Thursday, June 25, 2026, Empire Report

The Empire Report – Thursday, June 25, 2026 – Race Analysis

RACE 1 – NAADA Summer Series, Leg 3: (3) CAL MILES N SHELL ships back in off a trio of 2nds in amateur races and is used to facing much tougher than these, when on his game – he did lose to #8 three starts back but has a big post edge over that one tonight – the one to beat, but may end up overbet. (8) BIG LIMO, as noted, beat #3 at Pocono recently, and picked up Yonkers amateur wins both last year and in 2026 – brutal spot, but still worth a look if the price gets really juicy. (1) YUCATAN PARTY MAN won a “fall apart” race here earlier this year, and arrives in fine form from Saratoga – a good start could put him right in the hunt tonight. (4) PAPA JOE LOZITO isn’t the best “finisher” but his gate speed (and ability to stay trotting) always puts him in the mix for at least a piece. (5) BIG CHARLIE MORAN’s very long local losing streak is well documented but he’s always a decent one to consider underneath, whenever the price is long. (6) BARN CREDIT is just 1 for 37 at Yonkers but he’s been racing well at Monti, and Adamczyk was driving very well, when more active last year – small piece? (7) BACARDI picked up his first win of 2026 at Pocono last week and hit board in the 2 starts before that – tonight’s draw does figure to hurt his chances significantly, but he’s not a bad one for longshot fans. (2) JESSES DOLL was a close 2nd two back and she draws well tonight – still leaning more towards several others.

RACE 2 – (7) GDS THUNDER GB is nowhere near “peak form” right now but he’s certainly more than good enough to be a big threat in a field like this – a quick start would give him a solid chance to come out on top, even from Post 7. (1) HP MOMENTUM has been WAY off his game all year, currently at 9-0-1-1 on the year (even at these low levels) – he did just get a freshening, and his qualifier may be sharper than it looks on paper (he paced a good final half) – possible, but won’t offer much value. (2) HES SPECIAL is 0 for 20 locally over the past 2 years but tonight’s good draw could at least put him in play to land somewhere in the exotics. (6) FASTING could be a player on his best effort but he’s struggled in several Yonkers starts (7-0-1-1) and would be hard to endorse with that 3-1 ML price. (3) DANCE ON THE BEACH was Yannick’s choice (over #2) but he’s been well off form for weeks, after racing very well for the first few months of ’26. (5) BROOKDALE MIKI was scr. sick from his last and just hasn’t been all that sharp the last couple of months. (4) RODEO COWBOY was no factor in his only YR start, and his out of town form is uninspiring as well. (8) TEXAS HOLDEM lands Post 8 after stopping on the cones last week

RACE 3 – Good race: (5) MON AMOUR has been rock solid in this class and has been equally effective on or off the pace – dangerous tonight no matter how the race plays out. (3) BULLY BOY HILL picked up 3rds in his last 2 starts at this level and gets a good draw and Bartlett tonight – should be able to make his presence felt, once more. (4) WILLY WALTON seemed to fall a bit off his game for a couple of starts but his last was “sneaky better”, and he moves inside tonight – worth a look at what should be a decent price. (7) B NICKING has been holding form nicely for some time, even attracting back to back claims – gets a terrible draw, but still deserves consideration if the price creeps up. (6) KAYS IN CHARGE always gets bet, is always in the hunt but she’s lost her last 3 in this class and figures to still be well backed tonight, despite a tough draw in a competitive field. (1) HOOLIE N HECTOR can make his presence felt from the pole but he may need some class relief to be a more formidable threat. (2) NOVEL has a couple of recent tries out of town that could give him a chance here but he still needs to prove that he belongs at this level. (8) SKY BOX is a solid 40 but faces an uphill battle after landing behind the 8 ball once again.

