Aqueduct Hot List - Sunday, Nov. 15, 2020

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Sunday, November 15, 2020 at Aqueduct
                By Matt Shifman and Bob Ehalt

Hot List Key:
 A: A preferred horse to watch                              B: Secondary horse to watch
*C: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 1st through 3rd 
*D: Went down 2 or more betting notches and finished 4^th or worse
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

2^nd race – (5) Vacay (A) won her debut at Belmont Park on a sloppy track at odds of 5-2 for Todd Pletcher. She lunged at the start and rallied smartly going wide to win by almost two lengths. She comes back in this NY-bred stakes race going six furlongs. (3) Party At Page’s is a two-time winner of a state-bred maiden special weight and a stakes race at Finger Lakes. Her last try at a mile didn’t go well so Jeremiah Englehart cuts her back in distance. (4) Shanes Pretty Lady broke her maiden by close to four lengths at Belmont and now changes to the barn of Pletcher after trainer Gary Gullo took a job as a stable manager. (1) Chasing Cara has two thirds in NY-bred stakes but she is still looking for her first win after six starts. She has been double digit odds in all of those races.

4^th race – (5) Sugar Surge made her debut at Laurel last month in a race that was meant for the turf but was run on a fast main track. She ran second, beaten by just a nose, at odds of 7-1 after having to steady 3 furlongs from the finish. (9) Soupster is a promising first-timer who sold for $185,000 in April. She is out of a stakes-placed mare who won $198,000 racing and has produced three winners from three to start. (4) Harper’s in Charge was a $220,000 yearling purchase and the second foal from an unraced mare who already has a winner. Trainer Christophe Clement has great stats with firsters and is off to a fast start at the Aqueduct meeting. (1) Commandandcontrol will make her first start for Chad Brown after selling for $270,000 as a yearling. She is out of a dam who won $136,000 racing and has produced two winners from three to run.

5^th race – (2) Control Group was claimed for $16,000 by Orlando Noda at Saratoga and since then has two wins, a second, and a third. Most recently, he won by more than four lengths for a $25,000 tag at Belmont and now goes in a weak $32,000 claimer. (7) Malibu Pro was claimed out of a win in a $20,000 race and since has run second, third, and fourth for $40,000. (6) Flowers for Lisa was claimed from a second for $16,000 by Mertkan Kantarmaci last time out. He’s a trainer who moves horses up when they join his barn. (3) Runabout was first or second in 10 of his last 12 starts mostly in cheaper races at Monmouth Park and Laurel. Last year he was second at Aqueduct for $16,000.

7^th race – (9) Beachside switches back to the dirt and drops down to a $16,000 N2L claimer. He is definitely better on the main track and gets some class relief in this spot. (8) Glenn Likes Gin will make his first appearance in a N2L claimer after returning from a March layoff with a start against $32,000 open claimers. (5) My Amanjena ran his two best races in starts on the dirt that were squeezed between turf starts. (1) Vitesse came back from a four month layoff and closed well to finish fourth in a similar spot with improvement expected from a Michelle Nevin runner in his second start after a break.

Best bets:  Control Group (5^th); Beachside (7^th). Best value:  Vacay (2^nd); Sugar Surge (4^th).