Aqueduct Hotlist - January 24

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Sunday, January 24, 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.

6^th race – (4) Eloquent Speaker (D) takes the blinkers off after setting the pace and fading to fifth in her last start which came following a six-month layoff. She took late money last time from 6-1 to 4-1 and returns in another first-level allowance for NY-breds. (3) Impazible Donna has only been off the board once in five career starts including a second last time in a race similar to today’s spot. (6) Quietude was also second last time in one of these state-bred allowances. She has run all of her best races at Aqueduct where she has a great record. (7) Beautiful Karen puts blinkers on after a front-end maiden score at the Big A for Linda Rice.

7^th race – (5) Ghostghostghost (B) got clobbered coming out of the gate and had to be steadied and was still able to finish fourth. Trainer Tom Morley brings her back in an identical maiden claimer for NY-breds going seven furlongs. (8) Funny Bones Flag ran second in her return from a seven-month layoff for Charlie Baker who has big numbers with horses going second time after a break. (6) Grape Therapy had the lead and finished second in a $25,000 maiden claimer last time and was claimed. New trainer Mertkhan Kantarmaci, who has good numbers with his new runners, moves her up a notch to $40,000. (7) Repeal and Replace debuts as a 4-year-old for Chad Brown as one who was a $200,000 yearling purchase.

8^th race – (2) Coffee Bar (A) was an eight-length winner of his maiden special weight against NY-breds for Todd Pletcher. She will now try open stakes company going nine furlongs. (3) Wonderwall has two wins in a row at Laurel Park for trainer Claudio Gonzalez. The first was a seven-length score in a maiden claimer and then a win by 10 in an allowance. (5) The Grass Is Blue gets blinkers on after running third beaten by just a neck in a stakes race at Laurel for Chad Brown. (1) Diamond Ore is a half-sister to Arrogate who ships up from Florida after breaking her maiden at Tampa Bay Downs after three races at Woodbine.

9^th race – (1A) Lorenzen (C) backed out of a tight spot on the rail and finished third in a maiden claimer against open company at Aqueduct. Now she returns to state-bred company for a $25,000 tag. (3) Ringgood had the lead in the stretch and finished second in a similar spot going the one-turn mile. (5) Reticent drops out of two fourth-place finishes against open company in maiden claimers and gets blinkers on for Jeremiah Englehart. (9) Z’finale did not like the muddy track last time for the Bond barn after running third in this type of race.

Best bets:  Eloquent Speaker (6^th); Coffee Bar (8^th). Best value:  Ghostghostghost (7^th); Lorenzen (9^th).