Aqueduct Hotlist - January 10

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Sunday, January 10, 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 – (4) Dubai Bobby (B) was pinched back at the start of his last race which made it tough for a horse that prefers to be part of the early pace. One of his two career victories came at the seven-furlong distance of this N3L claimer. (3) Complexifier will make his first start off the claim for trainer Danny Gargan who is currently winning with a gaudy 56% of the horses making their debut for his barn with an ROI of $3.28. (5) Bend in the River will move from a Woodbine trainer to the barn of Wayne Potts and drops from allowance races to the N3L level for the first time. (1) Bad Guy will move back to the dirt after a series of good efforts on the grass. He won his N2L race at Aqueduct on the dirt last winter, although he does have a lot of second and third place finishes in his career.

5^th race – (7) Coffee Bar made her debut for Todd Pletcher and Mike Repole last month going six-furlongs and will have to stretch out to a mile in here. She was well bet at 5-2 and finished third in a NY-bred maiden special weight. (6) Teetotaler was a $500,000 yearling purchase for owner Peter Brant. She made a big improvement with blinkers on in her second start missing the win by just a neck. She gets Lasix for the first-time, but generally I am wary of Chad Brown runners who don’t win in their first couple of races. (3) Vallarand was well bet in both starts especially for a Charlie Baker runner. She improved from fourth to finishing second as she also stretches out to the mile. (1) Pop the Bubbly was third in her debut on the slop, ran second when switched to the turf, and most recently was fourth in a NY-bred stake as a maiden. She gets Lasix for the first time.

7^th race – (8) Pay Grade ships up to New York for Christophe Clement after training at his Payson Park base and made her debut against open company going two-turns at Tampa Bay Downs. This race is a second division of NY-bred maiden special weights on today’s card going a mile distance. She gets blinkers on for the first time. (1) Exfiltration was well bet in her first two starts for Horatio DePaz who adds Lasix for the first time. (2) Flower’s Fortune was second in her first two starts for Jeremiah Englehart. She will also get Lasix after trying that aforementioned NY-bred stake as a maiden. (7) Photofinish Jeanne ran her first races on the dirt and switched to the turf where she was second going long. Now, she is back on the dirt with Lasix for the first time.

8^th race – (3) Uno (B) heads into Sunday’s NY-bred feature race after a debut win for Todd Pletcher by almost four-lengths at 5-2. (7) Lookin for Trouble (C) is one of three runners in this race for Mike Maker. He broke his maiden at Saratoga ran well in a series of state-bred stakes. Most recently, he tried the turf for the first time, set the pace, and finished third in an open company allowance while getting bet down from 11-1 to 8-1. (4) Blue Gator won his first two starts against state-breds at Belmont Park and then in a stake at Finger Lakes for Mike Maker. (8) Perfect Munnings was another debut winner for Pletcher. He won a turf race at Aqueduct in November at odds of 5-2 by two-lengths.

Best bets:  Coffee Bar (5^th); Uno (8^th). Best value:  Dubai Bobby (2^nd); Pay Grade (7^th).