Saturday, September 12, 2026, Empire Report

The Empire Report – Saturday, September 12, 2026 – Race Analysis

RACE 1 – NYSS 2YO C&G Trot Final - $300,000

1 (PP2) – T MONEY started off his career with a couple of good efforts but things turned in the wrong direction right after that…would be a major surprise this afternoon 1A (PP5) – ARCHON started the year off strong then made a couple of breaks – added trotting hopples and has been excellent ever since, coming into tonight off victories at Tioga and here at Yonkers last week – starts from a good post, and looms a big threat 2 (PP1) – UNCLE ROB has 3 wins and 3 seconds from his 8 starts, with miscues in the other two (including a costly one here at Yonkers last week) – he draws the pole, has plenty of speed, and will be very dangerous if he stays flat 3 (PP3) – BIGTIME CHAPTER has been behaving since adding hopples, but has been a notch below the “top” players – gets a good draw, and that could help him take home a piece of this 4 (PP4) – LIONEL STATION is still winless and has been making too many breaks – definitely a longshot in here 5 (PP6) GIOS HOPE returns from Canada where he won his Wellwood division, but made a costly break (at 2-1) in the Final – his 3 NYSS efforts were all excellent, Dunn is on board, and the only knock is the tough draw – worth a good look if the price is decent 6 (PP7) BAILEY J has 2 wins and 2 seconds from the 4X Bartlett has driven including an excellent 2nd to ARCHON last week – he’s as good as any of these, but will need a helping of racing luck to overcome the terrible draw 7 (PP8) MAGIC MUSK gets the worst of the draw and has been a bit below these all season long

RACE 2 – NYSS 3YO C&G Trot Final - $300,000

1 (PP2) – SEVEN GRAND has hit board in 8 straight and while he’s always right there, he has only ONE victory on the year – on the flip side, he does get the services of the recently “un-retired” Brian Sears (first Yonkers drive since 2023), and that can only help his chances today…part of very strong entry! 1A (PP8) – READ THE ROOM has plenty of ability, and has won 4 of his last 5 NYSS starts (the lone loss an excellent 2nd right here to AI) – if Svanstedt can hustle him away to a clean, fast start, he has a chance to overcome Post 8 and be a serious threat! 2 (PP1) – HIGHWAY SIX was terrific at the County Fairs at 2 but really elevated his game at 3, becoming a solid NYSS performer (giving Gregory his 7,000th career victory!) – the rail draw puts him in a play for a good piece 3 (PP3) – AI banked nearly $400K at 2 but his 3YO campaign has been a bit uneven, still with flashes of major ability but with some miscues and disappointing efforts as well – he can be very dangerous here IF he brings his best 4 (PP4) – SEVENATO won a NYSS early in the season at VD but hasn’t really been close since then – an outsider 5 (PP5) – TWIN B SEVEN SINS was no factor at all in his local NYSS try this year but he just may not have been sharp at that time – he was right there in his last 3 races, retains McCarthy, and could add some value to the exotics 6 (PP6) – CHAPTER GEO started the year off a little slow but is hitting on all cylinders right now, a winner in 5 of his last 6 starts (including the blowout here on 7/23 – the only knock is the draw, but it may create a tough trip! 7 (PP7) – TITANS MISCHIEF has generally been a notch below the top ones all year – Post 7 is not going to help

