Aqueduct Hotlist - April 17

Today’s NY Hot List races to watch – Saturday, April 17, 2021 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 worst
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

5^th race [NY, ALW 72000 N1X, 1 mi TURF] – (2) Mo Faith was a debut winner at Gulfstream Park in a maiden special weight going a mile on the turf against open company that went in a time of 1:34-4. (9) Straw Into Gold was another first-time winner but his victory was back in November for Christophe Clement at Aqueduct. He trained in Florida for this 2021 return. (6) Austrian had three turf races at Gulfstream this winter with a recent win in a starter allowance and now he’s back against state-breds for Danny Gargan. (7) Regal Speaker is another one for Gargan that returns to New York after racing successfully on the grass in Florida, this one at Tampa Downs.

6^th race [Clm 25000 N2L, 1 mi] – (6) My First Grammy (C) broke his maiden for a $40,000 tag and then was well bet as he stepped up to the N2L level and finished second behind a horse that was just too good on that day. (1) Millean broke his maiden for $50,000 at Gulfstream and then tried the Derby trail in the Sam F. Davis (G3) which was unrealistic. He is now back at an appropriate level as a new gelding for Todd Pletcher. (2) Profusion came back from a 13-month layoff to break his maiden for $20,000 at Aqueduct last month. (5) Giant Shoes will make his second start following a long layoff and drops down from the $40,000 level.

7^th race [New York Stallion, 6 ½ F] – (4) Sinful Dancer (A) debuted last month for George Weaver, got squeezed back at the start, rallied while racing wide, had trouble changing leads, and still managed to finish second. In that race he earned a speed figure that tops this field. (5) Market Alert (C) broke his maiden at first asking and then finished third in a pair of NY-bred stakes as a 2-year-old. In his 2021 debut in February with Lasix for the first time, he won an allowance. (6) Papa Smooth (B) set the pace and then finished fourth as part of a blanket finish in his debut. He was claimed for $40,000 from that race by Michael Maker. (7) Lobsta has four starts at the Big A that include a second in a state-bred stake and then an allowance victory last month.

8^th race [Woodhaven, 1 1/16 mi TURF] – (4) Shawdyshawdyshawdy raced in a pair of Belmont Park turf stakes as a 2-year-old and then was second in an allowance at Tampa for trainer Jorge Abreu whose horses have come out running very well in the Aqueduct spring meeting. (1) Hard Love was a debut winner on the grass last year at Belmont and then was second in the Central Park at Aqueduct before turf racing stopped for the winter for Jonathan Thomas. (5) Original has two excellent turf performances and two poor dirt starts. He set the pace and finished third in the Kitten’s Joy at Gulfstream in January. (7) Sifting Sands broke his maiden in his second career start at Tampa for Chad Brown and came back to New York to train for this start.

Best bets: Mo Faith (5^th); Sinful Dancer (7^th). Best value:  My First Grammy (6^th); Shawdyshawdyshawdy (8^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 on races 5-7 includes the New York Stallion à 2, 9 with 1, 2, 5, 6 with 4, 5 ,6, 7 = $32.