Aqueduct Hotlist - January 20

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Thursday, January 20, 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.

2^nd race [Clm 25000 N3L, 6 ½ F] – (2) Conformist (B) broke through the gate and then did not get the lead as a horse that prefers to be out front and finished third. (1) Irish Giant (A) was last at the start, had to rally on the outside into a slow pace, got up for third, and was claimed. (6) Demo Doctor raced second all the way on a sloppy track in a similar spot. (5) Great Workout won a N2L $40,000 race in his first start for Rob Atras after being claimed.

3^rd race [Clm 16000 N2L, 1 mi] – (1) Big Tony’s Girl (B) got checked then pinched back at the start and had to rally wide on a track that was favoring horses on the inside. (6) Hey It’s Tati looks for a dry track after two improving races on wet tracks at Aqueduct and drops down from a $25,000 tag. (2) The Glenmore has been away since May. She broke her maiden for $40,000 last winter at the Big A for Rudy Rodriguez and then tried open claimers before that layoff. (7) Sudden Impulse goes turf to dirt, cuts back in distance, and drops down the claiming ranks.

4^th race [Mdn 20000, 6F] – (1) Motion to Strike lost footing at the break, still got to the lead, but faded down the stretch. Jose Ortiz is back in town and gets on board. (4) Romantic Man ran a career best speed figure when he rallied to finish second just a nose out of the win at this same level. (2) My Cousin Rich has been racing in maiden special weights at Parx with competitive results. At Saratoga, he was second for a $40,000 tag. (6) We Ready has been off since July but had a second at this level at Belmont Park.

7^th race [Alw 82000 N1X, 7F] – (5) My Roxy Girl (A) was claimed from her last two starts with a win two races back. Last time, she got put in tight quarters down the stretch and had check. Once clear, she rallied to finish second. She was claimed by Linda Rice who had her in the past and moves her up to an open-company allowance. (2) Firing Carol ran her best race last time when second in a similar spot. (1) Golden Plume will move from turf to dirt for the first time for Chad Brown. This daughter of Candy Ride was heavily bet in all four starts which were fast races. (7) Timed Out has been off since February when she was enjoying success at Aqueduct in two starts after she was claimed by Rudy Rodriguez.

Best bets:  Big Tony’s Girl (3^rd); Roxy Girl (7^th). Best value:  Conformist (2^nd); Motion to Strike (4^th).