Aqueduct Hotlist - December 2

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Thursday, December 2, 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 worse
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

1^st race [Md Sp Wt, 1 mi] – (4) Rational Choice (D) has not run for 13 months. His debut was a second in a maiden special weight at Belmont Park for Chad Brown. Something went wrong in his next start when he was well bet and now comes back with Lasix for the first time. (5) Mandatory also comes back from a layoff. He was last seen racing in the spring for John Kimmel when he hit the board three times at Aqueduct. He returns as a new gelding. (6) Waxman ran three times and finished second three times for Todd Pletcher. He will get blinkers for the first time. (2) American Law will also come back as a gelding with five board-hitting finishes for trainer Danny Gargan.

4^th race [OC 80k/N1X, 7F] – (4) Radio Days earned the top speed figure in the field in her debut victory at Belmont as the favorite for Shug McGaughey. (3) Boss Lady Kim won her first start at Delaware Park, was then overmatched in the Adirondack (G2), and most recently was placed second in an allowance at Delaware after having to check sharply in the stretch. (5) Landslid won a restricted maiden at Belmont and was second after setting the pace in an allowance at Parx. (6) Waterworks romped to a maiden score at Monmouth Park for Steve Asmussen and then tried a Maryland-bred stake.

6^th race [Alw 50000s, 6F] – (3) April Antics (D) was bet down from 17-1 to 13-1 last time and horses at those odds rarely take late money. On a sloppy track that day, she ran fourth. (7) Big Al’s Gal was a seven-length winner last out in a N2L condition for Rob Atras whose barn is winning at a 35% clip at the current Aqueduct meeting. (6) Cadeau de Paix was last seen running second twice at Saratoga in starter allowances. (4) Moonrock won her first two races and was claimed for $30,000 at Monmouth after a turf race. Her first win was on the main track at Pimlico.

9^th race [Md Sp Wt, 1 1/8 mi] – (2) Authorize set the pace and got caught at the wire as the heavy favorite for Bill Mott in the first race of his career going a mile. (5) Citizen Mack was a $950,000 yearling purchase who finished fourth and then third for Shug McGaughey. (6) Constitutionlawyer was fourth in his debut for Ray Handal in a race that had a strong field where the winner was listed in the first Kentucky Derby Future Wager and the third-place horse came back to win. (1) Dr. Levy ran third in his first start last month for Todd Pletcher and gets blinkers on.

Best bets:  Radio Days (4^th); Authorize (9^th). Best value:  Rational Choice (1^st); April Antics (6^th).