RACE 3 – NYSS 3YO C&G Pace Final - $300,000

1 – FRAGMENT was an outstanding 2YO, setting a track record at Batavia in his NYSS Final, as part of a $585K campaign – he seemed to be the dominant colt in this class once again as a 3 year old, but he shockingly got beat here on 8/13, then lost his last at Tioga as well (both at very short prices) – another short price looms today 2 – COOPERSTOWN BOY started the season with strong efforts in the Excelsior Series – he jumped up to NYSS and was 2nd to FRAGMENT at Monti, then was a winner in his last pair…peaking at the right time? 3 – KNOXVILLE is having a terrific season (12-4-4-2, $238K) but he weakened on the lead (as the odds on choice) 2 and 3 back, then tired again from the pocket last week…needs to be sharper to be a serious threat today 4 – HARD TO FORGET was an easy trip 2nd at Batavia last week but has otherwise been significantly overmatched all year – would be a surprise 5 – HUNTING GLORY was able to upset KNOXVILLE here on 8/13 then picked up 3rds in his last pair – he’s sharper now than earlier this season, with a chance at a piece today (with a good trip). 6 – UNMATCHED WISDOM picked up an overnight victory adding Lasix last week but he gets a brutal draw for today’s Final, and seems unlikely to be able to find a manageable trip from this spot 7 – FEARLESS PARTNERS showed little at 2 and took some time to find his form at 3…he charged home full of pace here for 3rd on 8/13, put in a big rally to win his next at Batavia and was outstanding last week at Tioga, forced to retreat hard to 4th early on, but still able to charge by late – chance for the upset IF Stratton can find him a trip

RACE 4 – NYSS 2YO Filly Trot Final - $300,000

1 – KOUNTRY PLUNGE jogged in her 2 qualifiers and is 4 for 4 since starting her career, getting sharper and sharper with each start – looms a very short priced favorite this afternoon! 2 – JULA FLORENCE made a break at Yonkers trying for the lead but has otherwise behaved all summer long, 6-3-2-1 in her other starts – she’ll likely be sitting 2nd or 3rd today, with an excellent chance for a big piece 3 – WAXY VAXIE used easy trips to hit board in her first 3 NYSS tries but has been stuck on smaller pieces since then – definitely a notch below the main players in here 4 – SECRET LOVER changed barns before her last but the result was the same, finishing 2nd best for the 4th time in 4 starts – she may very well be the one to complete the exacta one more time. 5 – SEVEALLISTO has legitimate ability, and it was on display when she was able to run down SECRET LOVER here on 8/7 – if Bailey can get her to relax and rally, she may be able to take home a nice chunk of the purse 6 – CHAPIZZY picked up a win on 8/7 but with an unchallenged lead in a modest 4 horse field – very tough spot 7 – ANABELLA changed barns for her last and made a break – hard to see her getting into the hunt from out here

RACE 5 – NYSS 2YO Filly Pace Final - $300,000

1 – HURRIKANE SCHMAZY has been well below these all year – not sure the rail and Dunn will help enough 2 – FENDILICIOUS was ready to go at the start of her 2YO season and picked up a pair of wins and a 2nd – she seems to have leveled off as the season has gone on, however, and just not finishing well enough in her last few 3 – PHAST PHYLLIS grabbed the pocket at Stga. last week but tired badly – she can be forwardly placed here once more, but will need to be a lot better to contend for a good piece at the end 4 – ANNIE O was “meh” in her first couple of career starts but something clicked right after that, and she’s taken 4 in a row – have to respect her chance today, especially after drawing inside a couple of the other main players 5 – HUNTSVILLE HONEY started off her career with a win here at Yonkers and has been a steady player ever since – she looked like a possible winner at Stga. last week, but flattened late after a good first over bid – her barn is always dangerous on the NYSS circuit, and she may be able to make her presence felt this afternoon 6 – MAXINA was able to hit board in 5 of 7 starts this year, and shows the ability to race from on or off the pace – may be a notch below a couple of the others, but still not a bad bomb for 3rd/4th 7 – TOO PINK TO PASS was shuffled badly last week at Stga. but finished full of pace – she was 2nd 3 other times this year, but tonight’s draw could pose some problems – still worth a look at what figures to be a pretty good price 8– COWBOY CANDY went a big effort to just miss in her career debut in PA then rattled off 6 straight NYSS wins, often in dominant fashion – she’s been the best of the division all summer long, but will need all of Bartlett’s skill to find a manageable trip from out here