RACE 4 – (4) KOPI LUWAK felt like he was heading back in the right direction but he ended up brutally parked last week (at 3/5) and never had a prayer – deserves a chance to make amends, though he does face a couple of legitimate foes tonight. (2) AMERITRIC hadn’t won in a while but he got a switch to Bartlett last week, worked out a perfect trip and charged right on by to an easy win – would be no surprise to see him repeat, though he’s likely to be overbet, in a tougher spot. (3) ORLANDO BLUE A started to make breaks after leaving his long-time barn but does seem to have gotten himself straightened out – he gets a nice drop in class, but also takes on a couple of tough foes – should be the best price of the top 3 players. (1) ITZA DANGERZONE A was handled aggressively in a soft spot last week and was able to deliver the victory – could see him building off that and taking home a decent piece here too. (5) SHIPMASTER just hasn’t been sharp enough in recent starts and draws outside several live players – small piece only. (8) CASINO ACTION N has some hidden ok finishes lately – not a terrible bomb for 3rd/4th. (6) THE FAMILY MAN likely needs a better post in an easier field to be effective. (7) MARLBANK ROAD draws poorly once more, and figures to struggle from this spot

RACE 5 – (4) HIGH SPEED SWAN has never been worse than 4th in his 10 local starts, hitting board in 8 of them – Bartlett sticks with him tonight (over a pair of main clients) and we’ll give him the narrow edge. (2) R LADY W is a talented mare with high speed that will be very dangerous here if she minds her manners – she did make a break last week, however, and Bartlett did pass on driving her tonight. (6) NYMERIA will appreciate dropping out of the FM Invitational but she does catch some good ones in here, and gets a bad draw – will need some action up front to have a chance to do her damage late. (1) P L OSCAR is a notch below the top ones but his gate speed and ability to stay trotting have helped him grab plenty of pieces – could happen here too. (3) EXQUISITE TASTE just stole one vs. easier last week, hitting the top and grabbing a :58.3 half – looking at a much tougher trip tonight…and likely a smaller piece. (7) THE BRODSTER loved last week’s easy trip, finishing with alert trot – brutal draw tonight, though, and that’s likely why Bartlett opted for #4 instead. (8) STREET GOSSIP can handle tonight’s class jump but the draw may leave him too far back to make any real late noise. (5) MAHONE SEELSTER has fallen off his game the last few starts – watching for better signs

RACE 6 – (1) CRAZYLAND gave it a good try off the barn change last week, making only his 2nd start since last November – he faces tougher here, but he also figures to be that much sharper with that race under his belt – one of several with a real chance in here. (4) THEOBALD shipped back sharp from Ohio, got a beautiful drive from his owner and dug in bravely for the victory – he’s looking for 3 in a row tonight, and just may be able to get it. (6) WA RRAWEE WHISPER was reunited with Bongiorno last week and bounced back to his better form, jogging as the 3/5 choice – the pair end up together again tonight, but for a new barn and from a bad post – could be a bit riskier. (8) JAS BLUESTONE gets the worst of the draw but he’s rock solid at this level, and MAY be quick enough off the car to still work his way into the race – chance to be a player if that happens. (5) WHEELZABLAZIN has been an “all or nothing” horse all year; 2 back he was “all”, last week he was “nothing” – goes for a new barn tonight and it’s anybody’s guess which version will show up! (2) CACTUSTOTHECLOUDS has been competitive for weeks, but stuck on minor pieces – may have to settle for similar tonight. (3) OPTRIX seems to prefer being in a bit easier, though capable of grabbing a piece with these with the right trip. (7) STACKING GREEN stopped badly 3 and 4 back but rebounded in her last pair – brutal spot tonight even if the “good” version shows up.

RACE 7 – Short field, but a great race for a Thursday overnight in June! (5) ANTOGNONI N ended his 2025 campaign with a 10 length blowout in the MGM Grand Prix Trotting Final and is already 4 for 4 to start out 2026, including last week’s jogburger here at Yonkers – Yannick’s own remains the one to beat, even as he sets his sights on bigger and better things. (4) GREEN PASTURES looked like he was developing quickly into an Open trotter earlier this year and he’s done just that, going big miles week after week (and often from very tough spots) – as long as he continues to behave himself, he’ll continue to do some major damage this year (with his big late kick). (2) SIR PINOCCHIO is rarely listed as far down as 3rd in any Yonkers start, but that’s how good the top pair have been – this guy just hasn’t found his absolute best so far in 2026, but he’s eligible to deliver a monster effort at any time. (3) AS TEROID has been rock solid for a long time, and will be right there to pick up the pieces if any of the top 3 falter. (1) BLACKHAWK ZETTE is unlucky to have landed in this powerful field…but will earn at least a 5th place check!

