Aqueduct Hotlist - January 7

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Thursday, January 7, 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.

2^nd race – (5) Bronx Bomber (B) stumbled badly in his first start after being claimed for $25,000 by trainer Ray Handal. He lost all chance as a horse that prefers to press the pace. (1) Jemography has been first or second in his last five starts including a win in a recent first-level allowance for NY-breds. He steps up to the next allowance condition two weeks later. (3) Big Mountain now has two wins in a row in open claimers and returns to face state-breds with an excellent career record at Aqueduct. (6) The Caretaker has been claimed in his last four starts. He fell a nose short of the win after a late rally in a NY-bred claimer last time.

5^th race – (1) Kid Cash gets a pass for his poor effort when Rudy Rodriguez tried him on the grass. He was third in his two tries in maiden special weights on the dirt with the best speed figures showing for this field of eight. (3) Subsidize has a third and two seconds at this level for trainer Chad Brown with a place finish in his most recent race at the Big A. (5) Kawhi Me a River is a $100,000 purchase out of a dam that has produced three six-figure earners. Trainer John Terranova has been doing very well with debut runners lately. (2) Jailbreaker has run well enough in his first three starts in this maiden special weight company.

6^th race – (2) Chaysenbryn (C) was bet down from 9-1 to 9-2 and ran third in a starter allowance last start at Aqueduct going a mile. She comes right back in an identical spot. (8) Big Bennys Tribute had the lead midway through the same race with the top choice and ran on well down the stretch to secure second. (5) Amos has caught sloppy tracks in her last two races at the Big A which includes a fourth behind a return winner in a NY-bred allowance and before that a win in a N3L claimer. Both starts were going the mile distance. (3) Make Or Break was claimed for $16,000 last time when she ran second. New trainer Mertkan Kantarmaci improves horses off the claim. She has past races at this starter allowance level.

8^th race – (6) Shandian (B) had to steady along the rail as a tiring horse faded in front of him. The race before in a similar N2L claimer he was able to press the pace and run third. That recent race looks bad in the PPs and may produce favorable odds as improvement is likely. (7) Number One Dillon (D) was bet down from 7-1 to 5-1 and he was claimed by trainer Rob Atras who right now is sporting impressive numbers with his new claims and with horses taking one or two-month layoffs. (10) Brees Bayou just broke his maiden for a $20,000 tag, so this $16,000 N2L claimer is the right spot in which to face winners for the first time. (4) David’s Gem has faced better horses and returns from a September layoff for Chad Summers who can spring a big upset from time to time.

Best bets:  Kid Cash (5^th); Chaysebryn (6^th). Best value:  Bronx Bomber (2^nd); Shandian (8^th).