RACE 6 – ARIA Invitational Pace, Grade 2, $200,000 – 1 ¼ miles

1 – BEST CHIP isn’t the first horse this barn has taken from bottom level obscurity right up to the top class but he may be the most impressive, so far – he returns off a win in the Grade 1 Canadian Pacing Derby, was a 1:50.2 winner in his last local try and recorded the fastest miles of the card at The Meadowlands on both Pace Night, and Hambo Day…not too shabby for a horse that was going off at 40-1 in NW2500 in mid-April! Big threat! 2 – GO GO GRASSHOPPER was a barnmate to #1 until his last start, and doing some excellent work of his own – he captured The Meadows Open for his new connections, and could have a real say here too (with the right trip) 3 – HOWLENTHEHILLS has been right in the hunt seemingly all year long but has managed just one victory in 2026 – hard to make a case for him on top in this strong field, but he’s always eligible to grab a smaller share 4 – FIFTH AND FIVE (recent winner of the Cup and Saucer in the Maritimes) has elevated his game the past couple of months but the 4YO still seems like a bit of a stretch against some of the Invitational horses in here 5 – HEMSWORTH N hasn’t beaten this type of field in a long time – would be a stunner, for sure 6 – COACHES CORNER is still a hard knocker at age 6, though definitely a notch below where he was the previous couple of years – he’s had too much Yonkers success to ever ignore (including a stellar win at THIS distance in the MGM Grand Prix Pace, last year), but would need to be a “decent” price to use on top tonight. 7 – SWEET BEACH LIFE has just been sensational, and brings a 9 race Yonkers winning streak into this – he’s easily overcome outside post draws, and can handle any trip…he just may be overbet vs. some very good rivals! 8 – AYE AYE CAPTAIN seems badly overmatched AND draws Post 8 – a major longshot, for sure 9 – CAPTINHAMMERHEAD A got parked every step in a 1:51.2 mile last time and still only lost by 4 lengths – he has legitimate ability, should work out a good trip with Dunn from this spot, and that 15-1 ML is definitely tempting 10 – MOSSDALE BEN N has gone some big efforts (again) this year but may not be in top form coming into this – he also faces an uncertain trip from Post 10, but he would never be a bad stab at a big price

RACE 7 – Bob Miecuna Invitational Trot – Grade 2, $200,000 – 1 ¼ miles

1 – SOUTHWIND COORS has been a steady performer for a long time, though likely a notch below the top Invitational trotters right now – prefer others for the top slots, but a smaller piece is within reach 2 – MY DEGENERATE made a big recovery after breaking between horses on the first turn last week – he’s done good work since arriving at Yonkers, but may find a few of these just a bit tougher than he’d prefer 3 – DEVILISH HILL is the “x factor” – he was an “okay” horse when he raced in this country as a youngster, and did earn some money racing in Europe for a couple of seasons – he just returned to the U.S. (landing in our leading barn), added Lasix, and that qualifier was visually impressive – maybe he’s ready to give this bunch a battle? 4 – SIR PINOCCHIO has earned over $1M, plenty of it right here at Yonkers – he just hasn’t been his best self in 2026, however, and will need to find a much better effort to be a serious threat tonight (Sears takes over for Bartlett). 5 – UNCLE RAT is a wonderful story, competing in $25K claimers not long ago to winning 4 straight at Yonkers and earning a spot in this prestigious race…maybe he can rally late for a small slice? 6 – UP YOUR DEO never got involved from the back in the Maple Leaf Final but he’s been holding his own vs. the best in this division all year, and did win the Yonkers Invitational in his first start of 2026 – he won this race last year, and has to be seen as a legitimate threat to repeat. 7 – ASTEROID is never really thought of as one of the nation’s top Free For Allers but he’s a weekly hard-hitter, and can do some damage even vs. these when things go his way – not a bad value horse to include underneath 8 – AETOS KRONOS S (tough trip in last year’s International Trot) picked up some impressive wins in 2025 and while he’s winless (so far) in ’26, he’s also gone some big efforts against the best in this division – tough draw, but a big threat with any decent trip. 9 – BENJAMIN HANOVER is a streaky sort that wins lots of races out of town, but is definitely a bit suspect vs. the “better” trotters…gets a difficult draw after a weak try at Pocono in his last 10 – ARI FERRARI J hasn’t been sharp lately and gets a bad draw in a good field – will need a major wake up call

