Aqueduct Hotlist - February 21

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Sunday, February 21, 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.

2^nd race – (5) Halpert (B) lost all chance in the Rego Park when he stumbled badly at the start where he looked very good in the paddock according to NYRA analyst Maggie Wolfendale. He now drops into this allowance for NY-breds while getting first-time Lasix. (4) Storm Shooter set the pace and finished second in the Rego Park for Todd Pletcher and the MyRaceHorse partnerships. He, as is true of all four of these horses, gets Lasix for the first time. (2) Market Alert ran third in state-bred stakes in his last two starts. He was a debut winner back in June at Belmont Park. (3) Horn of Plenty has tried stakes since breaking his maiden in October at Belmont for Rob Atras.

6^th race – (2) Cause to Dream (B) returned from an October layoff to make her second start at Aqueduct where she was in second along the rail and then the trip went badly resulting in a fourth. (7) Despeight All Odds rallied to finish second after a wide trip and returns in another maiden special weight. (5) Maracuja has a second and a third in her first two starts in MSW company for Rob Atras. (1) Becca’s Wish was well supported at the windows in his debut for Jeremiah Englehart and ended up fifth after banging into the starting gate quite hard.

7^th race – (9) Dust Devil (C) was geared down as he won a N2L claimer while rallying from last to a margin of victory of almost six lengths when he was bet down from 9-2 to 5-2. Now, he steps up to a starter allowance. (2) This Ill Defend (C) was a wire to wire winner of a $40,000 maiden claimer when bet down to be the 5-2 favorite. (5) Perceived moved to the barn of Linda Rice after racing for Chad Brown in his first five starts. (4) Advance Notice set the pace and finished second in his last two starts in starter allowances and is a must-use in the trifecta and exacta.

8^th race – (3) Doubly Blessed is the top choice in a first-level allowance after winning his last two starts in a N2L claimer and then a starter allowance. Both races were going today’s one-turn mile distance. (1) Obsessed was second in his last two races at this allowance level for Todd Pletcher. (7) Family Biz was the winner of an open $40,000 claimer going a mile while making a six-wide closing move from last to first. (2) Daddy Knows is in fine form for Rudy Rodriguez showing two wins in his last three starts including a victory in a claimer against state-breds.

Best bets:  Dust Devil (7^th); Doubly Blessed (8^th). Best value:  Halpert (2^nd); Cause to Dream (6^th).