Aqueduct Hotlist - February 10

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Thursday, February 10, 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 [Clm 25000, 6F] – (3) Violent Point (C) was a front-end winner when she dropped down in class to a $10,000 claimer where she was bet from 7-2 to be the 6-5 favorite. She was claimed and steps back up in class to a level at which she raced two races back. (6) Sweet Mia moved up in class to this level and won last time with a well-timed stalking trip. (4) Hydra makes a significant drop in class from allowance and stakes races on the turf. She did her best racing on the dirt in the past. (5) Wait a Minute woke up in her last start against NY-breds at today’s claiming price. She was second beating a horse that she was far behind in her previous start.

3^rd race [Clm 10000, 1 mi] – (4) My Girl Lexi makes a significant drop in class after being claimed for $30,000 in November at Churchill Downs. She then ran third in a starter allowance in her first start for Linda Rice. (3) Barista Vixen also makes a big class drop from starter allowances. Before that she won twice in $25,000 and $35,000 claimers. (7) Viradia returns from a short freshening. At Saratoga this summer she was second twice for higher tags. (2) Indian Bella gets a significant rider upgrade as she moves back to the level from which she was claimed at Keeneland.

4^th race [NY, Md 25000, 6F] – (2) How You Feeling will make his debut for Bruce Levine who has positive stats with first-timers and starters in maiden claimers. The dam is stakes-placed, the winner of $135,000, and has produced 4 winners from 5 to race. (1) Joe Gonzalez will also make his first career start. His dam won $127,000 on the track and produced a 10-time winner that earned $373,000. (7) Lord Brownie had his best result when second after dropping down to this level for this first time and moving from turf to dirt. (6) Waheel was second in his debut at Finger Lakes in an open company maiden special weight and then did little running on a sloppy Aqueduct track.

7^th race [NY, OC45k/N2X, 1 1/8 mi] – (5) Therisastormbrewin (C) was bet down to favoritism following a victory in a $25,000 N3L claimer and won by three lengths in a first-level NY-bred allowance. Both wins were gate-to-wire efforts. (6) Blewitt loves racing at Aqueduct with a career record of 9: 5-3-0, including two recent wins against open company and was claimed for $25,000 in December. (4) Water’s Edge gets blinkers on after two excellent races with improved speed figures which followed a short layoff. His last start was at this same level when he finished second. (2) Hush of a Storm will return to dirt racing from the turf and synthetic surfaces. He was stake winner last year at Turfway Park for trainer Bill Morey who is sending out live horses this winter at the Big A.

Best bets:  Violent Point (1^st); My Girl Lexi (3^rd). Best value:  How You Feeling (4^th); Therisastormbrewin (7^th).