Aqueduct Hotlist - March 18

Today’s New York Hot List races to watch – Friday, March 18, 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 worse
* - 4 or more betting notches if 11-1 or more.

1^st race [Md Sp Wt, 1 mi] – (1) Oh Mrs. Maisel (C) was third after a short layoff when she was bet down from 9-1 to 7-1. (6) Khuluq has been off since making three starts for Chad Brown in the early winter. She was fourth as a heavy favorite in January. (3) Culdee moved to the main track in her second start which happened at Tampa and where she was third for the Clement barn. (5) Point Pleasant is also from Clement and she made her debut on the turf at Gulfstream Park at odds of 5-1.

2^nd race [Clm 16000, 6F] – (5) Steam Engine (C) was claimed in his last three starts which were in higher priced NY-bred races. He set the pace, finished second, and made a significant improvement in speed figures when bet down from 6-1 to 5-2. (4) Mr. Pete has top three finishes in his last seven starts. Last time he set the pace and lost by a neck. (3) Ragtime Blues was claimed by Jeff Englehart when he ran third for $12,500. Englehart is improving horses new to his barn this winter. (6) Montauk Daddy will use his early speed when he drops down to the lowest claiming level yet.

5^th race [Clm 25000 N3L, 1 mi] – (1) Kerik (C) was bet down from 5-1 to 3-1 and finished second after making a fast, middle move while racing very wide the entire way. (3) Chaysenbryn (C) will drop down a notch after running third last time out when she was bet down from 6-1 to 9-2. She has past races good enough to win in this spot. (5) Sweet Mission was second for a $35,000 tag two races back when she was claimed and moved up to run for $50,000. David Donk moves her into a winning spot here. (4) Amity Island has been racing against much better in her last four starts and now moves back to face restricted claimers.

7^th race [NY, OC 80k/N1X, 6F] – (3) Ribot’s Valentine (A) was an open-length winner of her second start after a debut on a sloppy track at Aqueduct. (7) Leeloo (A) had a big win on a sloppy track but last time in a NY- bred stake she got stuck wide on an inside favoring track. (1) Ready A. P. won her first start by more than eight lengths and then was second in a state-bred stakes race. She will get Lasix for the first time. (2) Bank on Anna broke her maiden in her third start by six-lengths with a front-end effort after dropping down from a stakes race.

Best bets:  Oh Mrs. Maisel (1^st); Steam Engine (2^nd). Best value:  Kerik (5^th); Robot’s Valentine (7^th).