Aqueduct Hotlist - February 4

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Friday, February 4, 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 [NY, Md Sp Wt, 6F] – (5) Scat Brat (A) had a promising debut about a year ago at Aqueduct in a key race where he raced greenly while making a strong middle move. (6) Feathers Road moved from turf to dirt and has a third and a second for Linda Rice. (7) Mr Breadwinner will make his first start for Horatio DePaz who is a very good trainer with first-time starts. (4) Brew Pub has earned more than $122,000 racing at this level with 12 place and show finishes.

6^th race [Alw 50000s, 1 mi] – (3) Pier Forty (A) broke from the far outside and rallied late on a track that was favoring the inside paths. He got the lead in the stretch and was passed but finished second. (2) High Tide moved from turf to dirt last time and finished third at this level. Dylan Davis stays on board. (4) Confectioner brings two career wins to this first try in the starter allowance level while most of the field has just one  victory. (1) Master Candy Ride returns from a November layoff when he was second in a N2L claimer at Churchill Downs where he was claimed from Kenny McPeek for $50,000 by Linda Rice.

8^th race [OC 62k/N2X, 1 1/8 mi] – (1) Hammerin Aamer (C) is the winner of 3 out of his last 4 starts with the most recent score for a $40,000 tag earning his best speed figure when he was bet down from 5-1 to 2-1. (5) Prioritize (B) was claimed for $62,500 by Rudy Rodriguez when he was unpreprared for the start and got far behind in a race that had a very slow early pace. (6) Mystic Night drops out of a try in a stakes race and he does his best in these longer two-turn races. (4) Tiergan ran third at this level two races back with the rest of his recent starts coming in NY-bred stakes.

9^th race [NY, 25000, 1 mi] – (6) Phenomenal Woman was fifth in a maiden special weight and drops back down to this level where she finished third and was claimed by current high percentage trainer Juan Vasquez. (3) Inouaintalkintome finished second and then third in her two starts at this level since moving from turf to dirt at Aqueduct. (4) Reeley Psyched was second in a similar spot when stretching out in distance to the one-turn mile. (7) Mondeuse returns from a September layoff and moves from turf to dirt for a trainer who wins for a 43% clip with that move. He had plenty of early speed in his grass races.

Best bets:  Pier Forty (6^th); Phenomenal Woman (9^th). Best value:  Scat Brat (1^st); Hammerin Aamer (8^th).