Aqueduct Hotlist - April 21

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Thursday, April 21, 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.

2^nd race [OC50k/SAL50k, 7F] – (4) Tweaqued was a debut winner in December and a similar performance is good enough to win in this spot. She came back from a short layoff to run third at this level behind a horse that won her next start. (6) Lanfrankophile was a winner at this level last time so is back in this time for the $50,000 tag. That field was a bit weaker than the one that the top choice comes out of. (2) Closing Deals was third last time behind the second choice. (1) Amore Fire broke her maiden for a $50,000 tag with a front-end effort at Belmont Park in the fall. She will make her second start after a six-month layoff.

4^th race [NY, OC45k/N2X, 6F TURF] – (3) Panster was last seen wining the first-level allowance in December at Aqueduct. He took the winter off waiting for the turf to reopen in the spring. He won at starter allowance at Saratoga also. (10) Bustin Shout moves back to the grass and runs for a tag since he already has a win at this level and makes his second start after the layoff. (9) Swashbuckle comes back from a winter break as a new gelding for the Clement barn. Last seen he was third in a similar spot at the Big A. (6) Saint Selby is a lightly-raced winner twice in three starts including a recent allowance on the dirt after nine months off. This will be his first try on the grass.

5^th race [NY, Md 25000, 6 ½F] – (6) Tasty Wave (B) got taken up after a rough start, was at the back of a large field, and rallied late for fourth. (3) Tonight We Love drops out of maiden special weights where she showed speed. This is a significant drop in class. (5) Sweet Sugar Baby dropped to this level for the first time at Aqueduct after a four-month layoff and ran third. (8) Roz debuted in January for a $40,000 tag running third and then tried an open-company maiden special weight which was a throw out race.

6^th race [Clm 40000, 1 mi] – (2) Hammerin Aamer drops from a stakes race third at Aqueduct having been a winner at this claiming level in January.  (1) Thundershook just doesn’t run a bad race and Parx trainer Jamie Ness has been winning at the Big A spring meeting. (3) Mexican Wonder Boy has early speed and is a veteran of this level claiming race. (4) Warrior in Chief will get a bit of class relief as she makes her first in New York after being claimed at Fair Grounds by Tom Morley.

Best bets:  Tweaqued (2^nd); Panster (4^th). Best value:  Tasty Wave (5^th); Hammerin Aamer (6^th).