Aqueduct Hotlist - January 22

Today’s NY Hot List races to watch – Saturday, January 22, 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 worst
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

3^rd race [Alw 5000s, 7F] – (5) Royal Realm (A) returns on short rest from a race where he was claimed for $40,000 and raced widest of all on a day when the track was favoring the inside paths. (1) Rudy Rod (B) got off to an uncharacteristically bad start and then took a lot of kickback. (6) Fair Haired Boy was second his last two times in similar starter allowances. (2) Mo Mischief was a winner last time in a N2L claimer at Aqueduct.

7^th race [Jazil, 1 1/8 mi] – (7) Forewarned was a longshot winner of the Queens County last time at the same distance at Aqueduct. He was recently an invitee to the Pegasus World Cup but opted for the Jazil. Trainer Uriah St. Lewis has won several stakes at the Big A. (4) Empty Tomb was second in the Queens County after setting the pace and getting run down by the winner. (1) Why Why Paul Why won his past four races at Parx including a stakes race going two turns against a field of eight. (5) Core Conviction won his last two starts at the Big A in a maiden race for Chad Brown and then an allowance which was only the third start in the career of this now 5-year-old.

8^th race [NY, Franklin Square, 6 ½ F] – (7) Moam was a debut winner at Saratoga for Horatio DePaz. This rare NY-bred by Twirling Candy could be a good one given the five months to mature since her impressive beginning. The home-bred for Barry Schwartz rallied smartly to win by almost two-lengths.  (6) Leeloo broke her maiden by almost eight-lengths in her second start on a sloppy track at Aqueduct last month. She was a $150,000 yearling purchase as a son of impressive young sire Practical Joke. The second-place finisher in that race came back to win her next start by open lengths. (9) Shesawildjoker is the horse to beat based on her five-race record that includes a victory and a pair of thirds in NY-bred stakes races as a 2-year-old. She was a debut winner in June at Belmont Park for David Donk. (3) Thinking It Over won at first asking for trainer Ray Handal on a muddy track in November at the Big A in a race that was meant for the turf. Bet down to be the 2.05-1 favorite, she stalked the pace to beat a field of 11.

9^th race [NY, Md 25000, 1 mi] – (10) Forestwood Lane (B) struggled from behind on a very speed favoring track and still got fourth in his second career start. There is room for improvement and he gets a positive rider change. (3) Shinjuku had a series of thirds last year at Aqueduct in maiden special weights. He has been off since July. (9) Bohemian Ruby had his best finish, a second last time at the Big A. (8) Oliver’s Fortune drops back to this level where he ran second last month.

Best bets: Royal Realm (3^rd); Moam (8^th). Best value: Forewarned (7^th); Forestwood Lane (9^th).

Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 covers races 7 – 9  à 1, 4, 5, 7 with 6, 7, 9 with 3, 10 = $24.