RACE 8 – MGM Yonkers International Trot, Grade 1 - $1,000,000 – 1 ¼ miles

1 – LEXUS KODY (Canada) is the defending Champ, and wired the field in last year’s race from the identical post position (helped in large part by the way the race played out) – he’s far too talented to ever dismiss his chances of repeating, but he’s also not on his best game right now, and has made some miscues here in the past – a bit risky? 2 – GIO CASH DE (Germany) was forced to drop in behind LEXUS KODY last year and never got the room he needed in the stretch for a chance to rally (after being sent off favored) – he has the talent to be a player once more, but we’ll see how he does for new pilot Robin Bakker (trainer Daniel Wajersten will be handling MELLBY JINX S) 3 – HOOKER BERRY FR (France) has plenty of class (over $2M in earnings) but the 9 year old hasn’t seen the winner’s circle in some time – his last start in France was more encouraging, so perhaps he’ll bring a big effort here 4 – BOURBONISTA S (Sweden) had her shoes removed for her 5/23 start and charged home for 2nd at 35-1 – she continued to build off that effort, winning her next start and then becoming the fastest trotting mare in North America with her 1:48.4 victory in the Six Pack – she won the Vincennes after that, and looms a big threat for new pilot Scott Zeron 5 – SUPER CHAPTER (US) was terrific at 2, earned over $1.2 M at 3 and has established himself as a top Open trotter at 4, winning 5 of 7 starts already (the two losses coming to ON TO NORWAY, who is 32 for 34 over the last 2 years!) – he’s in raging form right now, and last year’s Yonkers Trot winner feels like the one to knock off 6 – MELLBY JINX S (Sweden) (stablemate to GIO CASH DE) has some excellent European credentials of his own, and the winner of over $1.2M is still going big miles at age 8 – Wajersten will be sitting behind this one, and hoping for some better luck than he had last year with GIO CASH…chance for a piece, with a live trip. 7 – POWWOW NO (Norway) is light on both racing experience (and wins) but proved that he belongs with last year’s 3rd place finish – his sire Papagayo E won this race in 2015, and no horse in here has more enthusiastic fans! 8 – DIVA EK IT (Italy) was absolutely flying at the end of last year’s race, but ran out of racetrack (finishing 2nd) – she’s continued to race well in 2026, and Alesandro Gocciadoro has enjoyed success in this race both as a trainer and driver – she’ll need some racing luck to win from this spot, but she has the talent to do so 9 – ANTOGNONI S (U.S.) had a tough trip in the Maple Leaf Trot but still raced well for 4th (in Super Chapter’s 1:49.3 mile) – he’s been terrific for virtually all of 2025/26, and his Yonkers record is stellar (18-14-2-1, with a dominant win at this distance in last year’s MGM Grand Prix Trot Final) – he starts behind barnmate LEXUS KODY, and that should ensure him a decent getaway…legitimate threat. 10 – BETTING PACER S (Sweden) arrives off a sharp victory in the European Championship for mares and her outstanding trainer (and driver, Bjorn Goop) attributes her recent return to top form to being able to race her barefoot again– she may have trouble finding a decent trip from this spot, but the talent is there and she’ll be a big price

