Aqueduct Hotlist - January 30

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Saturday, January 30, 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.

3^rd race – (1) Magnetron (B) was last seen in November when he stumbled at the start and still finished less than a length from the top spot in a N3L like this one. He was a vet scratch twice recently after being entered at Aqueduct for trainer Rob Atras. (3) Mandatory Payout rallied from ninth to run second just a length behind in a N3L three weeks ago. (4) Kingfish won two out of his last three races, including his win at the N2L level after overcoming traffic problems to rally from last. (5) Titan’s Will makes the drop from starter allowances to this N3L. He has run 10 of his 13 races at Aqueduct.

4^th race – (1) Pete’s Play Call is the winner of four of his last six starts including the Gravesend at Aqueduct at the beginning of the month. He has a great record at the Big A and at today’s distance of seven furlongs in the Toboggan (G3), the first graded stake of the year in New York. (3) Share the Ride ships in from Parx with three wins in his last six starts with a neck loss in a Laurel stake and a win in the Fall Highweight (G3) before that. (4) Stan the Man hit the board in five consecutive stakes races in New York with a win at Saratoga this past summer. (5) American Power won his last two starts including a front-end win at Aqueduct going the Toboggan distance.

5^th race – (7) Nebo gets a pass from her poor performance in a maiden special weight on a muddy track at the Big A. In December, she ran second at today’s $40,000 maiden claiming level for NY-breds. (1) Sassy Melissa looks like one those David Donk horses who is getting ready to win after a big improvement following a drop to a maiden claimer. (8) Shaker Shack was part of an even money entry in her debut back in July. Now she moves to the barn of Patrick Reynolds, drops into a claimer in her second start, and gets Lasix. (2) The Glenmore makes her debut for Rudy Rodriguez and is out of a mare who has five winners from five to start. She finds a field where the experienced runners are vulnerable.

9^th race – (3) Mandatory came back from a 15-month layoff to run second in a nine-furlong maiden special weight at Aqueduct and now cuts back to the one-turn mile for John Kimmel whose barn is hot right now. (6) Clemenza has two second-place finishes in his dirt starts and gets blinkers on for Kelly Breen following a November layoff. (4) Continuation began his career with three strong performances at this level at the Big A last winter. Since then, he ran twice in Kentucky including a third at Turfway Park and now ships back up the New York. (5) Five Tool Player was a $900,000 purchase as a 2-year-old who is by Medgalia d’Oro out of a stakes-placed mare. He ships up from Parx for his debut for trainer John Servis.

Best bets: Magnetron (3^rd); Pete’s Play Call (4^th). Best value:  Nebo (5^th); Mandatory (9^th).

@NYHotList Saturday Pick 3 Special --
The Saturday Special $1 Pick 3 is on races 3-5 and includes the Toboggan (G3) à 1, 3, 4 with 1, 3 with 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 = $30.