Aqueduct Hotlist - January 23

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Saturday, January 23, 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 worst
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

1^st race – (2) Maracuja (A) made her debut in December at Aqueduct in a maiden special weight. She broke alertly but drifted back to eighth in the early going. After racing on the rail, she moved outside and closed strongly to miss the win spot by a neck. Now, she can use Lasix as a 3-year-old and stretches out to seven furlongs. (4) Hybrid Eclipse will make her first start for Linda Rice after moving north following her first three starts at the Kentucky tracks. A fourth and a second at Keeneland and Churchill Downs were noteworthy. (5) Handle the Truth makes her third career start which includes a late running third in her most recent start. (6) Tekila found a tough field in her debut back in November and now returns for Mark Hennig with Lasix.

3^rd race – (3) Tenderfoot (A) is climbing the ladder for trainer Charlie Baker with three impressive wins in a row. A maiden claiming score by 10 was followed by a starter allowance victory and most recently he won an allowance by six lengths going a mile. Each win came with rising speed figures as he will now try stakes company for the first time going nine-furlongs in the Jazil. (5) Backsideofthemoon won his last two starts which includes a six-length front running effort in the Queens County at the Big A going today’s distance. (4) Mr. Buff will try and win the Jazil for the third year in a row. The 7-year-old, who has 15 wins in his career, was second in his last start against NY-breds. (1) Musical Heart has three place finishes in a row including his last two against Backsideofthemoon.

5^th race – (5) Kaz’s Beach (C) was third in a NY-bred first-level allowance at Aqueduct after getting bet down from 26-1 to 17-1. Before that he was a 10-length winner of a maiden special weight at Penn National. His third at the Big A was in a race behind two horses that came to win their next races. (7) Rift Valley broke his maiden with a late rally in a MSW at the Big A for Jimmy Jerkens as the favorite. (1) Advanced Strategy was third going nine-furlongs last time in an allowance but his record indicates that he may be better in this one-turn mile. (4) Too Early was fourth behind Advanced Strategy but that race came following a layoff.

6^th race – (9) Stella Mars (C) went from turf to dirt and dropped into the maiden claiming ranks and that produced a third-place finish after taking late money from 5-1 to 3-1. Now, she’s back in another race against state-breds for a $25,000 tag. (5) Captivating Cara missed breaking her maiden by a neck when she finished ahead of the Hot List horse. (1) Full of Fire was claimed for $40,000 from a November race at Aqueduct and now returns for trainer Orlando Noda getting Lasix for the first time. She’s been working steadily since the claim at Belmont Park. (7) Bley will make her debut for Rudy Rodriguez who has had success with first-timers in maiden claimers.

Best bets: Maracuja (1^st); Stella Mars (6^th). Best value:  Tenderfoot (3^rd); Kaz’s Beach (5^th).

@NYHotList Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 is on races 4-6 à 6, 8 with 1, 5, 7 with 1, 5, 9 = $18.