RACE 9 – NYSS 3YO Filly Pace Final - $300,000

1 – ODDS ON MONETARY earned $170K at 2 despite making a break in last year’s NYSS Final – she’s put together a terrific 3YO campaign so far, is razor sharp and draws the pole – figures to be a handful today. 2 – TWO TWENTY SWIFT was the MaSS Champ at 2 ($222K), started off strong at 3 but just hasn’t been on her best game the last few starts – will need to rebound in a hurry if she hopes to be a threat this afternoon 3 – HUNTING MEMORIES is still winless on the year – hoping for an easy trip, and some minor spoils 4 – IDEAL BEAUTY QUEEN has been a notch below these all year and probably will be today as well – note that she DID trip out and win here on 6/26 the only other time Zeron drove her! 5 – SAVAGE CINDY was 2nd in last year’s NYSS Final and is currently racing very well once more – she can definitely be a big player, but probably shouldn’t be listed as the 2-1 ML favorite 6 – LIBERTY STYLE was the NYSS Champ at 2, as part of her $318K season – she’s somewhat lightly raced so far at 3 but she was full of pace at Tioga last week (after shaking free) and may be sitting on a big mile for today – tough draw, but that also means a better price…worth considering 7 – SURREAL SPIRIT holds her own with these every week and was a winner in her Yonkers start this year – her talent is not in question, but her ability to find a manageable trip definitely is– will need some luck to come her way 8 – SAULSBROOK ROLO has been a bit below these all year…Post 8 isn’t going to help her cause

RACE 10 – NYSS 3YO Filly Trot Final - $300,000

1 (PP4) - WHO DARES WINS was just starting to blossom at 3 but then made breaks in 3 straight starts – just re- qualified, and can make noise here IF she behaves (many in here are in that same boat)! 1A (PP6) – FLYING COPPER usually stays trotting, but she’s also a bit below several of the others in here – will probably need others to self-destruct to have a good result 2 (PP1) – CHANT changed barns on 7/8 and immediately produced a nice win here at Yonkers (in an overnight race) – she hit board in her next 2 NYSS races, but then made a break here on 8/25 – came back with a solid try in NJ, and cam be a player IF she behaves. 3 (PP2) - LAURENS CHAPTER was a very confident NYSS winner here on 8/25 but did make breaks in 2 other local starts…add her to the list of fillies capable of threatening here…if they can stay trotting 4 (PP3) – JULA HOT TO CHILL is 0 for 9 this year and just 1 for 18 lifetime…she did hit board in half of her losses, however, and does have $283K on her card…certainly ok to use underneath 5 (PP5) SHARP SEVEN is last year’s NYSS Champ and has won 9 of her 22 starts – on her best she would be very tough here but she’s been idle since making a break here on 8/25, and feels at least a bit risky 6 (PP7) – R RO has a lot more ability than her 15-1 ML price would suggest but she did break in her only local try this year, and also broke out of town 2 and 3 starts back – risky, but could prove a good value play 7 (PP8) STORYBOOK LOVE was last year’s Breeder’s Crown winner but didn’t pick up her first win of 2026 until last week, at Woodbine– she may be on the upswing right now, but insist on a big price is using from Post 8

RACE 11 – NYSS 2YO C&G Pace Final $300,000

1 – BASTONATA BLUECHIP hit board in 5 of his 7 starts and was just too far back to threaten in the other two – he picks up Dunn for today, draws the pole, and is one of several with a legitimate chance in here 2 - BEATLE BLUE CHIP raced ok at Tioga last week (despite some traffic issues) and has been solid overall all season long – he’s raced well for McCarthy, and the two will team up again today 3 – MARIES JET got away poorly at Tioga last start but has otherwise been on the board in every other start this year – pairs up (as always) with Bartlett, and could easily rebound with a contending effort 4 – ROSE RUN COWBOY has now taken 3 straight, though he was close to being disqualified here on 8/20 after going inside several pylons – suppose he should be seen as the one to beat, but he also figures to be way overbet in this very competitive field. 5 – PRIMACY STATION hit board in 7 straight (4 wins) before throwing a bit of a dud at Tioga last time – if he can shrug that off and get back to his best effort, he can be very dangerous for his top shelf connections 6 – FREE AGENT gets a tough draw and may not be having as good a season as a few of the others but the talent is definitely there, and he’ll be a juicy price – worth a look? 7 – MAN ON A HUNT probably had more lesser efforts than sharp ones this year, and he gets the worst of the draw this afternoon – leaning more towards others.