Aqueduct Hotlist - April 15

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Friday, April 15, 2022 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.

1^st race [Md Sp Wt, 1 mi] – (5) First to Act was second in her debut at Gulfstream Park last month on a sloppy track for Shug McGaughey. (2) Lakota Spirit has a pair of second-place finishes at Gulfstream this winter for Chad Brown. (3) Culdee started racing in Florida for Christophe Clement and then ran second at Aqueduct in March. (4) Aunt Naughty gets blinkers on for Shug after running third last time at Gulfstream in January. This is a very strong maiden special weight as the big barns make their way back north for the Aqueduct and Belmont Park spring meetings.

2^nd race [Md 40000, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (6) King of Sting returned to the turf last month at Fair Grounds for Joe Sharp, set the pace, and then finished third while racing a bit greenly. (4) Bail Out had a series of seconds when last seen racing on the grass in New York last year. He is in the very hot barn of Jeffrey Englehart. (9) American Day makes his 2022 debut as a new gelding. His two best efforts last year were on the grass. (1) Strike Price will make his first career start for George Weaver whose barn is winning at tracks in Florida and New York and is currently red hot.

3^rd race [Alw 72000 N1X, 6F TURF] – (6) Guardian Moon won her first two starts at Saratoga and then in an allowance at Aqueduct. She was sixth in her first start of this year in an open company stakes race at Gulfstream. (3) Stony Point won her debut at Tampa Bay Downs last month for Shug by almost three-lengths as the favorite. (4) Tasweya won her first start in October at the Meadowlands and now gets back to turf sprinting. (1) Wow made her last two starts at Gulfstream Park and was up against the speed turf bias there as a horse that is a late runner.

5^th race [Md Sp Wt, 1 mi TURF] – (8) Expand the Map was an odds-on favorite in her debut at Saratoga as a 2-year-old when she ran second and was beaten by less than a length by the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner in Pizza Bianca. (4) Star of India made her debut on the Tapeta at Gulfstream for Chad Brown at odds of 2-1 when she had the lead in the stretch and lost by a head. (1) Naked On the Beach moved to the barn of Mike Maker and then ran second at Turfway Park on the artificial surface after a long layoff. (7) Libretto is an Irish-bred making her first start for Jorge Abreu in this very strong field.

Best bets:  Guardian Moon (3^rd); Expand the Map (5^th). Best value:  First to Act (1^st); King of Sting (2^nd).