RACE 8 – (5) ALWAYS A STORY has been good all year long but feels particularly sharp right now – hard to say how much of a “drop” it is (exiting the FM Invitational) but she handles any trip, and is worth a look against these tough boys…as long as the price is fair! (2) VANDY LANE broke in his first couple of local starts but has been terrific once the bugs were worked out, outracing his odds the last 4 starts – legitimate chance for a mild upset, with the right trip. (4) FULL OF MUSCLES has held his good form very nicely ever since being claimed for $40K back in April – Bartlett hops on board for the first time since he changed hands, and will surely give this guy every chance to succeed. (1) MASSIVE DESIRE won his first 3 starts upon arrival from Ohio and was heading to the front when he broke last week – certainly will have every chance to make amends tonight, especially starting from the pole. (6) CANTSTOP YANKEE was off 3 weeks to his last start (after a scratch) but had plenty of trot to finish right behind the top trio – tough draw, but could still be a live longshot. (7) SUNDAY SHOES has been terrific here at Yonkers (7-4-1-1) and beat these last week – he does a horrible draw, however, and will need some major trip luck if he hopes to take another. (8) MISSISSIPPI STORM is way too classy to ever just toss completely, but he does face an uphill battle trying to get in play from this spot. (3) SEA CAN was on the upswing before being scratched from his last – leaning elsewhere tonight.

RACE 9 – (3) ARTIST BEST had to be used just going around a gapper to 3/4s last week and that probably hurt his chances of being even closer at the wire – his overall recent form is good, and his (small) barn has been having a solid meet…decent value play. (2) BLOCKBUSTER TRADE got lost in the back last week but he moves inside and drops back down to his preferred $15K level – could rebound quickly. (4) CYRUS N took a little too long to kick in last week but was still a rallying 3rd at the wire – a live trip makes him a dangerous threat. (8) HURRIKANEKINGJ AMES may look over and see an opportunity to put himself in play at the start, even from out here – assuming a wheel didn’t fall off, the drop to 15s may be just what he needs for a chance to get back to the winner’s circle – worth using if the price is fair. (1) ADVANCE MAN appreciated the drop to 10s in PA last week and picked up a win – back to the tougher $15K level tonight, and he still has to prove he can beat these better ones (ok for a small piece). (5) BETTORBUCKLEUP hasn’t been “bad”, but he’s really been just “ok” in most of his starts– minor share possible with an easy trip. (6) CAPTAIN DEE TEE was no factor in his last pair and gets another bad draw – his barn does send out more than their share of longshot winners. (7) ROCKET FREIGHT was no factor at all from a similar spot last week – sticking with others

RACE 10 – (3) YUENGLING was used very hard to make the lead from Post 8 last week and still almost hung on for the (hard pressed win) – she moves to another new barn but that shouldn’t bother her, as the oft-winning 7YO seems to thrive wherever she lands – gets the call with the move inside. (2) KISSIN JOE has struggled to get her picture taken the past 2 years, despite racing well more often than not – maybe she can have a shot at the top one if close enough when they turn for home. (6) IDEALINFUN was able to wear down the top choice last week, picking up her 2nd straight victory – this is a MUCH tougher spot, however, and she may be looking at a bit more modest share tonight. (5) SUNBURNT was a surprise claim 2 back, then was in a no-chance last week – we’ll see if she can make more noise from tonight’s kinder spot. (4) BADDITUDE ships in sharp from out of town, moves to one of our top barns but did struggle to win races here in the past– would want a “fair” price to consider her on top. (1) CANN ERY ROW (wiped out last week) is as camera shy as they come, but does grab her share of decent pieces, at big prices. (7) SHEIKH YABOOTY N wasn’t bad last week, but hard to see her finding a manageable trip from out here (8) FORTUNADA is another that figures to struggle with the terrible spot behind the gate.