Aqueduct Hotlist - December 12

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Saturday, December 12, 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 worst
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

5^th race – (4) What’s My Category (B) finished second after getting bumped badly twice at the start of a NY-bred maiden special weight as a new gelding following a long layoff. Now, he drops into a maiden claimer for $40,000 for the first time. (7) Reunion Tour finished third after setting the pace going a mile on a muddy track and also moves to a claimer for the first time. (6) Bowing Snowman ran second in both of his career starts at this $40,000 level for Horatio DePaz. (8) Giramonte drops into this maiden claimer in his second start for the Bond barn.

6^th race – (2) Double Shot (C) has two races back from a July layoff and both ended up on wet tracks including a third last time when bet down from 7-1 to 5-1 and in a spot similar to today’s $25,000 N2L claimer. (8) Elusive Ruler has strong speed figures and results racing on the grass and moves to the main track where earlier in his career he ran effectively. (9) Pier Forty broke his maiden against NY-breds for a $25,000 tag and then moved to today’s level to finish second for the Noda barn. (4) Grandgran returned to dirt racing after a turf meant race at Churchill Downs was run on the main track. He set the pace and finished second going two turns and will try this one-turn mile now.

7^th race – (5) Our Last Buck (B) ran fourth in his last start which came in a similar first-level allowance race at Aqueduct. He had a troubled trip that began when he missed the break and ended when he was blocked trying to make a stretch run. (3) Striking Speed (C) won a starter allowance at the Big A last time out for Rudy Rodriguez when he was bet down from 4-1 to 2-1. (9) Will Sing for Wine was third in his last two starts in allowances behind stakes quality horses. Now, Joel Rosario gets on board for Bill Mott. (13) Aasr returned from a year layoff for Michael Maker and broke his maiden at Churchill after a slow start and a wide trip.

8^th race – (2) Yankee Division (C) will step up to face NY-bred stakes company after consistent performances against state-breds at the allowance level for Rudy R. (4) Mr. Buff returns after running in the Cigar Mile (G1) last weekend. He just does not do well in graded stakes but is very hard to beat when he faces NY-breds. Last year, he won this race by seven lengths. (3) City Man will face older horses for the first time in his career and switch back to the dirt. He has stakes wins on both grass and dirt including a win against open company last time in the Gio Ponti. (6) Bankit is winless in 2020 but has four seconds and three thirds all in stakes races, against both open and state-bred company.

Best bets: What’s My Category (5^th); Double Shot (6^th). Best value:  Out Last Buck (7^th); Yankee Division (8^th).

@NYHotList Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 is on races 6-8 and ends with the Alex M. Robb – 2, 8, 9 with 3, 5, 9, 13 with 2, 3, 4 = $36.