 14
3 MIDNIGHT LIGHTNING finished with a strong wide rally in last at Yonkers, gets a catch driver here…ROUGH ODDS faced much tougher here last month…SISKEL ships back in and was also in with better here last month…NOTORIOUS seems to be in good form.

BEST BET: CASTLE FLIGHT 7th Race